Should churches publicise charity?
By seeking publicity for works of charity, has the church gone commercial? That is the issue WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR deals with in this story.
Lately, Malawi has witnessed churches joining the bandwagon of donor-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in chasing media publicity for any charity work.
It appears many alms givers do not feel appreciated if journalists, especially television reporters, do not capture their donation ceremony.
Recently, a certain Blantyre-based fellowship mobilised resources for building a house for an old woman in Chilomoni. As expected, letters were sent to a number of media houses asking for reporters to cover the handover ceremony for the house.
The function would have been incomplete, if not cancelled altogether, had MBC TV not covered the function.
While donor-dependent NGOs can be excused for seeking publicity as they try to prove to doubting donors that not all Malawians are irresponsible in financial management, churches’ thirst for publicity in philanthropic work raises a few questions.
In his teachings on alms giving and charity to the poor, Jesus Christ teaches his followers against seeking public approval and praise, especially in religious duties.
Jesus teaches that “What we do must be done from an inward principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be praised of men,” Matthew 6:1-4.
Jesus further teaches that when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
Father McDonald Sembereka of the Anglican Church noted that the commercial route many churches have taken is the driving force behind pastors’ love for publicity.
“We [pastors] are repeating the very tendencies Christ rebuked of people of those days. We tend to act as anybody else does which is a total departure from what Christ himself commanded us to do. We tend to forget what Jesus said as clergy and want to be as the Pharisees and Sadducees did,” he said.
Whereas the practice used to be associated with Pentecostal churches, Sembereka said mainline churches are falling into the trap to seek visibility and project themselves as active.
Reverend Father Henry Saindi of the Catholic Church said there are three righteous practices—giving, praying and fasting—that should be rendered to God.
“These must never be a display of self-righteousness to gain the admiration of others. According to the Jews, these were three great cardinal works of the religious life, three great pillars on which the good life was based—almsgiving, prayer and fasting.
“Jesus didn’t dispute that. What troubled him was that so often in human life the finest things are done from the wrong motives. Jesus condemns the motive and not the deeds. Wrong motive means no reward from your Father,” said Saindi.
“You cannot expect to be paid twice. If, therefore, you take your reward in the applause of men, who give you a high character for generosity, you cannot expect to have any reward from God. You ought to have a single eye to God’s accepting what you give and to have little or no thought of what man may say concerning your charitable gifts,” he added.
