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Churches and Lottery Funds - is it okay to take the money?

Photo of Lourens Du Plessis Lourens du Plessis
1 min

Church leaders have differing views on whether churches should consider using Lottery funding. Even where leaders would see gambling as wrong, some would argue that once Lottery funds become available then churches should not shy away from applying for them; others would argue that such funds are always ‘off limits’.

This is a very controversial area and generates strong opinions either way. The church historically has been largely united against gambling, but with National Lottery ticket sales topping £1.9 trillion since its inception in 1994 and £47 billion going to good causes, this is not a topic we can avoid or just ‘take in our stride’. Church leaders should consider this topic actively, particularly as there may well be different points of view in a congregation.

We have heard views at the extreme ends of the spectrum, as well as everything in between. For example, one church leader considers use of National Lottery funds as “holy money laundering” (taking dirty money and cleaning it by using it for Kingdom purposes), another considers that it deliberately leads others into the temptation of developing “unholy and unprofitable addiction”. What has the church historically said, and what does the Bible say? Where do the third and eight commandments come into this matter?

In our paper: ‘Should my church use National Lottery Funding’, we seek to set out the bases both for and against the use of Lottery funds, drawing on sources close to the gambling industry as well as from a broad spectrum of theologians. Is there a definitive answer?

We do not prescribe one, but read the paper, make your own mind up and join us in the discussion.

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Written by

Lourens du Plessis

Lourens leads our teams who guide and strengthen churches and Christian charities with their governance and finances. Our professional services include independent examinations of charities’ accounts, an award-winning payroll bureau, consultancy and governance advisory services and helping charities get registered with the Charity Commission. He joined Stewardship in 2020 and brings with him a wealth of experience in both the charity and commercial sectors. He’s a member of the Charity Community Advisory Group of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and regularly interacts with regulators in the sector.

Before joining Stewardship he worked for an international church developing governance and financial stewardship for various ministries. Prior to that Lourens had a senior role at a Big Four firm in the City, advising international investment banks. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has a postgraduate degree in Theology.

Lourens grew up in South Africa, but has spent the majority of his working life in London.  He is a member of the International Presbyterian Church in Ealing. He is also a trustee of a number of other churches and charities, including a new pregnancy counselling centre, and he’s involved in initiatives to help Christians better integrate their faith and work.

Lourens supports causes which encourage bringing the gospel to people in his neighbourhood and to the ends of the earth, and particularly supporting persecuted Christians around the world.

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