By Charles Honeywell, Mission Developer

As we approach denominations and secular foundations that have billions under their control, it seems they all have the same disease. They are short of funds due to gambling in the stock market. They, of course, call it "investing.” Personally, I never gamble, save my one share I still own of Mellon stock which has dropped this quarter to a whopping fifty-eight cents. Virtually all denomination portfolios and pension funds are operating like investment bankers and not religious entities. They all have their excuses as to why as they claim to represent Jesus to the world, and justify this gambling behavior is in line with Christ's teachings. The same holds true for where all these denominational executives (bishops) live; that is, in the same neighborhoods with the rich. We could write an article on the "sex abuse Jesus" or the "hit and run Jesus" on behalf of some of our Roman Catholic bishops lately, but they claim humanness as if it were some absurd reality. Some denominations have found a solution in changing the wording in the Bible to reflect modern culture. For example, read in the RSV version of the Bible the scripture portion from Ecclesiastes 11 vs. 1 & 2. It states, "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what evil may happen on earth." Contrasting this interpretation is the text contained in the Good News Bible, where the same verse states: "Invest your money in foreign trade, and one of these day you will make a profit. Put your investments in several places - many places even - because you never know what kind of bad luck you are going to have in this world.” This is no fooling. Get your copies out and see this is verbatim what each version reads. It sounds as though an investment banker translated the latter scriptural interpretation of the Bible. Oh, I forgot, most of our denominational leaders are investment bankers.

He stated that the most important decision seminarians will make upon leaving is whether they want to be a bishop or priest.

I'll never forget what my mentor, Saul Alinsky once said right here at Pittsburgh's St. Vincent Seminary, (ironically where the Steelers have summer camp), when he addressed a large gathering of seminary students and priests in the late 1960s. He stated that the most important decision seminarians will make upon leaving is whether they want to be a bishop or priest. Most seminarians didn't have a clue. Bishops were offended by Alinsky’s statement. The priests nodded. Seminarians didn't realize at the time the deeper meaning of his words. It dealt with how they would approach ministry, risk, and caring for people versus being politically correct, putting on a good show, and ultimately hoping for recognition in climbing the denominational ladder. It's about instincts and risk – not gambling. The Bishop that hit and ran this last week showed these instincts. Not only didn't he stop; he never gave the victim his last rites.

The defining issue is continuing in the mission, whether it is corporate or religious.

Let's step back and identify just what gambling is and how it differs from risk. Stepping beyond Webster's differences in the two terms where gambling refers to games of chance for monetary gain or loss, and risk that goes beyond money into health, life, and danger beyond money concerns, I find a better explanation when defined by the outcome of either and by what consequences are felt by the person. Examples: When a corporate executive loses money, (and not caught like a few recently), somehow they still retain their same lifestyle. However, when a steelworker or blue collar worker loses money, he loses his life, health insurance, house, etc. Bishops who see their portfolios or denomination coffers diminish, (as they have been in last decade), do not cut their own or their staff salaries in half. They simply close another church or merge two or more churches, abandon the community, displace the parishioners, and sacrifice ministry. However, in our congregations, our poor urban pastors and lay professionals are willing to cut salaries and benefits in half or more, but continue with the same level of ministry to those in need. The defining issue is continuing in the mission, whether it is corporate or religious. Foundations must cut back on their mission. Even they are being accused by the media and legislators (Post Gazette June 9, 2003 article "Foundations find bill to increase giving too costly") of being more investment prone and not enough mission driven. Bishops can't help poorer urban churches with their huge maintenance needs or utilities, let alone salaries. So all the denomination, foundation, and corporate entities pull back on mission because the leaders, while gambling and losing, refuse to risk or suffer personal losses to keep up the mission. That's the cutting edge of our bottom line - ministry. Oh, occasionally we’ll hear about a corporate executive who is making 10 million a year and is willing to sacrifice his bonus of $500,000 this year, or possibly forego a raise for next year. But unlike the old baseball players like Al Kaline (circa 1950s) who refused a raise because he didn't think he deserved it, our losing teams including denominations, foundations, and corporations cut ministry, not themselves.

However, when a steelworker or blue collar worker loses money, he loses his life, health insurance, house, etc.

