A Negro Preacher on Missions
Illustration★★★★We often hear it said by short-sighted Christians that the work at home is likely to suffer if the church pays too much attention to missions and missionary giving. This has been disproved over and over again. A colored preacher was taking an offering for missions, when a close-handed deacon in his congregation called, “Preacher, you is gwine to kill this church ef you keeps on taking up money for missions.”
“Brother,” was the reply, “Let me tell you somethin’. Churches don’t die that way. An’ ef you evah can show me a church what died of giving to missions, I’ll go out an’ climb upon the ruins of dat church in de light of de moon and preach on de tex’ ‘Bressed am the dead what dies in de Lawd!”
Henry Ironside, Illustrations of Bible Truth.
The point
A pastor challenges the claim that missionary giving harms the church, using humor and faith-based reasoning to show that generous giving strengthens faith.