<TITLE>15. Par 95-100</TITLE>L-95 Now, we don't want to wait too long, and I know I got an appointment in a few minutes, so I'll--I'll just try to hurry as quick as I can.
95a        Brother Branham...
There's three, two questions on this card here.
Brother Branham, what should be the policy of taking up offerings in the church for people? How should this be done?

L-96 I think taking up offerings in the church for people should not be done unless it's for your pastor. And I think if someone comes in for charity, or something like that that... Or someone in--in bad need, like one of our members here or congregation, say if one of our brothers, and they had some trouble; well, I think then that should be announced at the platform, and let the pastor do that, I think it's his duty to do that; some brother that's in need of something, let him present it to the church, if it wants to be taken that way.

L-97 If it's someone in need and--and then you don't want to take the offering up for the person that's in need, then let the boards meet together and agree upon certain sums that they want to give to this person out of the treasury. But if the treasury is low at that time and they can't afford to do it, then it has to be taken up, well, let--let the... let it be talked with the board, giving orders to the pastor, and let the pastor ask for this certain thing. Say, "Now, tonight, our Brother Jones, he had a--a horrible accident, his house burned down. And tonight, as Christians, we're going together, to each one of us make a pledge of what we can do to help Brother Jones back with his house again." See, or--or whatever it is. See, we--we'll do that. Let that be said from the platform, that's the way to do that. And then let the pledges be give in, and then give it over to the treasurer of the church. And these pledges be paid through the treasurer of the church, and give to them. And--and give the person a receipt for it, 'cause I don't know whether that's tax redemption or not; I guess it is for something like that.

L-98   Now, but when it comes to like a--a stranger come in, a stranger come in like he's... A man comes in and says, "Well, you know what? I--I--I'm on a journey and I--I blowed out a tire, and I want a new tire. Take me up an offering tonight for a new tire." Now, that shouldn't be done. No, that should not be done. And if it seems to--if it seems to be a worthy thing, of somebody that you know, the board could meet and designate a certain amount of money from the treasurer to buy that man a tire or whatever it was. Or either if the church treasury is low, and it's decided by the board that these... The pastor shouldn't have nothing to do in this, the--the deacons is supposed to do this, see, or the boards. And now if this... If it's agreed, then give to the pastor, the pastor can take the offering. But, notice, if it's a stranger, it's in an emergency, a fellow needs a little money and you feel that it's for a just cause, (now this is my opinion), if it's for a real just cause and you know it is for a just cause...

L-99   Now, first, if you go up there and look on my books at the house, of people coming by and say, "I'm Reverend So-and-so from this certain-certain church, and I--I had some trouble down the road here, and I--I need a set of tires," and knowed that I just come in from the meeting and had an offering, or something another like that, I'd give it to him, nearly, to go get a set of tires. And look in the minutes, there never was such a minister as that, never lived in such a place. And there is ten or twenty thousand dollars on the books from these years that I've give out like that, never know nothing about them where they was. Come to find out, other ministers say, "Why, he made me for so-and-so and so-and-such."

L-100 Now, the church is not responsible, only for their own. That's right. Their own, they're responsible.


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