Why I Keep Talking About Giving
“This is just a hugely distasteful example of the American money obsession gospel which us non-Americans find nauseating.”
I stared at my inbox and read the response twice. Then three times. Somewhere, in some other country, some nameless person with an @hotmail.com email address was very upset with me.
Earlier that morning I had emailed out a blog post about the importance of speed and simplicity when it comes to online giving. The few responses I’d received back had been largely positive. But then came this one.
I’ve been sharing content on the Internet long enough to know that negative feedback comes with the territory. I try not to take it personally. But, for some reason, this response really got to me.
I think part of the reason was its source. This email purportedly came from a fellow brother or sister in Christ. This is exactly the kind of person that Mogiv is working to empower and equip, and yet he/she found those efforts to be “hugely distasteful.”
Another reason for pause came from the accusation itself. We’re all familiar with the oft-cited excesses of prominent American pastors in recent decades. Indeed, it is those very excesses that Mogiv (and perhaps you as well) are working to reverse. We exist not only to help churches increase their monthly giving, but also to help re-frame the conversations churches have around generosity. Based on that feedback, not only had we fallen short in our efforts, we had become a living embodiment of that which we most despise! (more…)