Posted by giveawayboy on November 30, 2003 at 01:36:09:
In Reply to: Open letter to Raul posted by Terry on November 29, 2003 at 22:10:45:
Terry, I agree with you about Steve. Before you did the finances for PU, I used to do them for Crossover (not full time, but enough to see integrity at work). Steve has never made $$ an issue. Even now, when he is in crisis, he is not making it an issue. He is talking about it as a REAL NEED, but he is not making it a requirement for anyone to tithe, nor is he fleecing his flock. I mean, I too know about ways in which church money has been used to help others. None of this is ever talked about. It is just the way things go. I'm not going to discuss details. Suffice it to say that Steve does not steal church money and more often than not, has given HIS OWN money from other sources to float the church, when the church could not support itself. On top of this, Steve has always extended a bold open invitation to request financial information from him, concerning the church. This offer extends to the present. Steve has never had to fear showing this information to anyone, since he knows where it all is and since he watches it like a hawk. Steve is above board on this matter. Steve is not perfect. However, he does know what it means to be faithful to something, even if it means great sacrifice. Anyone who wants to attack Steve for financial reasons, or for his lack of committment to the church has NO GROUND to stand on. Sure, we can sit and take pot shots at the man from a distance, but it doesn't change facts. God spells success in mysterious ways that we can't always see. If everything seems like a failure in the language of faith it is not. God's work is God's work. Far be it for me to touch God's work, or his workers. One day Steve will get to hear these words from the mouth of God: WELL DONE! GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT. In that moment he won't see the fruit of failure. He will only see God's perfect working. God has done good things.