Edward J. Hales
GIVEN the phenomenal increase in religious fund-raising (over $20 billion a year) the Christian steward can no longer naively assume that all organizations calling themselves "Christian" are necessarily reputable. Just as certain consumer products are shoddy, certain Christian groups are irresponsible in their ministry. Hoping to encourage thoughtful Christian giving, authors Hales and Youngren here offer incisive and practical advice on how the Christian donor can become a more effective and responsible steward. To that end, the authors provide historical background and analysis of fund-raising and its abuses as well as detailed information on how to obtain doctrinal and financial statements from religious organizations. Before methodically explaining how to interpret both the financial and non-financial information obtained, the authors chart the provocative results of their own inquiries of 36 Christian organizations.