The recent events that have transpired – from the court case of Venerable Shi Ming Yi to a certain unnamed individual in New Creation Church drawing $550,000 of annual pay probably left many disillusioned with charities and organised religion.

And as if that isn’t bad enough, there is also the case of the North West CDC giving a 8-month bonus to a staff, and several Town Councils losing part of their sinking funds in high risk investments. All of these on the heels of the not so distant case surrounding the NKF and also the City Harvest Church’s jaw dropping 47-million dollar Titanium-clad Church building built on 30-year leased land in Jurong West.

It is really amazing how any of these organisations managed to accumulate so much wealth. In the case of the NKF, Renci, the CDCs and the Town Councils, the reason is always the same: maintaining reserves for some designated purposes. (I don’t know what are the reasons for these two churches to accumulate that much of assets though.)

Now, while it is sound to maintain a buffer for emergencies and possible lean years ahead, the question is how much would such a buffer be for the organisations to be comfortable. It is becoming a concern that having large amount of money in these organisations would leave much room for fraud and misuse in the future even if it hasn’t happen now.

Simply put, shouldn’t there be a limit to the amount of money they can have? While costs will not remain the same every year, then this figure should be allow to increase a certain amount a year to ensure it keeps up with inflation. In my opinion, any excess funds should either be donated to another charity organisation that might be struggling for more funds, or be given back to the people who provided them. In fact, in the case of the CDC where the government gahmen is also providing some of that funds, then some of that money should be diverted where it is much needed since the CDC obviously doesn’t need that much funding.

To put it in an analogy, it is wise to accumulate when there is surplus, but it is also wise we don’t accumulate so much that some of that surplus now gets eaten away by parasites and pests.

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