How a Baltimore pastor is organizing Black farmers and Black churches for food security and freedom Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III is the senior pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church in Baltimore, Md. He joined the Faith & Money Network’s 2017 “Trip of Perspective” to Haiti to make cross-cultural connections between faith and money. In this story, Brown shares how a garden he planted on his   [Read More …]

When Christians discuss financial stewardship, the conversations usually focus on questions of giving:  How much should we give and where should we give it? As important as these questions are, they generally address our assets only up to the 10% tithe. What about the other 90%? Does God’s claim on all that we are, and all that we have, require that we at least look at how we might put   [Read More …]

Since racial justice movements mobilized across the country this summer, several Faith and Money Network members have asked, “How can I use my financial resources in a more anti-racist way?” Sara Loving of Better Banking Options has been answering that question all summer and shares her experience with Faith and Money Network.  As a young white person, I believe white people in this   [Read More …]

In solidarity with our friends in Haiti, Faith and Money Network is reallocating the Bonjou Haiti Fund, more than $14,000, to help offset COVID and political forces that have created dire shortages. The Bonjou Haiti Fund was established in honor of FMN founder Don McClanen to offer Haiti trip scholarships to seminary students and church leaders and has helped several people go to Haiti with FMN   [Read More …]

I went to the local drugstore this week to get some supplies – I know crazy, right? Doing something normal like going to the CVS now feels like participating in an X Games extreme sports event, at least if you are following the advice of the medical experts. I went in the very early morning, had my mask on the whole time, used the wipes available by the door, and tried to touch as little as   [Read More …]

It started with an idea.  Create a class for seminary students about money. Not just a course on stewardship as a church campaign, but a conversation about stewardship as a way of life. A place where seminarians could examine their own relationship with money — without guilt, shame or inadequacy. A curriculum that could help them preach it to their congregants.  This spring, “Faith   [Read More …]

“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.’” The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of   [Read More …]

How far down the “What if?” hole have you gone in recent weeks? From the news cycle, to email lists, to social media, to neighbors and friends, the most pressing topic is the coronavirus and how it is impacting our lives. My wife helps run a community health center which provides critical medical, behavioral health, and dental support to under-resourced communities, so the virus weighs heavily   [Read More …]

“Fear not!” the angels are recorded as saying throughout Scripture. “Fear not!” is easier said than done during a pandemic, in my opinion. To ease the fear, I find myself looking for comforts of the soul.  Three things that comfort my spirit during the pandemic of 2020: The Sabbath Economy is at work everywhere People are picking up groceries for their neighbors, creating sidewalk   [Read More …]

Let me get honest here for a minute. If I play the lottery, it throws me into days of imagining what I would do first, the wonderful places I would go, and the lovely things I would buy – so I never play. Even seeing reports of a particularly large lottery prize amount can send me into days of imaginary decisions around my newfound wealth. I don’t even need to purchase a ticket! And although the   [Read More …]