Q & A - Church Order
Questions 229 (COD Page 893)
Brother Branham... There’s three, two questions on this card here. Brother Branham, what should be the policy of taking up offerings in the church for people? How should this be done?
96 I think taking up offerings in the church for people should not be done unless it’s for your pastor. And I think if someone comes in for charity, or something like that, that...Or someone in–in bad need, like one of our members here, our congregation, say if one of our brothers, and they have some trouble; well, I think then that should be announced at the platform, and let the pastor do that, I think it’s his duty to do that; some brother that’s in need of something, let him present it to the church, if it wants to be taken that way.
97 If it’s someone in need and–and then you don’t want to take the offering up for the person that’s in need, then let the boards meet together and agree upon certain sums that they want to give to this person out of the treasury. But if the treasury is low at that time and they can’t afford to do it, then it has to be taken up, well, let–let the...let it be talked with the board, giving orders to the pastor, and let the pastor ask for this certain thing. Say, “Now, tonight (Our Brother Jones, he had a–a horrible accident, his house burned down.), and tonight, as Christians, we’re going together, to each one of us make a pledge of what we can do to help Brother Jones back with his house again.” See, or–or whatever it is. See, we mu-...we’ll do that. Let that be said from the platform, that’s the way to do that. And then let the pledges be give in, and then give it over to the treasurer of the church. And these pledges be paid through the treasurer of the church, and give to them. And–and give the person a receipt for it, ’cause I don’t know whether that’s tax redemption or not; I guess it is for something like that.
98 Now, but when it comes to like a–a stranger come in, a stranger come in like he’s...A man comes in and says, “Well, you know what? I–I–I’m on a journey and I blowed out a tire, and I want a new tire. Take me up a offering tonight for a new tire.” Now, that shouldn’t be done. No, that should not be done. And if it seems to–if it seems to be a worthy thing, of somebody that you know, the board could meet and designate a certain amount of money from the treasurer to buy that man a tire or whatever it was. Or either if the church treasury is low, and it’s decided by the board that these...The pastor shouldn’t have nothing to do in this, the–the deacons is supposed to do this, see, or the boards. And now if this...If it’s agreed, then give to the pastor, the pastor could take the offering. But, notice, if it’s a stranger, it’s in an emergency, a fellow needs a little money and you feel that it’s for a just cause, (now this is my opinion), if it’s for a real just cause and you know it is for a just cause...
99 Now, first, if you go up there and look on my books at the house, of people coming by and say, “I’m Reverend So-and-so from this certain-certain church, and I–I had some trouble down the road here, and I–I need a set of tires,” and know that I just come in from a meeting and had an offering, or something another like that, I’d give it to him, nearly, to go get a set of tires. And look in the minutes, there never was such a minister as that, never lived in such a place. And there is ten or twenty thousand dollars on the books from these years that I’ve give out like that, never know nothing about them where they was. Come to find out, other ministers say,
“Why, he made me for so-and-so and so-and-such.”
100 Now, the church is not responsible, only for their own. That’s right. Their own, they’re responsible.
101 But if there seems to be a worthy cause, and then if you, the, if you trustees might say, “Well, now wait a minute. This man, there he is, his car down there, this is, did happen, and this. It’s not of our congregation, see, but it is.” Then if they want to do it like that, and would say something special about an outsider...
102 Not our own, now, see, not our own people, our own people be taken up right here amongst their–their own, their brothers here, see.
103 But if it’s somebody on the outside, and a fellow says he’s hungry or...and somebody wants to reach down in his pocket and give him some charity, that’s up to you, but I’m talking about from the church. And then if the church people are asked to donate, then...
104 Now, if you got an evangelist, of course, in here preaching, then you take...you...that’s understood before he comes, you know, that you’ll give him a offering, or pay him salary, or whatever he wants to do.
105 But then if this person is here, and it’s for a just cause, and the pastor...and the board would want to agree and tell the pastor upon it, then let the pastor say, “A certain-certain person is setting here, we don’t know the man, he come in and he asked us for...he says his children are hungry. We haven’t got the time...we haven’t had the time to investigate the–the–the–the–the claim.” See?
106 If there’s anything like that, then our–our...If there’s anything among our own, our–our own deacons go investigate those claims. See? And then if it’s worthy, then do it. If it isn’t worthy, don’t do it, don’t have to. But now if it’s a man here, you–you let the pastor say, “Now, the trustee board told me they did not know this person. But the man is sitting here, he says his name is Jim Jones,” or whatever it might be, “and he’s sitting right here. Would you stand up, Mr. Jones? Now, Mr. Jones, at the end of the service, you stand just at the back door there, as you go out. And if any peoples feeled in your heart, or anything that you want to do for this man, give it to him as you go out.” Is that understood, now?
107 Did you get that on yours? To those who are on the tape...And one of the...Brother Collins missed it on his tape. I want to reinstate that quotation again if... ’cause he’s one of the deacons.
108 If–if there be any of the, one man comes in that you...and is in emergency and he wants an offering from the church, let the trustees or deacons meet together, and let the...meet together, and make this decision, and then tell the pastor that it might be done like this. Let them...Let the pastor say that “This certain man,” call him by name, “we know him not. And our policy here is to investigate before we take offerings for people, and, that is, of our own. But this man here, he says he’s broke down, he’s had a emergency, he’s got sick children, he, trying to get medicine for his children,” or whatever it might be, the emergency. “Now, he’s standing right here, Would you stand up, sir?” See, and let him stand up. And say, “Now you people see what...who he is. Now, at the close of this service this man shall stand there at the front door, and people going out, that feel that you want to contribute to this, you’re at liberty; we only announced it in the church.” You’re not sanctioning it, you’re only announcing it. See, that’s hospitality to a stranger. See? Understand now? All right.
109 I think that settles that question.