Explain, Please

In the town where I live, there is a church I will not attend. I left several years ago, and no amount of begging, asking, demanding, backstabbing, or manipulating can get me to go back. (Okay, I've been back for a few services, due to time constraints, but I'll rather travel 40 minutes 1-way to attend the church I moved to, all those years ago.)

This church has, for it's reigning clergy, an attention whore. A man who loves the sound of his own voice, couldn't answer a pointed question honestly, and who has tried to manipulate my family into returning. He's an In-Yer-Face kind of guy. He's all about himself. He does nothing, in my opinion, by way of outreach that does not glorify himself.

I don't like him. (But, I don't make a secret of it either.)

Since the church I do travel 40 minutes one way to attend is the same flavor, and in the same regional collection (referred to as "the diocese") as this man's congregation, I do have occasional contact with him.

That occasional contact usually makes me wonder if I shouldn't find another church--farther away from him, or, at the very least, in a different flavor. (It's like finding out your arch-nemisis is the spokesmodel for your favorite brand of ice cream. Ugh)

Anyway, one of his modus-operandi within our little Christian world is his church's lack of funds, and therefore, his personal lack of funds.

Today, I received his newsletter--the one supposedly put together to have all our collective congregations communicating with each other. In it, there is usually 3-4 pages devoted to the 4 other churches together....and 3-4 pages devoted exclusively to promoting his own church (called "every sneeze and dinner" in my ever-so-eloquent vocabulary).

This month's In-Yer-Face blather has information stating that his church will provide "admission, transportation, and food" to Hershey Park, PA, for any of his congregation who can "earn 20 points" by doing things listed (among them, attending church, a parish sponsored dinner, and participating in various during-service capacities).

What I don't get is how he can stomp about the diocese, proclaiming a total lack of funds in his church--practically begging for everyone else to help foot their bills--and yet, they can cough up $30+ bucks for admission, a couple hundred dollars to rent a bus, PLUS the cost of food (food aint cheap in amusement parks). If a minimum of 30 people "earn" their way to "heaven-cum-Hershey", he and his church are looking at a bill upwards of $1000--even if they get a group discount.

The parish, as a whole cannot pay to have their roof fixed, pay their assessments, or to pay this man the required minimum salary, but they can afford to pay for this? How does that math work?