"Salvation is free, but ministry takes money."

Carlton P. Byrd, a pastor from Atlanta, Georgia, brought up the challenge of conducting evangelism at local churches, sometimes with insufficient funds. "Salvation is free, but ministry takes money," he said.

Paulsen (the world President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church) responded by describing the church's tithing commission, a group of more than 100 members from around the world meeting to examine the church's use of funds. He said he didn't want to guess what the commission was trying to do, but suggested the group was considering channeling more funds to local churches. Paulsen urged patience in waiting for their report which he said would be presented in October, 2009. (Story originally published 2006.)