One or two members in my area would send more money to headquarters but they don't because they don't want their money to pay for the large headquarters properties until they sell.
Why can't we just walk away from the property to alleviate this financial burden?
The headquarters property is the church's most valuable physical asset. Although not paying for its upkeep would free some funds for other things such as ministers' salaries, it would be unthinkable and irresponsible to sacrifice the long-term financial stability of the church for even worthwhile short term goals.
To use an analogy, it would be like a homeowner walking away from a fully paid for home (which is up for sale) because the taxes and roof repair expenses make it necessary to drive an old car instead of make payments on a new one.
Although some sacrifice is required by the homeowner in the short to medium term, he is far better making those short-term sacrifices until the home sells and he can recoup his investment.
I realize that some members don't feel that they immediately benefit from the church's ownership of the headquarters facility, and so they resent any amount spent to maintain the property until it sells.
A few have perhaps decided that they will express their feelings by withholding their offerings until money spent on the property can be used for local needs.
However, such thinking is shortsighted. For one, it doesn't recognize that the entire church, including the local congregations, will be far better off to patiently wait for the inevitable property sale.
For another, it doesn't recognize that withholding one's offerings for this reason merely makes the short-term sacrifices more acute.
The buildings the church owns were purchased or built long ago. The present administration has not only not added to the properties, it has cut maintenance expenditures to the bone.
While none of us likes to sacrifice, the fact remains that the church owns a large headquarters facility that it intends to sell when an appropriate buyer comes along. Waiting patiently until that time is the only prudent course.
Dec. 17, 1996 Worldwide News, page 3
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