Catholicism draws richly from Scripture in relation to stewardship and philanthropy, as do many religions. I have spoken with rabbis, as well as Muslims, Hindus, and representatives of other religions who sacred scriptures also have references to stewardship. But here, I will focus on Christian Scriptures.

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the word of the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 New American Bible Revised Edition

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 New American Bible Revised Edition

The great Catholic theologian, Henri Nouwen, wrote a magnificent little book called The Spirituality of Fundraising. In his book, he refers to fundraising as a ministry, and indeed it is a ministry to raise the money needed to fulfill your mission and enable your vision to become a reality. Nouwen confirms what every professional fundraiser knows--that fundraising is not begging for money, but rather that we must declare, “We have a vision that is amazing and exciting. We are inviting you to invest yourself through the resources that God has given you—your energy, your prayers, and your money—in this work which God has called us.” We will talk more about this concept in the chapter on your Case for Support.

Several priests I talked with agreed that there are challenges to fundraising in their churches. One pastor says the age-old misquoting of Scripture that says, “The love of money is the root of all evil,” is one challenge. The quote in Paul’s letter to Timothy is, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some, by longing for it, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” This verse is perhaps the most misquoted scripture because many people think of it as “money is the root of all evil,” and therefore pastors don’t want to talk about money with people who misunderstand this Scripture verse. It is not money or the pursuit of it that is evil. Rather, it is greed and improper lust for overabundance that is evil. 

Also, numerous members of the clergy told me they received little or no training in the practical sides of being a pastor—human resources, business management, or fundraising. One priest told me he “learned on the job.” Another priest says that the good thing about the Roman Catholic Church is that after ordination, most priests spend several years as an associative pastor, usually called a Parochial Vicar, and they learn these practical aspects from the pastors with whom they serve. 

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 New American Bible Revised Edition

In 2 Corinthians, Paul discusses the Godly duty to provide financial support for the Christians in Jerusalem who were facing economic hardship because of the famine in the early part of the first century. Historians believe Paul spent close to ten years raising money for these Christians. And that he had numerous laypeople who supported this effort. The Corinthian church was the first of the churches to give to the relief efforts, and the first to have the desire to do so. 

“For Godly sorrow produces a salutary repentance without regret, but worldly sorrow produces death. For behold what earnestness this godly sorrow has produced for you, as well as readiness for a defense, and indignation, and fear, and yearning, and zeal, and punishment. In every way you have shown yourself to be innocent in the matter.” 2 Corinthians 8:10-12. New American Bible Revised Edition

James Hudnut-Beumler, is the Anne Potter Wilson Distinguished Professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt University and served as Dean of the Divinity School from 2000 until 2013. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt in 2000, he was dean of the faculty at Columbia Theological Seminary, a program associate for Lilly Endowment, and director of the undergraduate program in Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. In his book, Generous Saints: Congregations Rethinking Ethics and Money, Hudnut-Beumler says “Being faithful to God as one’s ultimate value means reducing the importance of money and other forms of materials wealth in our lives. It also means increasing the importance of values like generosity, compassion, and love that come from placing our ultimate reliance on God alone.” He goes on to state that the greatest block to generosity is insecurity. “It is hard to give when you think that there may not be enough for you.” If your members are constantly focused on the economy, it will be hard to allocate money for your church or ministry. He quotes scripture to help focus members on God’s bigger economy.

“Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the lands, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain, and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat.’” Amos 8:4-6 New American Bible Revised Edition

Hudnut-Beumler is not trying to say all people are greedy and dishonest, but he is asking all of us to think about how our greed might impede giving to the church or ministries that help the poor, which is a question all religious leaders might ask their members and friends.

Catholicism shares the work of stewardship with other Christian religions (and other faith systems as well) and we can learn from some of their theologians and practices. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod also calls on scripture and takes fundraising seriously; you can read about their Principles of Stewardship, and the thoughts of other religions about money and religion, in my book, from which this excerpt was taken, The Pastor’s Guide to Stewardship and Philanthropy. Pick it up here