Where Does Your Church Dollar Go?

The worldwide ministry of the Church of the Nazarene is an amazing reflection of God’s ability to take the gifts of His people and do great things for His Kingdom. Slightly more than 1.4 million Nazarenes in 13,000 organized congregations support the ministries of local churches, districts, regions, the general church, colleges and universities, and missionary outreach to our local communities and around the globe. All of this is the result of faithful giving of tithes and offerings by Nazarenes.

The amount paid by local churches for all purposes in the 2003 fiscal year was almost $792 million dollars! That’s more than three-quarters of a billion dollars given to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples! Such generosity is no surprise, since, from the inception of the denomination, Nazarenes have emphasized the giving of tithes and offerings to support the work of God’s Church at home and abroad.

But how is all this money spent? Where does it go? Such large numbers boggle the mind to, but let’s break it down in a way that’s easier to understand. Imagine you drop one dollar in the offering plate of your church on Sunday morning. Let’s take a look at how that dollar will be used within our denomination to effectively spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

MOST GOES TO OPERATE THE LOCAL CHURCH

Most of your dollar (about 82 cents) is used by your local church. This money provides for items such as the salary of your pastor and staff, church mortgage payments, and operational expenses—like the gas, water, and electricity. It also may be spent on educational resources, local compassionate ministry programs, and the various other ministries your church provides for your congregation and community.

SOME GOES TO FUND THE OPERATION OF YOUR DISTRICT

About 4.5 cents of your dollar goes to your district office. Besides salaries for your district superintendent and support staff, your five cents will be used to provide services for existing churches and to plant new ones. In some instances, this money may also support district camps, which provide a variety of ministry opportunities for persons of all ages.

A BIT LESS THEN TEN PERCENT GOES TO THE WORLD EVANGELISM FUND

About 8.5 cents of your dollar goes to support World Evangelism Fund ministries in almost 150 world areas. This part of your dollar sends the gospel, along with ministry and support services, throughout six world regions as well as to churches in the USA and Canada. This nine cents of your church dollar provides a broad variety of ministries.

First, a portion makes possible the support of more than 740 missionaries and 20,000 national workers. In World Mission areas, some of the money is spent to educate more than 10,000 students in Bible colleges and seminaries or to train bi-vocational pastors in trades to support their ministries. Sixty medical clinics and two hospitals receive support. Among other things, the money is used to provide holiness literature in more than 90 languages and for broadcasts to carry the gospel to more than 80 countries.

Additionally, a portion of this amount underwrites USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism ministries and services to local churches, pastors, chaplains, and evangelists. These include resources such as clergy development through PALCONs and Church Size Strategies training. African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Koreans, Cambodians, Armenians, and a host of other cultural groups are supported by Multicultural Ministries. Churches are begun through assistance provided by the NewStart ministry. Also, Nazarenes and non-Nazarenes benefit from USCME’s Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and Nazarene Disaster Response.

Your 8.5 cents also provides assistance for other general church support services. These include the General Secretary’s Office, the Headquarters Financial Office, the International Board of Education, Nazarene Missions International, Nazarene Youth International, Sunday School Ministries, Adult Ministries, Children’s Ministries, Stewardship Ministries, USA Church Loan Fund, and the primary administrative work of the Board of General Superintendents.

Some of the 8.5 cents is used to provide the base support of ministries that receive major funding through Ten Percent giving, such as Alabaster, World Evangelism Broadcast, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Child Sponsorship, Work and Witness, LINKS, World Mission Literature and the JESUS Film project.

If you’re keeping track, so far we’ve spent all but five cents of your dollar. Let’s see where the remainder of your money goes.

NAZARENE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES ALSO BENEFIT FROM YOUR GIVING

About 3.5 cents helps with the costs of running the Nazarene university or college on your educational zone. This money assists thousands of students as they study for full-time Christian ministry as well as a variety of other professional careers where they will represent Christ to others.

SOME OF YOUR GIVING SUPPORTS RETIRED PASTORS

So what’s your final 1.5 cents worth? Actually, it provides a critical service as it is finds its home in the Pensions & Benefits USA Fund. There it provides financial retirement benefits and life insurance coverage to more than 4,500 retired ministers and widowed spouses. It also provides benefits programs to more than 14,000 active ministers and lay church employees.

YOUR GIVING MATTERS!

There you have it, your dollar at work—not only in your own church, but on your district, educational region, and around the world. It’s a system that enables our 13,000 churches to combine their resources to continue to carry out Christ’s Great Commission in the 21st Century.
This system works only because of your faithful giving. Every dollar placed in your church’s offering plate touches the lives of men, women, boys and girls of many colors and languages worldwide. What a privilege and what a responsibility! It’s great to know that right now your gift to your local church is at work changing lives somewhere in the world.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for your gifts to the Church of the Nazarene. May God bless you abundantly for your vision for reaching the lost and discipling those who come to know Jesus!