Benevolence, Viral Outrage, and the Mission of the Church

Over the past week, a TikTok creator named Nikalie has gained national attention by calling 43 churches pretending to be the caregiver of a hungry two-month-old child who, by her own admission, does not exist. Her experiment to "test" churches has exposed who is "genuine." Before October 31st, she had a small following. Now, after a campaign built on a manufactured crisis with the explicit purpose of sowing distrust in churches, she has amassed nearly half a million followers. 

Imagine the impact such a campaign could have had if it were driven by fairness rather than theatrics. Then again, fairness doesn't go viral quite as fast.

A Religion Unplugged piece investigating the video uncovered that many of the churches criticized for not assisting were not indifferent to the need at all. Instead, they required a process for accountability before distributing benevolence funds. In other words, their "failure" was actually faithful stewardship. 

This cultural flare-up invites several conversations the people of God should be having. 

First, we need to clarify the church's mission. 

Benevolence, while the natural overflow of our grace-filled churches, is not the primary mission of the church. The church exists to worship the living God, proclaim His gospel, and make disciples. Christians should be eager to exercise mercy. In fact, our acts of mercy flow out of our God-given mission. But benevolence can never replace our purpose. 

Many churches are wrestling with rising insurance premiums, increased operational expenses, and shrinking budgets. The financial backbone of most churches has historically come from the 35-55 age group; however, nationwide giving trends indicate that this demographic is increasingly absent from biblical stewardship. Meanwhile, the most passionate and zealous givers, the younger generation, are more likely to give to causes outside of the local church. The retired generation is cautious after weathering several economic crises in their lifetimes, but stable in their giving. Increased expenses. Unchanging income. Many churches find themselves in a position where they cannot meet every benevolence request. 

The struggling church, whose donors are God-fearing and have given to expand the Kingdom of God, has a responsibility to prioritize the mission over benevolence. 

Second, we need to embrace transparency.

Nikalie said in a video uploaded on November 13th that the solution to the fraudulent problem she unearthed (or manufactured) was that people should "stop giving [their] money to organizations [that they] didn't know where it [was] going." She's right. Donors should know where their money is going. Transparency builds trust, and trust builds participation. 

The local church offers something rare in a world of "causes" to support. Members of pastor-led and congregationally ruled assemblies sit down with an annual budget and see exactly where the money goes. That kind of clarity is a gift that we should lean into. 

Ministry leaders should be unafraid to publish salaries, expenses, and mission investments. In fact, if we find ourselves hesitant to be transparent about stewardship as leaders of organizations that exist for God's glory, that should prompt some serious soul-searching. 

Transparency is a safeguard that invites others into partnership. 

Third, we need clear, compassionate Benevolence practices. 

A church's benevolence ministry should be generous and wise. In my own context, I'm given a set amount of discretionary latitude by the church that I can use to meet needs. Any amount beyond that requires review by our missions committee, the same group responsible for overseeing our missionary giving and cultivating a culture of service within our congregation. 

This structure allows benevolence to be a health-giving part of our church. It helps me protect my heart from becoming calloused by the constant exposure to urgent needs. It gives the congregation the transparency and accountability they deserve. It ensures that benevolence is neither reckless nor rigid. 

Responding to Public Critics

The church should not fear the spotlight. If we are faithful to the mission Christ gave us, transparent with resources entrusted to us, and compassionate in our benevolence, then viral outrage will come and go without uprooting the trust of God's people. 

The irony is that the very scandal TikTok celebrates is actually a window into something beautiful. Most churches are trying, with limited means and sincere hearts, to be faithful. 

Keep doing that, without shame or fear, and we will continue to shine as a peculiar people even in an age hungry for outrage.