Church collection plates (where do the finances go?)
People who go to church are used to dropping a few pounds into the collection plate. But what many people never ask is where that money is going? It may be helping to repair a church roof or help local local parishioners. But often it is goes to huge organisations that already have tons of money.
UK churches handle over £1 billion in donations each year. Transparency matters, especially at a time when so many people are choosing between heating and eating. No doubt tiny churches need funds. But the two main Christian religions in England (Catholic and Church of England) both have heaps of money, with only a tiny percentage going to say help homeless people (and their dogs).
How wealthy is the Church of England?
Very. Plus of course the head of the Church of England is King Charles III. Many people think he should pay his taxes (he pays voluntary income tax but it’s not compulsory like for the rest of us). And he along with Prince William pays no corporation tax on the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, nor inheritance tax.
Jesus says in the Bible that he was technically free from paying tax. But he paid it anyway, so he would not upset anyone. Matthew 17:24-27
The Church of England’s main wealth is from its property portfolio (including cathedrals and London’s Hyde Park estate), plus £11 billion in investment funds and more land. Yet many small churches struggle.
All Church of England dioceses pay into a ‘parish share’ (presumably raised through donations) so that those in need can then ‘dip in’ to pay for things they need. So why they need to raise money to repair a roof, when its ‘head office’ has so much money, is a mystery.
The average Church of England pastor earns around £30,000 a year, a healthy income for an important job (and presumably includes a house and food). So where is the rest of the money going?
The Church had to pay out substantial amounts is compensation to victims of a recent scandal, when it did not investigate a lay preacher, who regularly beat boys (including his own son) until they bled.
How wealthy is the Roman Catholic Church?
There are no official stats for the UK, as it all comes under the worldwide church, based in Vatican City. But its estimated that the church’s wealth runs from tens of billions to possibly trillions of pounds in property, art (it owns the Sistine chapel) and investments.
It’s interesting how so many US politicians hell-bent on propping up the oil industry, are going against the policy of Vatican City, which does not anymore invest in fossil fuels (not to say it’s ethical – it rents out to McDonald’s, and refuses to denounce bull-fighting).
Jesus was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich. How come that an institution ruling in the name of this same preacher is now the wealthiest institution on earth? I would love to hear the Pope answering this question. Avro Manhattan
The arrogance of some ‘Catholic’ politicians is beyond belief. Recently after being rebuked by Pope Leo about the Iran war, vice-president JD Vance actually told the Pope that he needs to ‘be careful when he talks about matters of theology’. He said that – to the Pope!
Finances of other churches
The Orthodox Church again worldwide is worth billions (and the second largest-landowner in Greece). Even smaller churches (like United Reform) manages over £130 million in investments.
Quakers work differently in that funds are invested ethically with The Quiet Company (to fund work for peace, animal welfare and prison reform). Local meetings manage their own (simple) properties.
George Cadbury who invented drinking chocolate to stop his workers drinking gin (!) built the green village of Bournville near Birmingham. To get them out of slums and into good homes with green space.
Should people practice tithing?
Years ago, everyone tithed (gave 10% of their income to the church). This was back in the day when lives were simple. Today anyone could be forgiven for questioning if they should be spending a portion of their grocery bill to multi-billion pound organisations.
Many people’s idea of ‘money to a good cause’ differs. For example, a Catholic may prefer to give to Catholic Concern for Animals, rather than the Vatican that supports bull-fighting (or rakes in money from renting to McDonald’s).
It’s also important not to be controlled by churches, that say something like ‘You have to give to us, in order to get to Heaven’. In fact, the New Testament offers blessings from faith in Jesus’ work, not from performing rituals to earn favour. It encourages giving ‘as you have decided in your heart’. So if that means a hedgehog sanctuary over a big rich church, Jesus gives His blessing!
How are churches funded abroad?
The days of asking people to put a tenner in the pot may soon be over. Many people these days don’t use cash (either because it’s a hassle or due to boycotts as modern bank notes are made from plastic and animal fat). People also see churches with so much wealth, and wonder (along with abuse scandals) why they should give to churches.
In Sweden, people pay an optional church tax. Then if the church does not use money wisely, payments are taken away. It seems to work, and restores trust.
The same happens in Germany, where church tax is automatically collected, with the option to opt out. In Austria (the law is at age 14 you are allowed to choose your own religion), churches collect tax from parishioners. But again only to those who follow a particular religion.
The finances of Trinity Broadcasting Network
If you’ve ever been stuck for something to watch on TV, you may have come across TBN, a free-to-air Christian TV channel. To its credit, it offers some nice music and Joel Esteen is one of the better American TV preachers (though he doesn’t use giant hands like Kenny Everett!)
But its faced criticism for ‘false gospel preaching’ on prosperity, and many of its presenters live in multi-million pound mansions (Joel makes money from his books not sermons) and a few even fly around by private jet.
When asked if Jesus would use a corporate jet to get around, one preacher even replied ‘He might today, they weren’t available then?’
The organisation even (before funding ran out) tried to build a Holy Land theme park in Orlando, with replicas of Jerusalem (and its programs never mention the genocide in Gaza).
In 2022, many older and low income residents of a Florida mobile home park (owned by TBN) were served with eviction orders to make way for development, only stopped due to public outcry. The incident became an award-winning documentary Last Days on Lake Trinity.
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
How Lourdes became the ‘Disneyland of God’
Lourdes is of course the ‘holy place’ in France, where many people (including from England) travel in the hope of finding a cure to incurable diseases.
The town generates almost £300 million in profits, with vulnerable families being charged a fortune. Parents flying a child in a wheelchair to be charged for glow-in-the-dark statues of Virgin Mary and plastic bottles of ‘healing water makes a mockery of religion.
St Bernadette had a vision of Virgin Mary here near a well (which is why people visit to bathe or drink the waters). She died young from TB, but there have been around 70 ‘confirmed miracles’ (a small portion of the millions that visit).
