Pastors and Their Churches' Finances. Questions about God and Jesus.
by the Rev. Walter Snyder

Q: Is it proper to have the pastor's name on the checking account? Should the pastor
handle the financial business of the church?

A: A lot depends upon the congregation and also whether you mean the pastor as cosigner or if
he is the one who would write the checks for the church. This latter might work in a few places,
especially if the pastor owned the building and used the offerings for his own support. Mostly,
however, if it's not an invitation to trouble, it still takes a pastor away from his primary tasks of
preaching the Word, administering the Sacraments, teaching, visiting the sick, praying, and
studying. You can see that I've a number of things that pastors either take upon themselves or
have thrust on them by congregations. Meetings, committees, and the like are not central. Nor is
the daily financial operation of the church. 

Instead, I've listed the heart of the pastoral ministry. Doing these things well and according to
God's Word and being a good husband and father will probably take most of his time. For further
reference, consider that the Apostles dedicated seven men to "wait tables" so they could be about
the tasks of their own offices. Since the ministry is not about control but about service, I can't see
many situations that would require the pastor to handle a congregation's money. I'm quite happy
letting others manage the financial affairs of my church and imagine that most pastors feel
similarly.

There are a few instances where certain accounts may require multiple signatures. In some of
these, the pastor might be a good person to use as a cosigner. It could also be that a pastor is
responsible for certain special areas, such as youth work, and might need to draw on funds. Still,
it's good to have a system of accountability so not only wrong but also the appearance of wrong
is avoided.

Q: I am being drawn to the Christian church, but I need two questions answered: What is
the difference between God and Jesus? Where is God and where is Jesus today?

A: God is Triune (three Persons, yet one God). Human reason can't fathom this, but it's how He
reveals Himself in the Bible. The Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost are all revealed as
God, yet God also claims to be One. Within this oneness, each person is differentiated. The Father
rules the Godhead, sending His Son to save sinners. The Son takes on human flesh and is born of
the Virgin Mary, fully human, yet sinless, since He is also the eternal (without beginning or end)
Son of God. The Holy Ghost is then sent to work faith, call sinners to new life through Baptism
and the preaching of the Gospel, and preserve Christians in the true Faith until the Last Day, when
they will be raised with new and glorious bodies to live forever with God.

As for where God is now, He fills all creation, yet remains outside it. As spirit, God is not
confined to any particular physical locale. Yet in the Son, God will forever bear and be united
with human flesh and blood. God's dwelling place is usually called heaven. You can say that God
is always there. Yet God is also specially and locally present in the giving of His gifts to mankind.
So God is present in His Word, especially as it is proclaimed and preached. And in this Word, we
see Him most clearly in the Gospel, God's words of forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus
Christ. God is also present in the washing of Holy Baptism, as He kills our old, sinful natures and
raises up the new Christian. He is present in Absolution (the words of forgiveness) spoken by
Christians and especially by His pastors, who are called to speak on God's behalf, "I forgive you
all your sins." If you would most clearly see and meet Jesus, look for Him in His Supper, where
He tells you that the bread "is My body" and the wine "is My blood."

To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send email
to askthepastor@aol.com. Find old columns at members.aol.com/askthepastor on the internet.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor is copyright (c) 2001 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be reproduced in totality,
including this disclaimer, by anyone, provided that no profit is generated by said
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