Many congregations have of late joined themselves to NCCG in the expectation that our headquarters in Sweden or other regional centres will fund their evangelistic or humanitarian operations. Unlike many of the larger denominations with have organisations for such purposes, NCCG has no central financing structure or fund because it is an association of self-supporting congregations. We therefore neither pay salaries to our ministers nor do we finance congregations. The reason for this is that we ourselves live in poverty comparable to that of many of the Third World congregations who come to us in the hope that we will rescue them from their financial hardships.
It is wrongly assumed that everyone in the West is rich with limitless amounts of money that can be turned on like a tap. There is as much poverty in the West as there is wealth. Many also believe that churches in the West are uniformly rich, perhaps because they have watched the greedy and scandal-ridden TV evangelists who for filthy lucre promote their apostate and heretical teachings. We are neither like them nor do we have their wealth. In the last days nearly all the wealth belongs to those who do not fear Yahweh nor cleave to His righteousness.
As the Book of Acts informs us, the first believers lived in great poverty. Moreover, we read, it was the daughter congregations - when there was famine in Israel - who financed the starving saints in the Central Congregation in Jerusalem where all goods were held in common: the Jerusalem Colony was not a world bank for the other assemblies.
"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Yah'shua (Jesus). And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet" (Acts 4:32-37, NKJV).
"Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need" (Acts 2:44-45, NKJV).
Any relationship that is based in whole or in part in financial expectation is going to be a defective and spiritually unsatisfying one. We have therefore been distressed and saddened on a number of occasions when pastors seeking for economic aid have been told that there are no funds and have reacted in anger or in silence, often failing to report their stewardships to the apostles or implement NCCG policy as a kind of ‘punishment’ for not giving them what they felt was their right as ‘members’. There have been occasions when disgruntled pastors have chided us not knowing that we ourselves have often gone without warmth, water, food and other basic utilities because we ourselves are in great poverty.
This, needless to say, betrays a false spirit of pride and manipulation. It is not the Christian way. Any congregation coming to NCCG has as its first allegiance loyalty to the truth and a committment to NCCG in a position of obedience.
Worse, there are numerous dishonest and reprobate 'scam churches and/or ministers' who join or form associations with denominations or apostolic movements like our own for the sole purpose of dishonestly obtaining funding. One scam is to nominally divide a congregation in two (or more) under different leaders and for these leaders to then approach different ministries or churches for funding whilst pretending spiritual allegiance to them. We recently exposed once such operation in West Africa and are aware that this is a common practice throughout Africa and India. A number of congregations were expelled from NCCG last month for dishonest practices. There are many churches playing the denominational chameleon, claiming allegiance to one denomination when its leaders visit them to ascertain their status and promise funding, and then pretending to belong to another denomination when another set of leaders visit for the same purpose. This is an evil practice which NCCG will not tolerate.
The responsibility of NCCG congregations - every one of them - is to create a common monetary pool by laying their wealth - great and small - at the feet of the apostles. Since the apostles cannot be all around the world, they appoint their agents in the form of the Bishops and Pastors of Central and Local Colonies. It is the responsibility of these Bishops and Pastors to appoint a Treasurer - a ‘Colonial Administrator’ - to keep an accurate record of all tithings, donations and free-will offerings, send quarterly reports and annual audits to NCCG headquarters, and to pay their tithe in accordance with Torah. This tithe is split three ways:
(1) for the support of the local congregation and its programs;
(2) for the annual festivals; and
(3) for the apostles and evangelists in their worldwide outreach.
It is the stewardship of the apostles to then redistribute this third part of the tithing to those congregations most in need of it, together with any donations and love gifts made by friends and supporters of the Church and its wider ministries. Only by this means can there be equality of wealth in the congregations.
It has been agreed by the apostolate that no further funds will be distributed until:
(1) New NCCG membership admission proceedures have been fulfilled, which will involve applicant congregations passing through various stages of assessment in NCHCF (the New Covenant House Church Fellowship); and
(2) There is proper quarterly reporting and annual auditing of local congregational funds. Furthermore, because we are unable to support our own congregations, we shall not be supporting congregations and other ministries outside the umbrella of NCCG. We shall not be financing NCHCF congregations. This is not because we are unmoved or unsympathetic to the very real and desperate plight of believers in many Third Word countries but because we simply do not have any funds to pledge and insist on proper stewardship structures.
NCCG operates on the basis of complete transparency and honesty. Congregations unwilling to operate on the same basis, or to put themselves under full apostolic authority and accountability, are not welcome as members. Let us not forget the fateful lesson of Annanias and Saphira who lied to the apostles and the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) and paid with their lives (Acts 5:1-11).
Yahweh-willing in the future we will be able to do more to help financially. But for now it is important that our own congregations and those making application to us for support who are not a part of NCCG accept reality in grace and peace. Writing hundreds of letters to us - as some congregations have done - does not change that reality.
Grace and peace in Yah'shua our Messiah,
The Patriarchate
5 February 2003
