The conversation went as far as to suggest that church pastors contributed to the housing demise because they encouraged their parishioners to purchase homes.  What we must realize is that it was not wrong for people to want a new home or car. But it was wrong for financial institutions to prey on those desires with unbalanced financial solutions.  Long before the recession hit, as the senior pastor of a multicultural congregation in Dallas, Texas, I had implemented financial management programs through our nonprofit, the Metroplex Economic Development Corporation, so people could learn the fundamentals of credit and debt management. I wanted our community to be financially empowered and to think in terms of handing down more than debt to the next generation.  I believe that it is the responsibility of the church to take on the next frontier of civil rights: education and economic empowerment to close the widening gap between minorities and the overall population.  At The Potter's House, we've taken our efforts up a notch by meeting with banks and negotiating better terms for our demographic. We've challenged national lenders to effectively "come correct" in their practices that put home ownership and the purchase of a car for work out of reach for most. The church has certainly come a long way from a place of being "so heavenly minded and no earthly good," to leading the charge toward financial freedom.  I am well aware that a religious leader speaking on the subject of money runs the risk of being branded a prosperity preacher, but I've never cared much about labels.  I am far more interested in demystifying the concepts of money management and introducing the truth: It takes a combination of education and economics to set people free.
As a faith leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, I've always had one foot in both the practical and the spiritual worlds. Prayer is good, but you also have to be able to manage your checkbook.As