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Accountability for handouts
Benevolence network allows churches to see where assistance is going

By Anna Swindle Correspondent, The Alabama Baptist

A church’s doors are always open to those in need. But what if those needs are not so dire or even non-existent?

Thanks to a pastor pinpointing that need
to know whom his church was helping and
sharing it with an experienced computer programmer, churches nationwide can now access a network that allows for more accountability and cooperation when it comes to benevolence ministry.

“I’ve been in the pastorate for a few years now, and wherever I went, I always had people come to me or our church offce asking for benevolence help,” said Robert Lutz, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, Saraland. “What surprised me was how many times my heart was broken over people trying to take advantage of us. “Sixty to 70 percent of the people coming into our offce were people coming in without real needs, and other pastors said they faced it all the time, too,” he said. “I ...