I recently read an article in the NY Times that outlines the financial activities of several megachurches (larger than 2,000) who are borrowing large sums of money to enter a variety of business ventures, including a sports dome, a housing complex, shopping centers, and much more.

Outreach is the underlying theme of these ventures, as they are trying to go out and meet people where their needs and interests are.

Competitors of these church-owned businesses are crying foul, as they claim that they are unable to compete with the tax-exemptions typically granted to churches.  The local governments in these areas are also sorting through the activities of these churches, as they try to sort out how much of the revenues and property values may be taxable.

I applaud the efforts of these churches to go out and reach more people for Christ.  However, I'm somewhat uneasy with the amount of debt that was mentioned in the article.  The use of debt can run the church into bankruptcy if these enterprises are unsuccessful. 

Even though debt is not a sin, Proverbs does caution us about the use of debt.  Proverbs 22:7 reminds us that the borrower is servant to the lender.  If the extra activities fail, what sacrifices will the congregations need to make to pay the mortgage?

To read the article, click here.

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