Do The Right Thing: S6E21

I’m so glad you’ve joined me at the intersection of faith and true crime here at The Unlovely Truth. Does your church or ministry struggle with physical, emotional, or spiritual safety issues? I’m your host, church safety advocate Lori Morrison and I’m so glad you’ve joined me today. Our churches need to be the safest places in our communities, so our mission on this podcast is to find actionable steps to improve every aspect of safety in our houses of worship and beyond. We’re going to do that by investigating The Unlovely Truth about real crime news stories that are happening in real churches. I’ve got new cases for us to investigate today, so let’s dive right in. 

 

Highlights from this episode include:

 

• One more Gateway pastor is gone
• Did this pastor have a vision or was he a fraud?
• Church money is stolen and they didn’t notice

Let’s look now at a passage of Scripture that’s right in line with that and has lessons for us about all of today’s cases. 

 

2 Corinthians 8:16-21 from the NIV

 

Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord 

but also in the eyes of man.

 

Paul has collected money from fellow believers to help a struggling church. Since they didn’t have Venmo back then, someone had to actually take the money where it needed to go. Paul made sure he chose someone who was widely known for his service, not his charisma or public speaking abilities. He was also sent with someone else. And what was the offering for? Not to build a Christian Disneyland but “to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.” And notice how Paul says he wants to avoid criticism of how they are doing things. He doesn’t do that by hiding what is going on, but by putting safeguards in place and using trusted people. 

 

I think that the last sentence in this passage applies to not only financial matters, but to everything we do in church. “For we are taking pains to do what is right not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man”. Paul knew that being a church of high integrity is necessary to spread the gospel! We don’t try to have a good reputation by hiding what we are doing, but by doing the right thing. There is a huge difference there. I so I want to end with a question that will hopefully make us all think. What is OUR church’s reputation based on?

 

Let me know what you think of this episode! Send me an email a lori@theunlovelytruth.com or message me on social media. I love it when people are willing to have hard, but impactful conversations that strengthen physical, emotional, and spiritual safety at the intersection of faith and true crime.

 

Visit my website to access more episodes. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting services, please email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com. 

 

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Another Gateway pastor sent packing

 

Was this pastor a failed businessman - or a con artist?

 

When money gets stolen and your church doesn't notice