{"id":44617,"date":"2023-01-12T12:00:39","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T18:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/?p=44617"},"modified":"2023-01-12T09:26:54","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T15:26:54","slug":"branson-church-finds-freedom-via-million-dollar-debt-payoff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/2023\/01\/12\/branson-church-finds-freedom-via-million-dollar-debt-payoff\/","title":{"rendered":"Branson church finds freedom via million dollar debt payoff"},"content":{"rendered":"

BRANSON \u2013 <\/b>Friendly Baptist Church here, a congregation with about 110 average Sunday attendance, had a debt problem \u2013\u00a0 <\/span>to the tune of $1.8 million.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Monty Dunn became pastor in 2014, the debt had been reduced to $1.35 million, but through practical and some unique circumstances, the church paid off the full debt 96 months later, in August 2022. By Dunn\u2019s pastor anniversary month, the church was debt free.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to get used to a new normal, and we\u2019re not exactly sure what that means,\u201d Dunn said.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the debt crisis, the church resorted to people bringing their own plates for church dinners.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are things the church did to pay down the debt:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 They replaced a half-dozen thermostats with a computer program. \u201cIt saved thousands of dollars,\u201d Dunn said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cIt was my idea to cut my salary in half, with the understanding it was a promissary for the principal of the note only. That got the church\u2019s attention that showed I was serious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cWe did some staffing cuts. Volunteers covered administrator\u2019s assistant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 \u201cWe maintained conservative outflow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dunn did not let missions be cut. \u201cI recalculated the cash flow that included mission projects. We needed a missions revival,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome pastoral candidates said, \u2018Close (the church).\u2019 Jesus said pray and move mountains, and the mountain moved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While the church was paying down the debt, Dunn continued a secular job with the Missouri Department of Social Services. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have now retired from the Social Services, Nov. 1. I\u2019m full-time pastor,\u201d Dunn said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dunn said there were several strange aspects to the debt removal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA man from Texas brought several shoe boxes of pearls, rings. I said, \u2018We\u2019re not selling anything. You give what you want,\u201d he said, adding that he doesn\u2019t know what the church got from the pearls giveaway.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, there was some unexplained church growth, and attendance is now about 150, and Dunn said it wasn\u2019t because of him. This growth also grew the budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a huge miracle. We don\u2019t just believe in miracles. We depend on them. The moment feels like Exodus 36:5, when Moses was told, \u2018The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded them to do (for the tabernacle construction).\u2019\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

For churches in a financial difficulty, Dunn suggests they consider using Missouri Builders and other states Baptist building programs for construction, as half of costs are often labor. Also, he said, churches should figure how to pay as much on the principal only as they can.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to be faithful to the Lord Jesus. It\u2019s all about him and nothing about us,\u201d Dunn said.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Friendly Baptist Church here, a congregation with about 110 average Sunday attendance, had a debt problem \u2013\u00a0 to the tune of $1.8 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":40976,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[36,40,41,8,48,17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nBranson church finds freedom via million 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