Business is generally an organization set up by the proprietor to earn reasonable profits. Deeming Church, as a business, would not be wrong though it might sound strange since it is a non-profitable organization. As per a study, religion in the US accounts for a $1.2 trillion industry. So now, you can get an idea of how the churches have emerged as a money-making business. Though several pious and religious people strongly oppose the fact that it is a business, they consider its existence vital to an individual’s life. They are of the view that the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth and devotion.Churches mostly get their funding from their daily visitors who attend morning prayers in the form of donations.
Here’s what comes to our mind when we think of Churches as a potential business activity- A church, like all non-profit, may or may not reward a salary to specific individuals in the form of employees for performing their daily duties are vital to its operations.
However, the thing is that it does not share its profits with anyone. Typically, the pastor is the recipient of all the profits. As a result, most priests get a pretty decent slightly-below average pay, and they are not paid as a proprietor would earn. Also, there are a few priests who are quite well off in real financial terms, and there are two ways in which they do that.
To begin with, you have got the “buy it for the ministry” approach, which is associated with the Church purchasing things for itself, but in reality, the minister uses it. In case he needs something for the Church, the Church buys it in its name. Though it is the possession of the Church technically, the priest uses it. This approach is indeed unethical and illegal for the minister, as their activities are appropriately monitored, and the IRS may take strict action against him if the item bought is clearly irrelevant to the Church’s operations.
Second, looking at the demand and faith of people in religion, one can utilize the Church as a free marketing tool for their own profitable business. Besides this, it is even considered as a significant business which is exempted from tax payment. Though there are some portions of the Church that may also come up with a bookstore for which tax has to be paid.
Moreover, given the Church is deemed as a non-profit institution, any cash collected for the advancement of its mission is exempted from any kind of tax payment. As its objective is not related to commerce, it isn’t a business. Church pioneers often disregard this and attempt to run Church like a business.
But some devotees believe that the Church isn’t a business activity. Rather we are merely practicing the rituals of doing our prayers. It preaches all that as we are commanded to teach Christ’s devotees about the importance of truth in leadership, about bringing orderliness out of chaos, leaders as a role model, leadership character, and about generational and divine relationships.
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