My offer to volunteer at my mega-church was turned down due to “trust issues.”
I’m a member of a mega-church with around 7,000 attendees, and I recently tried to volunteer in their Accounting department. However, my offer was declined because they claimed there are trust concerns. They didn’t perform a background check or request my resume; instead, they simply stated that since I’ve only been a member for three years, I couldn’t be trusted.
This felt quite hypocritical to me, as they expect us to place our trust in them, yet they are unwilling to reciprocate. When I spoke with the department head, he mentioned that they haven’t experienced any fraud in over 50 years by adhering to this policy. I reminded him of a criminal case from within the last 15 years where someone in the department was caught embezzling funds to support an extramarital relationship. He refused to acknowledge that incident despite it being reported in the news.
I’ve decided to let it go. For context, I’ve been a CPA since 2007 and currently serve as a director of finance and Accounting at a firm without any criminal background.
One response
It sounds incredibly frustrating to have your offer to help turned down, especially given your qualifications and experience. It’s understandable to feel let down by an organization that asks for trust but doesn’t extend the same courtesy back. Your background as a CPA and your professional integrity should certainly be considered in any trust evaluation.
It might be worth reflecting on whether this is truly the right environment for you, considering how vital trust and collaboration are in such roles. Perhaps there are other opportunities within your community where your skills can be appreciated and utilized without the added barriers you faced here. Don’t let this experience discourage you from making a positive impact elsewhere—there are definitely places that could greatly benefit from your expertise and would welcome your assistance!