Building Fund Offering

Definition and Meaning

A building fund offering is an offering that a church collects separately to cover the cost of constructing, purchasing, expanding, or repairing buildings such as a sanctuary, an education building, or a retreat center. It is one type of "designated offering," whose use is determined in advance, and it is often managed as a separate account within church finances. A common method is the "pledge offering," in which members commit in advance to a specific amount and pay it in installments over several months or years.

Biblical and Historical Background

The passages most often cited in support of building fund offerings are the Old Testament accounts of the construction of the tabernacle and the temple. In Exodus 25:1-8, God instructs that offerings for building the tabernacle be received "of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart." Exodus 36:5-7 records that the people brought more than enough, so that they were restrained from bringing any more. 1 Chronicles 29 describes how David and the people offered gifts willingly for the building of the temple.

By contrast, the New Testament early church had no separate buildings and met in homes (Romans 16:5). Paul taught that giving should not be done "grudgingly, or of necessity" (2 Corinthians 9:7). On this basis, some hold that caution is needed in equating today's church buildings with the Old Testament temple.

In Korea, early missionaries are known to have encouraged believers to build their own places of worship in keeping with the self-support principle of the Nevius Mission Plan. During the period of church growth, when church membership increased dramatically, sanctuary construction flourished, and building fund offerings became a major undertaking for many churches.

Practice in Korean Churches

Once a building plan is established, a church typically forms a building committee and receives pledges from its members. Special prayer meetings or consecration services for the building project are also commonly held. It is customary to hold a building dedication service only after construction is complete and all debt has been repaid.

Decision-making procedures vary according to the form of church government.

• Presbyterian: The session usually prepares the proposal, which is then adopted by the congregational meeting of the entire membership.
• Baptist: Baptist churches, which follow congregational polity, make decisions at a business meeting in which the entire membership participates.
• Other denominations: Decisions pass through the deliberative bodies specified in the denomination's constitution and the church bylaws. Some denominations require church property to be registered in the name of the property-holding foundation of the denomination or presbytery.

Building fund offerings have also drawn criticism. The media have reported cases in which churches took out large loans to build, then struggled with interest payments or declining membership, and ultimately saw their buildings sold at auction. Critics have also pointed out that publicizing pledge amounts or strongly urging members to give places a burden on congregants.

Views on the matter are divided. Some churches regard a building project as an opportunity for the community to commit itself together. Others, arguing that finances should go to missions and relief rather than buildings, have chosen to rent schools or public facilities for worship.