By Quinn Lavespere, Message Staff Writer
URANIA – Pinehill Baptist Church Pastor David McGuffee is a pastor with radical ideas when it comes to the matter of getting out of debt.[img_assist|nid=7535|title=Debt free|desc=Pastor David McGuffee guided his church in paying off a $370,000 building loan in just six years. He now wants to share his experiences with other churches to help them avoid going into or staying in debt.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]
The pastor used his life-spanning experiences with debt to guide his church in paying off a building loan of $370,000 in just six years and now wants to share these experiences with other churches in order that they may avoid going into or staying in debt.
“Debt has wrecked many churches,” the pastor said. “Churches need to be really responsible with their money and open to the Lord’s guidance to avoid money problems.”
McGuffee said there were several reasons the church was able to pay off its debt.
“The first reason is God’s gracious giving,” the pastor said. “It would have been impossible for us to pay this off without God’s help. God even sent very generous people outside of our church that have given us money to pay off the debt. I’m thankful for people like them who follow God’s word from 1 Peter 5:2, where it states ‘but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve.’
“Second, pay off what you owe,” McGuffee continued. “God teaches us in Romans 13:8 to ‘let no debt remain outstanding.’ Through our personal responsibility and God’s blessings, we got this debt paid off. Third, hold off on wants. In order to help pay off our debt, we had to hold off of doing several things, such as electing a youth pastor. We ultimately worked a youth minister within our budget.”
The financial situation at Pinehill wasn’t the first time McGuffee had a situation regarding owing money. The pastor said he learned his first lesson about debt as a child growing up in McComb, Miss.
“When I was about 10 or 11, my aunt owned a variety store that sold a scabbard knife, which cost a dollar,” McGuffee said. “That was a lot of money back then. My aunt let me have the knife for 25 cents, with the agreement that I would bring more money until the knife was paid off. Well, I forgot about that debt like so many of us do, and a week later, I went into my aunt’s store with more money. Instead of putting the money on the knife, I bought some marbles.
“When I got home I showed my dad my new marbles. Knowing my arrangement about my knife with my aunt, dad made me return the marbles and put the money I had used to buy the marbles on the knife. I’ve never forgotten that. My dad told me that you’ve gotta pay what you owe before you buy something else.
“When I came to Pinehill, I knew there was a priority in paying this debt off as judiciously as we could,” the pastor continued. “This is not the first church I’ve pastored with indebtedness. I pastored a church in Natchez for 11 years that relocated and built a new facility.
“What I’ve learned through these experiences is that you pay on the principle as quickly and rapidly as possible,” McGuffee said. “Churches don’t need to be in debt any longer than necessary. This is a radical concept, but I feel that churches in today’s time need to use their own resources. It takes a lot of time and sacrifice, but if you become your own bank, then the sky’s the limit. I would love to see churches become banks to other churches. It would be a marvelous concept and a promoter of Christian unity.”
McGuffee also said a church must absolutely have good conduct “by its pastor and members and in its financial dealings.
“Ungodly conduct can absolutely sink a church,” the pastor said. “A pastor must remember his accountability to God, credibility with others, and his morality and fiscal responsibilities. Pastors also cannot get so busy that they neglect their family. My children who are grown now and my wife help me remember these things.”
Pinehill will hold a noteburning event on its 151st homecoming Aug. 21. Noteburning is a tradition, the pastor explained, where the church burns the bank note over a garbage can in front of everyone, symbolizing that the debt has been paid.
“It signifies that it’s no more, and you give credit to the Lord for it,” the pastor said. “It also symbolizes the effort by the congregation to end the debt. We will also recognize those who were here when this effort started and those who helped pay.”
Since Pinehill has paid off their building note, this leaves them with some freed-up money to use for God. What will the church do with it?
“We’ll put it into a building fund so that we can do repairs on several of our rooms in this church,” McGuffee said. “That way, we’ll have the money to complete any future endeavors.”