This is a story about how a love offering almost destroyed the Righteous Insanity touring company before it ever really got going.
We did a gig at a local church that one of our members (4 of us at the time) were attending. We did it for a love offering, and at the end of the night, the pastor handed me an envelope with the offering money. I went home, counted the money, and made a quick call to one of the other members - who was at dinner with the other two and some family members - to tell them how much the offering was for.
Here's what happened next: some of the family members at the table began telling what they had put into the offering plate. Given that information, the group concluded that the offering should have been larger. One of the group members then concluded that I was holding back from the rest and under-reporting our income.
At that time, all proceeds from RI were being split equally among the team, after expenses. I had always been open about what our income and expenses were, but this dinner conversation led to a very angry confrontation a few days later, with me being openly accused of stealing from the group. The accusing team member did not believe me when I told her I had reported the offering accurately. She quit the group right there and stormed out.
I was able to plead my case with the other two to their satisfaction, and some changes were made in the way we did business. I handed the finances over to one of the remaining team members so that I would not be the leader, director, and money man. She handled all transactions and kept open records of everything. The arrangement worked very well, and the group moved on to do some great ministry.
To this day, I wonder what I could have done differently. I don't believe anyone who gave was mistaken in reporting what they gave over dinner, but I've often wondered if the church didn't take a cut of the offering. That's their privilege, I suppose. They were our hosts, and they have their own bills to pay. But it's a bit dishonest to call it a love offering, leading people to give from the heart to support a cause or a ministry, if you're going to take a percentage for yourself.
Whatever happened, it led to a very ugly incident involving only around $100 total. It's a clear example of how quickly, violently, and abruptly money can destroy a relationship and a ministry.
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