One of the things that continues to surface in conversations about our culture is that of the tax exempt status of churches and Christian institutions. Earlier this spring I was sitting at a dinner where a colleague was bemoaning this coming reality. Others around the table shared the concern. They were worried that this change would significantly decrease giving and put churches out of business.
They were also worried about the property taxes that many churches would have to pay on buildings if they lost their exemption. Most church buildings are on the best property in a town. The taxes on those locations would typically be significant. However, it was decided early on in our history as a nation that churches would be exempt from paying those taxes because of their communal good. To be sure, churches still provide very good things to the community within which they exist. They probably break even with their communities.
But why all this worry? Why all this fear?
As I listened to this discussion, I told the guys at the table that if giving dries up because the government changes our tax status, then we have deeper problem. The fact that many leaders in the church are worried about this says that the deeper problem exists already.
We are worried about this because we aren’t discipling people. We are not helping them grow to maturity in their faith. Giving, we think is dependent on the tax write offs that people give. Leadership within the church doesn’t think that giving is being done as an act of worship but as a business transaction.
If giving is driven by worship and a desire to respond to the Lord then it won’t matter to someone if they get a tax write off. Giving for the follower of Jesus is a responsive act of gratitude. If we believe that God is good and has provided all things for us then we will joyfully give to God’s work through his church.
The fears of my colleagues and the Christian media uncovers an ugly reality, we have not been building disciples. There is a lack of maturity within the church in the US.
If you are a church leader that is afraid of churches lose their preferential tax status then double down, right now, on discipleship. Focus less on nickles and noses and give your attention to building people in their faith and sending them out to build others up. Go beyond giving a weekly monologue or teaching a Sunday school class. Get involved in the lives of people and lead them to maturity.
When we are building disciples we don’t need to worry about what happens when the tax write off goes away or when we lose property tax exemption. We won’t need to worry because people will be giving as worship and not part of a business transaction.
The post Give to Caesar appeared first on The Journal by Daniel M. Rose. It was written by Daniel M. Rose.
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