Conflict of Interest

Does The Bible Speak about marijuana?

Yes and No! Some believe that marijuana falls under the heading of Genesis 1:29 where God said to Adam: “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” But how many people ingest marijuana as food? While this passage gives us great freedom when it comes to enjoying His creation, it gives no support to smoking marijuana for the purpose of getting high. We know of no food that we consume by smoking. As Joe Carter has written, “Presumably, no one adds marijuana to brownies because it improves their flavor. The reason to add this particular plant to food is because of its effect on senses other than taste”.^[1]

So, aside from this passage in Genesis marijuana is nowhere mentioned in Scripture. While recognizing the omission from any particular mention of marijuana, we must affirm the goodness of God’s creation. Its goodness is not destroyed by the fall. What does this mean for marijuana? If creation is good, then created things are good. Marijuana is good! Does this mean that because God created it, every use of it is God honoring. Absolutely not!! We see this truth with regards to sex, money, and even our use of words as well as many other things. So within all of creation there is a truth that is connected to it: Everything God made is good for its intended purpose. So while marijuana is good because it was created by God we must understand that man seeks to take the beauty of God’s creation and dirty it with our own uses that seek to elevate our prerogatives over Gods.

^[1] “Is Recreational Marijuana Use a Sin,” January 6, 2014, The Gospel Coalition Blog

3. Areas in Which Conflicts May Arise

Conflicts of interest may arise in the relations of elders, officers, and management employees with any of the following third parties:

• Persons or entities supplying goods and services to the church.
• Persons or entities from which Village Bible Church leases property and equipment.
• Persons or entities with whom Village Bible Church is dealing or planning to deal in connection with the gift, purchase, or sale of real estate, securities, or other property.
• Persons or entities paying honoraria or royalties for products or for services delivered by Village Bible Church for its agents or employees.
• Other ministries or nonprofit organizations.
• Donors and others supporting the church.
• Stations or programmers that carry the church’s programming.
• Agencies, organizations, and associations that affect the operations of the church.

4. Nature of Conflicting Interest

A material conflicting interest may be defined as an interest, direct or indirect, between any person or entity mentioned in Section 3, and an elder, officer, or management employee, which might affect, or might reasonably be thought by others to affect, the judgment or conduct of an elder, officer, or management employee of the church. Such an interest might arise through

• Owning stock or holding debt or other proprietary interests in any third party dealing with the church.
• Holding office, serving on the Board, participating in management, or being otherwise employed (or formerly employed) in any third party dealing with the church.
• Receiving remuneration for services with respect to individual transactions involving the church.
• Using the church’s personnel, equipment, supplies, or goodwill for other than church-approved activities, programs, and purposes.
• Receiving personal gifts or loans from third parties dealing with the church. (Receipt of any gift is disapproved except gifts of nominal value, which could not be refused without discourtesy. No personal gift of money should ever be accepted.)
• Obtaining an interest in real estate, securities, or other property that Village Bible Church might consider buying or leasing.
• Expending staff time during the church’s normal business hours for personal affairs or for other organizations, civic or otherwise, to the detriment of work performance for the church.

Interpretation of This Statement of Policy

The areas of conflicting interest listed in Section 3 and the relations in those areas which may give rise to conflict, as listed in Section 4, are not exhaustive. Conceivably, conflicts might arise in other areas or through other relations. It is assumed that an elders, officers, and management employees will recognize such areas and relation by analogy.

The fact that one of the interests described in Section 4 exists does not necessarily mean that a conflict exists, or that the conflict, if it exists, is material enough to be of practical importance, or if material, that upon full disclosure of all relevant facts and circumstances that it is necessarily adverse to the interests of the organization. However, it is the policy of the Board that the existence of any of the interests described in Section 4 shall be disclosed before any transaction is consummated. It shall be the continuing responsibility of Trustees, officers, and management employees to scrutinize their transactions with outside business interests and relationships for potential conflicts and to immediately make such disclosures.

Disclosure should be made to the Executive Pastor (or if he is the one with the conflict, then to the Chairman of the Board), who shall bring these matters to the attention of the Board. The Board shall then determine whether a conflict exists and is material, and in the presence of an existing material conflict, whether the contemplated transaction may be authorized as just, fair, and reasonable as to the church. The decisions on these matters are the sole discretion of the Board. The Board’s first concern must be the welfare of Village Bible Church and the advancement of its purposes.