George T. Hutchison (pictured), a member of the New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church in Myerstown, PA, (Keith Shearer, pastor) is interested in trying to help local Grace Brethren churches promote biblical principles for managing money.
For approximately the past 11 years Hutchison has been associated with Crown Financial Ministries as a budget counselor working with individuals. This last year he has focused more on conducting Crown’s Journey to Financial Freedom seminar in churches in Pennsylvania (including the Kittanning Grace Brethren church in January).
A number of individuals and churches contact Crown for help, and Hutchison says, “As opposed to conducting seminars in random churches that contact Crown, I would like to focus my efforts more on Grace Brethren Churches. Presenting one-day seminars is limited in its effectiveness unless the teaching in the church and support to individuals is available to follow up the seminars.”
George Hutchison, who has been attending the Myerstown church for about 12 years, accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior at the age of 11. His walk with the Lord is a testimony to the fact that God is faithful.
George is married to Joyce for over thirty years and they have two daughters and three granddaughters. Together, they have been blessed by seeing God change peoples’ lives as a result of applying biblical financial principles. George has been involved in managing a small business for the last 16 years.
George has been active with Crown Financial Ministries (www.crown.org) for 11 years as a volunteer Budget Counselor. During those 11 years he has had the privilege of working with hundreds of individuals and families by presenting God’s principles on handling their money.
In 2005 he became a seminar instructor with Crown, trained to present Crown’s new Journey to True Financial Freedom Seminar. Currently he is presenting the seminar to churches approximately three times each month.
His desire is to work within the Fellowship of Grace Brethren churches in providing assistance in presenting the biblical principles of handling money. One of the frustrations in counseling individuals from various churches and conducting seminars in local churches is the lack of support by these churches in reinforcing these principles. It is his desire to work within the Fellowship churches not only conducting the seminars, but assisting in any way possible to instill these biblical principles.
Statistics tell us that nearly half of Americans spend more money than they make each year. In 2005 over two million US households declared bankruptcy. Also, 2005 was the first year since the great depression the total amount of personal American income was less than total household expenses.
Hutchison says, “With the Bible devoting over 2,000 verses to money and possessions, it is pretty evident that the problems of money management need to be addressed in the local church. I believe there is enough money in Christians’ hands right now to fulfill the Great Commission. The problem is we as Christians do not know how to handle the money God has given us to manage.”
Crown offers many resources to the local church in addition to the seminars. Churches who would be interested in a seminar or other resources should contact George at george@xebra.com or by phone at his home at (610) 693-5368. Hutchison will also be at Celebrate06 national conference this year and would be happy to speak with anyone interested.
