I remember when I first started attending the church, I was blessed through the experience and at the end of my first year, I wanted to give Pastor Carter a financial blessing. When I handed him to check that I knew he would be excited to receive, he replied and said, "Thank you for your gift, but instead of making that donation to me, give it to the church." I was blown away because I just knew that he would want it.
Bigger than this, he shared with me, "We need your profession but we are not able to afford it at this time. I made the decision to make an investment and give back to my church family, and that was probably one of my best decisions ever in my life. I am happy to say that using my profession has helped advanced the overall ministry of our ministry, and I am humbled and honored.
He often shared with me, "When you bless God's house, God will bless your house." He has never been a pastor who wanted for himself, but always thought about the overall need of the church, and that is something that I will always respect. I can personally tell you that I have seen him time and time again place the church before his own needs, which to be honest, at times I never understood. This is why I am excited to be connected to this ministry because I know I am connected with a leader who is focused on Gods house more than his pockets, which cannot be said of many pastors or leader of today.
I challenge you today, when you take care of Gods house with your faithfulness in tithes and offerings, God will take care of your house. If you dont believe me, try it and see for yourself. i am a witness, you can't beat Gods giving, no matter how hard you try!
-C. Bramwell; Long Island, NY