Sunshine Valley

Business

     After church on Wednesday night, once a month, church members that wanted too could stay after service for a business meeting. 

  

     Rebecca poured over a copy of the bank statement. There was a deposit of $6,545.00. Rebecca broke the silence, “Pastor, what’s this $6,000.00 deposit for?”

     “I gave Ms Evelyn my wife’s car. She insisted on making a donation to the church for the blue book value of the car.”

     “Can we give the money back?” A murmur filled the sanctuary. 

     “Why?” Widow Blake choaked.

     “You have proof to back this up?” 

     Pastor Sam looked shocked. “Proof?”

     “I mean, you are taking her word for it that this was truly the value of the car? What are we expected to do with that money, supply Narcan to Coal Town?”

     Patty chimed in, “Narcan is free.”

     Pastor Sam lowered his head, “it has been a long time since the church has had an emergency fund. Covid did a number on our finances. I just wanted to leave the money in the bank. We never know when  something devastating is going to happen. It would be a great source of comfort to know that we have some cushion.”

     “$6,000.00 wouldn’t replace anything. Are we sure we didn’t get stiffed?”

     Pastor Sam was getting annoyed. “The car was my gift to her. Free and clear, separate from the church. It was her choice to provide the church with a gift.”

     “Who has almost $7,000.00 just lying around? I really don’t think we need to be accepting tithes or gifts for that matter from non-Christian gains. What if she’s a provider on a porn site? Do we want sin money in coffers?”

     “Sin money,” Bradley jumped to his feet. 

     Simon hung his head in shame. 

     “We don’t know what she does for a livin’. Everyone in this room right now, we know what they do for a livin’. Simon runs a handy man business.” Simon shivered at the mention of his name. “Bradley, you are a deputy. Your wife is an e.r. nurse. Your daughter is a teacher in Perkinsville. Widow Blake was a homemaker. Her husband worked at the mill with Jack. Pastor Sam is a preacher. Sara, you are a clerk at the hippy grocery. Della runs a restaurant and Bill owns a barber shop. I don’t think it’s too much to ask where her money comes from. I, for one, don’t want this church to get investigated over dirty money.”

     Jack stood. He was visibly shaking, “dirty money.”

     “She said at dinner in the park that her and her ex-husband had the big house, nice cars, went on lavish vacations and could afford to fly her parents out to her wedding. Where do you get that kind of money? The kind where you can kick ‘Atlas in the balls’. I just think,” she shrugged. “We need to cover ours. Give the money back.”

     “What if she’d had offered to give that money to you?” Jack asked. “Who wouldn’t want almost $7,000.00? I reckon it would fix a lot of the far damage to your house.” He shuffled out of the sanctuary.

     Widow Blake stood, “I make a motion we keep the money in savings for an emergency fund.”

     Bradley, who was already standing said, “I second that.”

     “All in favor by a show of hands.” Pastor Sam and everyone in the room except Rebecca and Simon raised their hands. “Those against.” Only Rebecca raised her hand. She kicked Simon’s foot. 

     He didn’t move. At first, he rose staring at his wife, “this is what we should have done when this church body wanted Ms Evelyn to be their choir director. We should have taken up for her instead of pushin’ her away.” He followed Jack outside, leaving a shocked Rebecca sitting there.