I will say it is SUPER hard for me to drive by a HUGE church in my TINY town adding another building - steel beams - the same size and the original. I keep wondering as I watch the news, “how many ultra sound machines for women’s clinics would that buy, or bibles at $5 a piece, or how much food would that purchase for the food closet down the street from me that keeps running low, or how many diapers and formula for the mom who kept her little one?” I also wonder who could be helped when my entire county population has less than 27,000 people but has the highest meth problem per capita IN THE UNITED STATES. AND we have a prominent Christian College here.
I think there is so much wrong with what becomes clear to me as “religious extortion” which pads pews, hangs massive screens, and pays for new parking lots while the preacher speaks of the rise of sin in our communities but sees zero results
The gospel concept of giving was ALWAYS tied to the atonement. There is much lost in the whole tie of money to a system that was supposed to point us to the cost of the Cross and the cost to follow Christ.
According to the National Church Finance Report, the average annual income for churches in the United States is around $200,000 to $300,000. For a more conservative estimate, we'll use $250,000 as the average annual income per church.
Number of Churches in the United States:
The number of churches in the U.S. is estimated to be around 350,000 to 400,000. For this calculation, we'll use 350,000 as the number of churches.
On average, churches allocate about 20% to 30% of their budget to operational costs. For this calculation, we'll use 25% as the average percentage.
Now, let's calculate the total operational costs:
Therefore, the estimated total operational costs for all churches in the United States would be approximately $21.875 billion.
If all churches stopped paying for operational costs, this amount would be available for other purposes, such as outreach and giving ministries. This would feed half of the hungry people who need food for the year in the United States. If you remove the salaries of the clergy/church staff, we could solve hunger in the United States twice over every year.
Great work here.
I will say it is SUPER hard for me to drive by a HUGE church in my TINY town adding another building - steel beams - the same size and the original. I keep wondering as I watch the news, “how many ultra sound machines for women’s clinics would that buy, or bibles at $5 a piece, or how much food would that purchase for the food closet down the street from me that keeps running low, or how many diapers and formula for the mom who kept her little one?” I also wonder who could be helped when my entire county population has less than 27,000 people but has the highest meth problem per capita IN THE UNITED STATES. AND we have a prominent Christian College here.
I think there is so much wrong with what becomes clear to me as “religious extortion” which pads pews, hangs massive screens, and pays for new parking lots while the preacher speaks of the rise of sin in our communities but sees zero results
The gospel concept of giving was ALWAYS tied to the atonement. There is much lost in the whole tie of money to a system that was supposed to point us to the cost of the Cross and the cost to follow Christ.
Thank you, Linda! I agree 0:)
According to the National Church Finance Report, the average annual income for churches in the United States is around $200,000 to $300,000. For a more conservative estimate, we'll use $250,000 as the average annual income per church.
Number of Churches in the United States:
The number of churches in the U.S. is estimated to be around 350,000 to 400,000. For this calculation, we'll use 350,000 as the number of churches.
On average, churches allocate about 20% to 30% of their budget to operational costs. For this calculation, we'll use 25% as the average percentage.
Now, let's calculate the total operational costs:
Therefore, the estimated total operational costs for all churches in the United States would be approximately $21.875 billion.
If all churches stopped paying for operational costs, this amount would be available for other purposes, such as outreach and giving ministries. This would feed half of the hungry people who need food for the year in the United States. If you remove the salaries of the clergy/church staff, we could solve hunger in the United States twice over every year.
Thank you! I was just walking through my kitchen thinking "everyone gives generously - to the wrong thing.
You know with the stats of people leaving churches, having huge overhead costs might look different in 5 years. Ya know?
Great read on such a delicate and divisive subject. Well done.
gracias, mi hermano 0:)
I couldn't agree more! Thank you for your post!
Thank for reading and your kind words 😇🙏🏼
No, not in the New Testament for those under the present day dispensation.