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Chapter 8 -

Davy and Danny had never thought of their little congregation growing, but it grew beyond their wildest expectations. Problems did developed when people from St. Egbert’s Episcopal Church and Meredith Baptist showed their displeasure with their pastors’s affection for “foreigners”. But ironically, the number of non-Spanish speaking members approached the number of “foreigners”. The two pastor’s response was always the same to every nay-sayer from the in-town churches who sought to criticize them. “I am a part-time minister here. If my service displeases this congregation, it is certainly the congregation’s option to dismiss me.” Deep down in their heart, the two pastors relished the thought that they might be released. Their new method of Sunday service was unique, but time consuming. Every Sunday service required hours of research and planning. Nothing was left to chance. Danny had asked the bishop to accept his resignation three times and three times the bishop begged him to stay.
“It amazes me,” said Davy.
“What amazes you?”
“What do I need to do to get fired?” he asked.
“If I believed for a moment you wanted to get fired it would be different. I’ve heard you. There’s too many people at Meredith Baptist you care about, and, who care about you.”
“Yea, you’re right. But I do get tired of the bitching.”
“What, is the church split?”
“Danny, there’s no such thing as a Baptist church that’s not split. You’ve always got half going one way and half going the other. That’s the way it’s always been. That’s the way it will always be.”
“Okay,” said Danny. “Some man came by today and said he had a program that would improve our accounting and tax structure. He’s coming by tonight to talk to us.”
“Do we have an accounting?”
“Not that I know of.”
“What’s a tax structure?”
“Beats me.”
“Then why is he coming?”
“I wanted you to hear what he has to say. We might need whatever it is he’s pushing.”
“I wish you had just sent him on his way.”
“I didn’t. He’ll be here tonight.”
Later that evening there was a knock on Danny’s door.
“Father West?”
“Yes.”
“Arnie Miller, we talked today.”
Danny introduced Davy and they all sat. Miller kept glancing around the cabin with a look of concern. "Father, is this your fishing cabin or your getaway place or what.”
“No,” answered Danny. “This is my home.”
“Oh, I see,” said the man. “And Pastor Tait, you live in town?”
“No, here in Camp Eden, three doors down.”
“Oh, okay,” said Miller.
“Well, down to business. Over the last year your church has taken in well over a million dollars.”
“How do you know that?” asked Danny.
“From Mrs. Sanchez. I believe she’s your accountant.”
“She counts the money, if that’s what you mean?”
The man smiled. “First, I have certain methods that you might consider to organize your church affairs.”
Davy looked at Danny, neither man said anything.
“The first thing we would need to do is look at the structure of your organization.”
Danny smiled and held up his hand. “Mr. Miller, may I be so bold as to ask your religion?”
“I am a Presbyterian, why.”
“A Presbyterian, that is good. I’m an Episcopalian and Preacher Davy here is a Baptist.”
“That’s nice to know,” said the man, “But–“
”No, what I’m saying is that Christ’s first followers were called Christians. The term was considered derogatory by some, and I guess acceptable by others, but nonetheless, they were known as Christians.”
“Okay,” said the man obviously confused.
“The point I’m trying to make, Mr. Miller, is that Christ’s first followers were simple folk. Most were uneducated and certainly not sophisticated. After Christ’s death, the number of his followers grew exponentially. Yet, they were still simple, plain folk. In time, that simplicity diminished. Following the words of Christ was not enough. There came a feeling that the increasing number of followers needed to be organized. It needed to be structured. Low and behold, disagreements arose about this new structure. The followers split into segments one preferring one structure, others preferring another. Before long, the simple ways of Christ evaporated. In the next few hundred years, that first simple group became something that Christ himself would have difficulty recognizing. The point of this, Mr. Miller, is that had that simple first group not been ‘organized’ and ‘structured’ the Christianity of Christ would still be as much here as it was in the days Christ walked the earth. One person wouldn’t be one denomination and another person in another denomination. Do you agree, Padre Davy?”
“Oh I do, Padre Danny. Indeed I do.”
“Mr. Miller, we have a simple group. We prefer to keep it that way.”
“Okay then, gentlemen,” said Miller obviously miffed by his rebuttal. “Then we need to look at your compensation and tax structure. With the amount of money you are receiving, your salaries should be drastically higher.”
Danny looked at Davy. “You need any money, Davy?”
“No, why, if you’re running a few dollars short, I believe I got a twenty.”
“No, Mr. Miller, seems like Preacher Davy and I are doing okay.”
“Well, reverends, you are bringing in a fortune. You need to consider putting it into some long term investments.”
“Hmmm,” said Danny, “What are we doing with it now?”
“You’re giving every cent to the poor!” the man exclaimed.
“That is interesting. Preacher Davy, you’re the expert on the Bible, you remember Christ saying anything about giving money to the poor, seems like I remember him saying something about that.”
“Yes he did, Padre Danny, he mentioned giving to the poor any number of times.”
“Hmmm, you recollect him saying anything about putting anything in long term investments?”
“No, Padre Danny, I don’t remember him ever mentioning long term investments, course I may be wrong, I can go back and look, but I don’t remember a thing about–“