For years, purchasing a house has been intertwined with the vision of the “American dream.” A home was originally a place for putting down roots and raising families, a symbol of a promised future. Later, homeownership became an encouraged financial investment in a burgeoning market. Yet many Americans today don’t own homes and even more worry they never will. While the homeownership rate has [Read More …]
Banker-turned-pastor teaches churches how to raise money for ‘God-sized’ visions
When most people think of church and money, they often see offering plates and giving campaigns. But when Rev. Dr. Sidney Williams, Jr. talks about the church and money, he starts with a vision. “If God gives you a vision, it always exceeds your resources,” Williams said. “If it’s a vision that you came up with, you can probably fund it. But if it's a God-sized vision, there's no way you're [Read More …]
Seeking solidarity: How knowing a pastor from Myanmar changed how I read the news
It’s the type of headline I would normally skim over — “Myanmar’s Leader Is Detained Amid Coup” — because I don’t closely follow Asian politics. But this recent headline grabbed me, and I read the article twice, searching for how the military overthrow of a civilian government might affect religious practice in Myanmar. Why now? Because Peter Mang, a Christian pastor in Myanmar, was part of a [Read More …]
Gemstones in the Sun: An interview with the founder
Rev. Diane Ford Dessables is the founder of Gemstones in the Sun (GITS), an online blog where people of color (POC i.e., the Indigenous, descendants of slaves and immigrants of color) share their experiences with beliefs, shifting values, and resources. Through Gemstones in the Sun, Dessables also convenes spiritual support groups called Gemstones in the Sun Freedom Circles for POC to work [Read More …]
Growing food and seeking justice
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 …]
Social investing: Putting your money where your values are
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 …]
Anti-racist personal finance: 5 ways to fight racism with your money choices
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 …]
COVID-19 Relief for Haitian Partners
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 …]
Have your spending habits changed? Five questions to ask about money, values and the pandemic
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 …]
New seminary class equips pastors to teach and preach on money and faith
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 …]