Paying the Church’s Rent and the Pastor’s Too: Grenada Moves to Regulate Churches Accused of Squeezing Members

• Grenada’s religious affairs minister said some leaders of non-traditional churches were financially abusing members
• She said some churches make members pay the rent on the church building, and on the pastor’s home
• Some groups register as NGOs to open bank accounts and seek vehicle concessions
• The government planned a framework of standards for churches

Grenada’s government says it will set standards for how churches operate, after the minister responsible for religious affairs warned that some church leaders were “financially abusing” their members, the Caribbean Media Corporation reported in a story carried by the Jamaica Observer.

Religious Affairs Minister Emmalin Pierre, without naming any denomination, said some leaders of non-traditional churches were making financial demands beyond tithes and weekly offerings. “We are seeing some trends that we are very uncomfortable about,” she said, adding that church leaders had also raised concerns. “We are not saying that you cannot open a church, but we are setting standards that should be recognised by all churches.”

She said most of the churches involved had either opened recently or had headquarters overseas. According to Pierre, some register as non-governmental organisations to open a bank account for money collected, then apply for vehicle concessions, while demanding that members pay the rent of the building where services are held, even though offerings and tithes are collected. “Some are even demanding that the members pay the rent where the pastor is residing,” she said. Some members pay a membership fee of EC$50.

A committee set up to recommend rules for religious groups had already reported. Its recommendations included a registration fee for marriage officers, licences for marriage officers of no more than five years in the first instance, and a requirement that churches justify why they should benefit from government initiatives for religious bodies.

The complaints in Grenada are about property costs pushed onto members: the church’s rent and even the pastor’s home. Where a congregation pays for a building, members have a right to know who holds the lease or title, how much the rent is, and what happens to the money. Jamaican churches that rent their premises should put leases in the church’s name, keep them separate from the pastor’s personal housing, and account for both openly. Congregations asked to pay rent on top of tithes should first ask to see the lease.

Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com