Sermon delivered at the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa Theological Consultation, Nairobi, 5th September 2014
”˜No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.’ (Matt. 6:24)
I have been asked this morning to speak on the theology of money and it is a very good title, because money is not simply something useful. For many people it is the most important thing in their lives. It actually functions as an object of worship and it is therefore right that we recognize money is a theological issue. Money, as we are reminded in the Sermon on the Mount, can become a god! While the Scriptures are not legalistic about money, the teaching of Jesus penetrates right to the heart of the matter. Love of money is one of the most common, but least recognized, forms of idolatry and there is no way we can serve two masters.
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Knowing the godlike power of money, we need to be uncompromising about the sources of our funding and the gifts we receive. We live in a culture where money is used to buy influence and control. So we should be wary of accepting lavish gifts from government and politicians. Sadly this principle also applies within the Anglican Communion. I think it is a matter of general agreement amongst the Anglian Provinces of the Global South that The Episcopal Church of the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada have torn the fabric of the Communion at its deepest level, yet the Anglican Communion Office continues to receive at least US$500,000pa and possibly much more from these two Provinces. Without this money the Anglican Consultative Council, Continuing Indaba and the Bible in the Life of the Church project and other activities likely could not continue. This must place a question mark over the integrity of these enterprises, but we also need to make sure that our own house is in order here in Africa. The giving and receiving of money is an act of fellowship and we cannot with integrity continue to take money from those we say we cannot be in fellowship with, who have sown division, abandoned the clear teaching of the Scripture, flaunted immorality and persecuted those who would not assent through the courts.
Africa is on the brink of a new era of growth and prosperity. Whether or not this is sustained and whether or not it becomes a blessing or a curse depends upon African Christians loving God rather than money. It is a theological and teaching task for which we are under-equipped and have more often than not failed in, but if we can disciple our people to break the power of money in their lives, I believe that we will truly be set for Africa to be blessed beyond our imagining in the century ahead.