Gambling requires that you invest where others use your money, and often we lose all or most to them. From stocks to Las Vegas casinos to poker – it’s all the same. Risk may not require any investment. Doing some ministry for others involves great risk. Just ask those in our urban neighborhoods that speak out against drug networks and bad bars. The "chance" or risk of retaliation is great. You won't find any bishops risking personally for ministry, but you find them lined up at the investment windows along side their buddy bankers and corporate elite. Of course, the bishops will fall back on the "talents" parable (Matt. 25 14-30), but they can't get around the "risk" factor that we are talking about. Jesus always risked to the point of calculated death. Bishops who claim to represent Christ to the people do just the opposite. Keep it nice and safe and gamble.

The second point is would Jesus have closed mills back in the 1980s and planned for riverboat and horse racing gambling to be put in their place? Would he have given the people minimum wage jobs and then played on the psychological addiction of gambling to steal the family milk money. DMS/DMX, as part of the Confessing Synod Ministries, predicted that the mills would become green space, shopping malls, and racetracks. At the time, if you recall, we were scoffed at. Well, the last phase of mill replacement is now taking place, and gambling casinos are finally coming according to the newspapers. Now, not only can you ride your bike on a beautiful river trail, shop in the Water Front Mall where steel furnace smoke stacks still loom over Abercrombie & Fitch, stores, but you will be able to gamble in the proposed new casino.

Right away, we did our research and found that this latest developer, Chuck Betters, has bad ties (as if casino developers could have good ones). Other gambling magnates, like the DeBartolo empire, have been well documented with major mob ties. Another is the John Connelly empire, who claimed special treatment from the Almighty some years ago when he built a hotel for the Vatican, and has casino boats on the Mississippi. Betters, in a Post Gazette article of April 24, 1994 called “Roll of the Dice”, claimed to be tied to Donald Trump. Ask anyone who knows Trump’s gambling and construction empire and it's dirty roots, and you know why he might be interested in local gamblers in Pittsburgh.

We predicted that gambling casinos, malls, and other minimum wage jobs would replace the mills. The latest prediction is now happening on a hilltop overlooking the Mon River. Residents in the area have claimed for years that trucks came regularly at night and dumped "something" in the pits that led to underground mines in the area. As most know, the mob has trafficked toxic waste hauling for decades to corporations that did not want to pay for high price legitimate toxic waste treatment. Now, Betters wants to remove the top of the mountain, push the mines full, and surface strip the remaining coal seams – all nice and neat. Cover the toxic waste forever until it shows up in ground water, then sell the coal, and finally build his casino on this "love canal". Meanwhile, the local community surrounding the area will be destroyed by dust, traffic, run-off, noise, and overloading truck traffic that is dangerous to both kids and the elderly.

Another gambling entourage in the area was the Zamias clan. They gambled against Frazer residents and DMX, finally went bankrupt, and lost to Franklin Mills who is now developing the site. At least Zamias is out of the picture except that he owns the land and will recover a little from ownership. They'll make him a junior partner to help them save face. A more credible developer with a decent track record replaced the Zamias arrogance. Now, a woman heads the new local project.

Maybe it's why the American Church has changed from ministry to morality. Looking clean is easier than getting dirty in the trenches of life realities.

What is your gambling habit? What are your risks? Do they project your values, witness and mission? What about your church? Does any church council ever sit down and think about this dilemma and make decisions that reflect the real Christ, or do they look for "business solutions" and sound political gambles? Ask your church neighbors about this. Oops, that's a risk too. To actually go out of your church and interview those who do not enter your doors, just might tell you how they view the average useless church when it comes to their lives and the life of their neighborhood. Better yet, go ask your denomination for a canned program that is all fixed and doesn’t' require any listening, risking, getting dirty, and places parishioners out of harms way and looks good on paper. (That is, if the denomination has any funds left to administer your program). Read the following article (This edition or next if not space enough), “The Fishless Fisherman”, given to me years ago by a secure pastor from a wealthy neighborhood about fish houses. Even today, it is still very appropriate for pastors and denominations, and beyond. At least he understood the issue intellectually even though he never acted out any real world risk.

All gambling begins with deceit. Gambling on Iraq, stocks, land, government tax breaks for the rich, horses, sports, etc. It’ all gambling. Who are the losers? – the players who get sucked in or don't have any power. The winners are like any other regime in society, the 1% at the top who consistently maintain the same lifestyle, and make even more on behind the scenes interests (mob payoffs in the case of sports betting). They live in luxury or security as our own denominational bishops or executives demonstrate. Maybe it's why the American Church has changed from ministry to morality. Looking clean is easier than getting dirty in the trenches of life realities.

Quit gambling and start risking. It's less attractive, more fearful, lacks security, tends to be unpopular, and more importantly, it’s closer to Christ’s reflection of mission in our world.