Friday, August 21, 2009

Home National Sports Business Lifestyles Religion Arts & Culture Pulse Spice Editorial letters Opinion Foodie Sportscope Real Talks Weekend Report PDF's Classifieds Contact About Us Archive Weather

Churches maintaining fee structure despite economic decline By INDERIA SAUNDERS ~ Guardian Business Reporter ~ inderia@nasguard.com: Despite the tough economy, many local churches appear to be steering the course by forgoing any increases to wedding fees even as church coffers dwindle. "I don't expect anyone to go up on their fees at this time, even though B.E.C is not taking hallelujahs," said Pastor Trent Davis of the Golden Gates World Outreach Ministries. "We know people are trying to do their best in these hard economic times and they come to the church for assistance. "So we have to keep the same fee structure." They are fees that can see a church collect anywhere from $200 and upwards for a four-hour service, depending on the membership to the church. It's money that goes towards the maintenance of the church and its initiatives, Guardian Business understands. Pastor Trent Davis' sentiments are echoed by Reverend George Kelly from the Metropolitan Baptist Church and Reverend K. Celeste Barrett from the Unity Center of Life. They both note an increase in the amount of financially-strapped engaged couples standing on their altar. Those in fact are the ones that have chosen to come to the church and have not opted - as in many cases - for the cheaper Justice of the Peace (JP). In the U.S., lavish weddings have become a thing of the past, applicable only to the few who are recession-proof, with church weddings taking a nose-dive in favor of the more affordable alternatives. In The Bahamas, Kelly said churches were trying to avoid a similar trend even though he already notes a slip in church weddings in recent months. "I find that a number of people are asking to be married at home," said the Hay Street pastor. "I think roughly 60 to 70 percent of the people coming to me to get married are now taking that route. They look at the long process, getting this and buying that and having that big to-do and say it's just too much." It's a situation leaving many churches around town without that already sporadic income from in-house weddings. Davis asserts his church has had to lean on income created from other measures to maintain the church, which involves renting out the church's hall for conventions and meetings to make up the dwindling revenue. "It helps us tremendously in offsetting the cost," he said. "Wedding fees help us cover the cost of these things." His statements come as expansion and maintenance plans of many local churches have been scaled back in recent months, as member contributions increasingly reflect more than their devotion but the effect of a sluggish economy. In fact, Davis asserted in an earlier interview that nearly everyone in his near 1,000-member church had been affected by the downturn in the economy, with hikes in the cost of living — just now creeping down — outpacing the ability of many to tithe at previous levels. He has noted over a 10-percent falloff in contributions during the past several months as the weight of the economy and threats of job losses fell heavily on the shoulders of many Bahamians. Despite facing a similar situation, Barrett maintains churches must resist placing their burdens on their congregation. "You simply can't tax people for anything more," she said. "Whatever comes, just know God is the source and everything will work out." Wednesday, July 29, 2009