I know that because of this particular article you may receive an increase of fan mail (sarcastically speaking) from those who believe Christian leaders are not to be challenged, questioned, or held accountable. This subject of prosperity vs. people, entitlement vs. generosity, ethical vs. unethical behavior, and God vs. mammon (riches or material wealth) has weighed heavily on my spiritual conscience for years. My soul utterly groans from the tremendous burden of dealing with and confronting the widespread corruption within the church. It’s a heaviness I’m afraid will only increase over time. It’s a daunting task trying to cope with the speed of unethical behavior, nevertheless it’s a challenge I can’t walk away from. Unfortunately, every time another report unearths the massive amounts of the waywardness done behind close doors, it turns my hope into a childhood fantasy.

Therefore I have come to this dismal conclusion. I believe anytime someone makes an attempt to place around the necks of greed and corruption the reigns of accountability and integrity, they will be demonized. They may be called unpatriotic, viewed as outside agitators, and troublemakers. When the light of integrity and honesty shines unfavorably upon the leadership within the Body of Christ, dishonest leaders immediately scramble into damage control. Cleverly, they begin to shape and mold the views of their followers as to make themselves out to be victims. Running the thoughts of followers through a prism simplifies the complexity of thinking people. Thought becomes more manageable in terms of placing it into the categories of "Us" and "Them."

This formula offers leaders an effective way of minimizing the damage because the majority of “Us” people will not even allow themselves to listen or consider anything “Them” people have to say. This is a subject that has moved me to the point of writing a book whereby I passionately beckon Christians to be more responsible and accountable concerning our behavior. I entitled the book: The Things of God That Make You go Hmmm: Opting for the Truth When Presented Tradition. (www.believersconfidence.com).

But for me, this encompasses much more then the uncontrollable lust for money many Christians have developed. My greatest concern is concentrated on the nature of the relationship the church has maintained and/or developed with and within the community it is supposed to be serving. It is troubling to know that healthy, working relationships between churches and communities are virtually nonexistent. When set against the stark background of “the pervasive absence of church involvement within community”, weak and feeble neighborhood evangelism/activism programs appear to be strong and viable. It’s definitely the exception to the rule to see solid lines of communication existing between the two. It’s a very confusing why church participation has become so dormant. This is a question best answered by those in leadership positions. The only thing that’s clear and precise is the clarion call to come to church, hear the Word, and to give your money. Very rarely have I experienced on any consistent level "going to the community" and offering whatever assistance you can which includes the use of your money.

In closing, Jesus Christ kicked over a money changing table set up for profit in the mist of the Temple. Jesus said you have made the house of prayer into a den of thieves. Christ also said that you can not serve God and mammon (riches or material wealth) either you will serve the one and not the other, hate one and love the other. You can vehemently see though his deeds what was important to the Savior of the world and what was not. Deeds always speak louder than words. In terms of honesty verses corruption, Paul said much more people would cozy up to deceit rather than truth. In the amplified Bible the term “peddlers” was applied to those who preach the Gospel to gain a profit off of the people. 1st Peter 5:2 says to administer the Word freely and don’t do it for gaining money (filthy lucre is the exact wording).

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