Two-thirds of all the strifes, quarrels, and lawsuits in the world arise from one simple cause—money.
J. C. Ryle

The misuse of money blocks more ministry in the local church than any other single cause. The reason may be too much money, too little money, or misuse of just the right amount of money, but the result is the same: fractured relationships and spiritual atrophy. A pastor taking a new church had better get the financial picture of the church well in hand before anything else is attempted. That's not to say the pastor must solve all the church's money problems. But he must be aware of them and have a clear understanding with the key leaders on how they are to be handled. If this base isn't covered, relational and spiritual programs will be sabotaged. As district superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene's Michigan District, Neil Strait has counseled many pastors on church money problems. He knows the many flavors of pickles a pastor can get into. "A fundamental axiom for a pastor changing churches: Look over the last two or three financial reports to see the relationship of receipts to bills. That sounds pretty simple, but it's amazing how often it's overlooked. Getting a handle on the unpaid bills is a big problem for many churches. It's not that a pastor should make his decision whether or not to take a church (if that's his decision to make) based on this information. It's just that he needs to know the status of the church's financial condition, or he can't function effectively. "Not all problems of this sort are caused by pastoral neglect. You'd be surprised how often the church treasurer is reluctant to give the pastor, especially if he or she is young, all the financial information. Sometimes the reason ...