The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) has found itself at the centre of a growing conversation after appealing to its members to help raise approximately KSh700 million to rescue its Mombasa-based Milele Beach Hotel from financial difficulties.
The church-owned property is reportedly carrying a substantial debt, prompting the church to turn to its congregants for financial support.
For a church whose members are accustomed to giving towards ministry, community projects and charitable causes, the appeal has raised an important question: How should families balance their commitment to giving with the responsibility of protecting their own financial wellbeing?
When the church asks for help
Church giving is deeply rooted in Christian teaching. Many believers consider tithes, offerings and special contributions an important part of their faith.
PCEA has therefore encouraged its members to contribute towards saving the hotel, with church leaders emphasising that every contribution matters, regardless of its size.
The appeal has nevertheless generated debate, particularly because the amount required is significant.
For many Kenyan families already dealing with the rising cost of food, school fees, rent, healthcare and other household expenses, KSh700 million can feel almost unimaginable.
This has left some people questioning whether congregants should be expected to contribute towards rescuing a commercial investment owned by the church.
The bigger question: What are members being asked to save?
Milele Beach Hotel is not simply a church building or a community project. It is a commercial hospitality establishment with accommodation, conference facilities, swimming pools and a restaurant.
That distinction matters.
There is a difference between contributing towards feeding a struggling family, supporting a school or helping construct a place of worship, and being asked to help settle debt accumulated by a commercial enterprise.
It does not necessarily mean that supporting the hotel is wrong. Churches, like other organisations, can invest in businesses to generate income and support their wider work.
But once church members are being asked to contribute large amounts of money to rescue such an investment, questions about transparency and accountability naturally arise.
Should families give?
For parents and caregivers, the question should not simply be, “Does my church need money?”
It should also be, “Can my family afford to give?”
Giving should never require a parent to sacrifice money needed for school fees, food, rent, medical care or essential household expenses.
Financial generosity is meaningful when it is given willingly and responsibly. Families should be able to assess their circumstances and decide what they can comfortably contribute without putting themselves into financial distress.
Parents can also use moments like this to teach children an important lesson: generosity and financial responsibility can coexist.
Giving does not have to mean giving everything you have.
Accountability matters too
The debate surrounding the PCEA appeal also highlights a broader issue affecting religious organisations: financial transparency.
When members are asked to contribute hundreds of millions of shillings towards a specific cause, they have a legitimate interest in understanding what they are supporting.
How much does the hotel owe?
Who are the creditors?
How did the debt accumulate?
What steps have already been taken to restructure or repay it?
How much has already been raised?
What happens if the fundraising target is not reached?
And perhaps most importantly, what measures will prevent the same financial difficulties from happening again?
These questions should not necessarily be interpreted as a lack of faith. In fact, accountability can strengthen trust between an institution and the people who support it.
Faith should not cancel financial wisdom
Religious giving can be a powerful expression of compassion and community. Churches have historically played an important role in supporting people during difficult times, from helping families in need to funding schools, hospitals and community programmes.
But families also have financial responsibilities.
A parent struggling to pay school fees should not feel ashamed for being unable to contribute a large amount to a church fundraising campaign. A young family trying to build an emergency fund should not feel pressured to empty its savings simply because a fundraising target has been announced.
There is room for both generosity and wisdom.
Church members who genuinely want to support the PCEA initiative can decide what amount is appropriate for their circumstances. Others may choose to support through prayer, volunteering or other forms of contribution.
A conversation worth having
The controversy surrounding Milele Beach Hotel is therefore bigger than one hotel or one fundraising campaign.
It raises a conversation that many families may eventually have to navigate: How do we practise generosity without neglecting our own responsibilities?
For churches, it is also an opportunity to demonstrate that asking for support can go hand in hand with providing members with clear information about how their money will be used.
For parents, it is an opportunity to teach children that helping others is valuable, but so is making responsible financial decisions.
And for congregants, perhaps the most important lesson is that faith and financial literacy do not have to be opposites.
A family can be generous and still have a budget.
It can support its church and still save for emergencies.
It can believe in giving and still ask questions.
Ultimately, giving is most meaningful when it comes from a place of willingness rather than pressure, and when those receiving the gift honour that generosity with transparency, responsibility and accountability.
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