Financial Accountability

It tax season here in the United States.  Time to add up all of my family's income and expenses for the last year and see how much is due to the government in taxes... which leads me to think about financial matters.

My husband and I own stock in several companies.  Our investment in them is very small, yet every year they faithfully send us their financial statements so we can see how they use their money--their income and expenses, assets and liabilities, and so forth.  They also invite us to annual meetings where we can vote on different issues.  Would it be wise to invest in a company that did not tell what they did with that money?

There are several charities that we contribute to regularly.  They all let us know (either by mail or online) how they spend their money.  They have easy to read graphs that let me know how much of my gift is be used for ministry, how much for administration, and how much for fundraising.  I can also see their detailed financial statements, and I noticed one of them even has a link to their actual tax form.  Would it be wise to contribute money to a charitable group that did not tell me how they used that money?

Most of my giving goes to my home church as tithes and offerings.  Once a year my church has a business meeting that all members are requested to attend (and friends of the church are welcome too, even if they are not registered, voting members).  At the annual business meeting we discuss and vote on issues (like new deacons and building projects) and we examine the church's financial statements.  We get to see how the church has used all the money we've given--salaries, utilities, ministries, mortgage payments, etc.  Would it be wise to give tithes and offerings to a church that would not share how they spent the money?

These examples all show how upright organizations are not afraid to share their financial details with those who invest, or contribute, their money.  An honest organization will welcome such a chance to be accountable so there would be no question of wrong-doing.

Likewise, anyone who gives a significant amount of money to an organization (either as a gift or investment) and finds out how that money is really spent is WISE!  To trust an organization with poor financial accountability is to act foolishly.

Why do we often hesitate to give money to the beggar on the street corner?  Because there is no way we can hold him accountable.  Will he spend that gift on food or on drugs, how do we know?  Is he really homeless and needy, or just acting to get money, how do we know?  It's hard to know in that case.

That's just a matter of a few dollars.  What about when you when you contribute a significant amount of your income--your tithe, 10%, to your church?  How do you know it's being used properly?  You must have a church that keeps itself accountable.

Is the World Mission Society Church of God accountable to its members about how it uses their money?  Do they share financial statements with their members?  Do they hold business meetings so their members have a voting voice in decisions of the congragation and how their money is spent?

Those are good questions to ask about ANY church.
I don't know the answers to those questions regarding the WMSCOG, but I do know this:
If you are a WMSCOG member reading here, and the answers are NO, then you should find out why.