Local Church Real Property Oversight & End of Life Planning
- Can a church/ fellowship own property? I mean the kind of property owned cooperatively by all the brethren in church.
Yes, it sure can. In fact, the property should be under the legal name of the church/fellowship preferably registered with the government to make it legal in your jurisdiction.
- If yes, then how can or does the church protect her property from evil people who might take advantage of any loophole to take away church property?
For example: A fellowship overseer backtracks and falls in sin and wants to take away that which is purely owned by the church?
The church property should be registered by the general church (in you particular case Working Faith Fellowship Moi’s Bridge Kenya) and should have a board of directors numbering, for example, 13 men of God (elders) from different fellowships. This way, there is a firm foundation and if, God forbid, one of the elders falls away or if even 2 or 3 try to conspire evil against the Lord, they other elders on the board can excommunicate those that have turned back to evil, and legally, after reviewing the evidence vote condemning the backslidden sinners and then have their names immediately removed from the legal paperwork with the government. Then, you can replace them with faithful saints. Of course if they broke the local laws of the land you need to turn them in to the proper government authorities too.
- Can a mission overseer write a will as he is led by God on what the church under his leadership should know of ? Example: what the church owns, how to distribute help to the needy in that particular mission and etc after the death of the main overseer of the ministry.
Absolutely. Not only should they, it would be borderline sin if this step was not taken as it could create a stumbling block for others and could lead to infighting, confusion, unnecessary temptation, etc. This will should be made not only by the main overseer but every saint of God, even non-overseers should have a will as to keep things in order. This is a godly way of doing end of life business. People should not wait until they “get old” either as no one is promised tomorrow.
Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
1st Corinthians 14:40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
Proverbs 13:22 “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.”
Build Your House on the Rock (Jesus)
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”
Proverbs 6:1-8 “My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
Pro 6:2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Pro 6:3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
Pro 6:4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Pro 6:5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Pro 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Pro 6:7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Pro 6:8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.”
Matthew 24:36-51 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mat 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Mat 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Mat 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Mat 24:46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Mat 24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
Mat 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
Mat 24:49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
Mat 24:50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
Mat 24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”