From what I see, the average age of a Black church trustee is around 50 years old. Average, not every.
So, consider this:
When a board of trustees (with approval of the church and quarterly conference) take out a loan to buy/ build a new building, they typically get a 30 year mortgage.
The trustees sign for that loan and hold it "in trust" for their church. But, the trustees are 50, and the loan is for 30 years.
Fifteen to twenty years into the loan, those trustees are retiring. They no longer tithe (assuming they do tithe) from their salaries. Now they tithe from their retirement.
At 15-20 years on, a church building begins to need new roof, new a/c units, and other major maintenance items. Utility costs rise constantly and even basic maintenance becomes progressively more expensive.
So, at the very moment when building expenses are peaking, the people primarily responsible for the building are physically and fiscally least able to take care of it.
Now, they (the 65-70 year old trustees) need younger adults to take on the responsibility of the church. But if those younger adults were not genuinely involved in the decision to buy the new space, and/ or if they have not been consistently validated and appreciated as leaders over the last 15-20 years then the younger adults may feel like "That's THEIR building."
We have people make a 30 year purchase so they can have a this year building. We bet our fiscal house that people are going to be dropping more money in the offering at 80 year olds than they were at 50.
We hand the next generation a debt they had no hand in creating, and we expect them to take it gladly, gratefully "cause it's for their church." Fifteen-twenty years ago "their church" was a Sunday school classroom, and a few minutes at Easter and Christmas. Other than that, they needed to know their place and let the 50 year olds decide what to do.
It was "our church" when it was new. Now that it's old and expensive, and we're broke, suddenly it becomes "their church, too."
But the children from 15-20 years old aren't children anymore. They don't want to sign their names onto a 10-15 year mortgage. They don't want to be responsible for ya'll's church note. They didn't vote to move to this new building. As a matter of fact, nobody ever even asked for their opinion.
So the 65 year olds and 70 year olds who have been trustees for 15+ and 20+ years have to figure out how to get young money to cover old debt.
And that, in a nutshell, is how Black churches go bankrupt when "They used to have such a pretty and nice church."
---Anderson
T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer and
consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth
Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership
development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
If this message helps or touches you, please help
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Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116
