Journal

I really like my Church

9 Comments

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a page providing high-level details of the aid they’re providing in Southeast Asia.

Link.

Among the highlights — missionaries (the nice young men in white shirts and ties) are serving as translators for those looking for loved ones in Thailand, and in Hong Kong the saints are assembling some 30,000 hygiene kits for distribution in Sri Lanka. This Sunday the First Presidency of the Church will encourage all members to be especially generous with their Fast Offerings (monthly donation of the value of two meals which are skipped as part of the monthly fast). Fast Offerings are used exclusively for welfare, and the Church is opening welfare coffers for use in Southeast Asia at this time.

It’s nice to know what the money is being spent on, and it’s even nicer to know that church members in the area are an active part of relief efforts.

–Howard

9 thoughts on “I really like my Church”

  1. Wow. I’m not normally a fan of organized religion or missionaries, but being able to do good stuff like that (and doing it) shifts my opinion.

    Thanks

  2. I don’t like church PERIOD, but I think it’s awesome what yours is doing. I’m tempted to go find the nearest stake/ward/whatever it’s called and find whoever’s in charge adn give them some money. I really don’t want to give it to any of the “Professional Aid Agencies” because I don’t trust them. Any skim for “administrative expenses” or whatever that your church adds onto it will at worst be going for bibles or something, rather than some beauracrat’s slush fund. Wasn’t there something about money donated to the Red Cross on behalf of the victims families being used for brand new (and unnecessary) radio equipment?

    Loxley

    1. The only thing I’ll donate to the Red Cross is blood. There are other charitable groups that use donated money responsibly, like Doctors Without Borders.

      1. I donated to Red Cross rather than wait til Sunday to donate at Church. While I can trust offerings at Church to be used without any administrative cuts, I also know that Church isn’t the speediest at moving money around. And whether or not it’s true, I like to imagine that my donation to the Red Cross IMMEDIATELY allowed someone across the globe to receive some help.

        Never heard anybody diss on the Red Cross before. Even if only SOME portion of the donations make it, because of mishandling, bureaucratic costs, or even dishonesty, it’s worth the donating, isn’t it?

    2. The Welfare program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is one of the most efficient in the world in terms of donations in to donations back out. Part of this is due to the fact that with the exception of a few full-time employees, those doing the work for the program are all lay clergy, and are unpaid. The church canneries and packaging plants are managed by a few full-timers, and staffed completely by volunteers. Each Ward and Stake has a rotatating cannery duty which amounts to a few dozen man-hours every couple of months.

      Food and supplies from these canneries go to feeding the hungry and homeless, usually first within Church membership rolls (the Church takes care of its own), but in cases of extreme need the Church provides supplies to other organizations for distribution. This is the case in SE Asia where the Church has a very limited distribution network, and will be dependent on other organizations to get supplies to the right places.

      NONE of the Welfare dollars (Fast Offerings) go towards buying bibles or other proselyting supplies. Those come out of the Church Missionary Fund, which is donated to separately. That in turn is different from the Tithing all faithful Latter-Day Saints donate, which, true to the definition of the word, is 10% of their income — PRE-tax. Many Latter-Day Saints give charitably in excess of 15% of their income.

      –Howard

      1. I just got back from something called a “mission home.” I just looked up LDS in the phone book and called the number and asked if I could come bring some money (a hundred bucks). 🙂 Mission President Blake was a really great guy and we chatted for almost two hours about this and that. Had a nice visit.

        Loxley

      2. PRE-tax? I used to pay that way, when I was doing contract work, and taxes were paid at the end of the year. But now that taxes get yanked from my income before it “comes in,” I render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, THEN render undo God that which is His.

        If I get an income-tax refund, then I’ll tithe that, when it comes in.

      3. Voulenteer

        Each Ward and Stake has a rotatating cannery duty which amounts to a few dozen man-hours every couple of months.

        On that note, I’ll be at the Lindon cannery tonight for that very reason. Very busy there right now. It’s normally busy because of the overall time of year (winter needs), and this year obviously has more need.

    3. waste expenses

      I think the bigger issue is that some of these organizations need to pay their staff. I know the red cross president used to make $500k a year. IMHO an organization like that should be able to get away without paying that amount. Use your status in the world to receive donated experience, and prestige building for talented people.

      I like my church (also LDS) because the won’t pull things off the top for somebodies pay. That which is donated for welfare is *only* used for that. Most work is donated, and that which isn’t, will be paid from alternative donation sources.

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