Pulpit Pimpin’: Promoting Prosperity and Perpetuating Poverty

Matthew 21:12-13 (King James Version)
12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Weather you attend, watch or listen to religious services, it is difficult to escape the promise of prosperity that resonate from the pulpit of African American churches. Prosperity preaching can be specifically traced to two verses in the Bible:

Malachi 3:8-10 (King James Version)
8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The crux of prosperity preaching states that if you tithe (bring all ye tithe into the storehouse) then God will bless you; conversely, if you do not tithe (or rob from God), you will be cursed.

Prosperity preaching (along with churches application of new technology) has given birth to “mega” and “super-mega” churches at the expense of low to moderate income families that attend these sanctuaries of great promise. Today, I ask the simple question of: “What impact does prosperity preaching have on the African American family and community.” Is prosperity preaching a viable business model for the 21st Century church or is it simply “pimpin from the pulpit?”

During the civil-rights movement, the African American church played an integral role to help bring about positive social change. The church was one of few places African Americans owned and served as gathering places fro grassroots organizing and motivating the community towards social action. The church provided a means to disseminate information to the masses in addition to raising financial resources to support the civil rights movement.

Today, the African American church is staring at new challenges—the institution of religion and family are severely being threatened by louder secular voices and changes in social-demographic behaviors. Considering marriage is becoming less of the norm, more are choosing never to get married, divorce rates continue to climb, and many children are being raised by only one parent, we must ask “Where is the Church?” Changes in the American economy has affected the functionality of the family—it is now expected, if not required, for two parents to work outside of the home to provide for the basic needs of the family. Therefore, if single parents continue to comprise of a signification percentage of church goers, a significant percentage of church congregations will find themselves in need of additional services to maintain the family unit.

In many respects (not all), the African American church has not mounted an effective response to the challenges that the African American community face. However, they have been very effective in raising resources to support the establishment of mega-churches.

Consider the following:

Compensation: Preaching has become as much of a profession than it is a calling. Compensation can be based on the amount of revenue that is brought into the church—which creates the incentive to raise additional dollars, rather than addressing core social ills. Some churches have established “franchises” and receive a percentage of affiliate churches' revenue. In addition, many ministers require payment to perform sacred ceremonies to include marriages and funerals. It will be interesting to see how the preaching profession will fare in a down economy.

Community Involvement: Many churches are oblivious to the social improvement strategies that are taken place in their community. They are separate from secular activities that aim to improve the social conditions of their congregation.

Charitable Giving: Churches often report to their congregation that they set aside 10% (or tithe) to charitable causes. I argue that 100% of all resources that are given to the church, should be directed to service and improving the conditions of the community. If churches are stewards of “Gods” tithes, then all of the tithes (not 10%) that are collected, should go to assist those in need.

Capital Projects: Mega churches often build campuses to support large crowds on Sundays. This seems like an inefficient way to use God’s resources since church buildings are only utilized less than 20% of the entire week. What is the building being used for beyond services and should the congregation support such inefficient use of capital?

If Jesus was to visit his temples today, would he consider them houses of prayer? Or, would he encounter money changers and a den of thieves?

The author attended a New Year’s Eve ceremony and visited the church's book store. There were only three small bibles in the entire book store. There were, however, multiple books and taped sermons by the Pastor of the church. In many respects, the church has become a place of commerce as oppose to a house of prayer. Sometimes I wonder if the church would rather charge a cover for Sunday service and Wednesday Bible study to circumvent the uncertainty tithes from the “cheerful giver.”

Today, I call upon the African American church to assume a new role in our community—one that meets the needs of the congregation, not the needs of the cloth.

Things your church can do:

Publish the Pay of Key Staff: It is often required to report the pay of key staff on charitable tax returns, IRS 990. Your church should practice full transparency so that there will be less of an incentive for church leaders to reap excessive profits at the expense of parishioners and church ministries.

Partner to leverage resources for Social Change: Your church can partner with other churches and community-based organizations to help address many social ills, to include: poverty, homelessness, hunger, unemployment, illiteracy, violence, child abuse and neglect, divorce and inadequate health care.

Provide Basic Needs Assistance: Create a system in which members of your congregation could access aid in the form of low- or no-interest loans and temporary emergency assistance.

Prepare Children for School: Early childhood development and literacy are critical to the success of an individual. Your church could partner to establish or support quality early childhood education programs, tutoring services, and college preparation assistance.

Promote Volunteer Engagement: From mentor programs to foster care families, people are volunteering to make a difference in the lives of young people. Instead of creating your own program, churches could help recruit mentors and foster care parents that might help address youth displacement and development issues.

Praise Excellence: Establish scholarships for young people that are achieving at high levels. This could help create a culture of excellence.

Preserve the Sanctity of Marriage: Develop specific programs and services to help preserve and support the sanctity of marriage. Develop programs to teach individuals how to develop healthy relationships and manage conflict.

This article is not an attack on the church, rather a call to action. It is easy to be a critic and condemn, rather than be critical and non-condemning to encourage a new approach to solving old problems.