History of a Fund

In ministry, I have mostly had a "Benevolent Fund" for the needy -- a discretionary fund administered by the minister, though cross-checked confidentially. This fund helped people in special need -- and for a long time, there were few issues with the fund. But in city ministry, social conditions declined, and I came under siege by desperate people. To help me, our diaconate capped the amounts I may give without special authorisation, whether to members, adherents, or outsiders -- and overall. That took the sometimes intense pressure off me, and struck a balance with our limited resources. But it got worse. The diaconate had to, really, exclude outsiders from the fund. However, they were not excluded from help and advice. Sometimes we dealt with people daily, looking over their spiritual and material needs. This was not wasted work.