Last week, the Main and Oklahoma church was able to pay off their mortgage on the Family Life Annex, eliminating a major budget expense of the past almost 20 years. I remember that when I first worked with the church about 10 years ago, the church was paying about $1000/week (yes, week!) on the mortgage.
When I returned for a second tenure as minister with the church in 2007 (after spending a few years in Christian higher education), the mortgage represented a big challenge. Through a series of difficulties, the church had diminished in size, resources were fewer, and a much smaller congregation faced what on some days seemed a daunting challenge–a mortgage balance of almost $170,000. Monthly payments had been renegotiated, but the new, lower payments extended the length of the mortgage out over 15 years. With the bank balance generally low (and sometimes awaiting the next week’s contribution), the financial challenges seemed overwhelming.
A major part of ministering to help heal the church and to restore self-esteem and the capacity for meaningful work in the kingdom, including increased mission work, was to develop a plan for handling the mortgage–the albatross around our necks. A first step was to encourage confident and generous giving that provided a working balance in the checking account. By the fall of 2007, a proposal was in place for quarterly “Bonus Sundays” along with opportunities for other special contributions. Available resources were often funneled to paying the mortgage. The church (through a series of unintentional events) functioned with a one-minister system for a time. Ministry costs were pared to a minimum. Sacrifices were made, and several gave sacrificially again and again to assist with accelerating the mortgage payments. Now a little less than four years later the mortgage is paid off.
To the congregation, I say “congratulations.”
I am reminded that a group of committed Christians can do a lot together when they put their mind to something and make it their priority and purpose. This is true whether we are talking about building payments or evangelism and missions.
I encourage that the funds now available not be spent on numerous “wants and niceties” and that the original purpose in undertaking the accelerated payments schedule be honored–to significantly increase the capacity of the church to reach out both locally and in mission work around the world. Numerous donors gave generously so that more mission work could be done in the future–using the budget money now freed up and available for the purpose of outreach, evangelism and missions honors the motivation and intent of many who gave to make this day possible.
The elimination of the mortgage is indeed a big step toward becoming a missional church! Amen! (May it be so!)