GRAYFIELD, OH — A routine financial review at Cornerstone Bible Church has surfaced a $31,400 benevolence fund collected faithfully since 2007 and disbursed a total of zero times, after it was determined that no formal application process was ever established and no congregation member has ever been informed the fund exists.

The fund, which began as a $600 designated offering following a sermon series on generosity, has grown steadily through nearly two decades of quarterly contributions, two estate gifts, and a 2018 pledge drive whose specific purpose no surviving committee member can recall. It currently sits in a dedicated savings account earning 0.4% annual interest.

“We always talked about formalizing the process,” said Gerald Odom, 71, who has served on the finance committee since the fund was established. “We just wanted to make sure there was oversight. Structure. Accountability. We were very responsible about not distributing any of it.”

“The fund was designed to meet urgent needs quickly. The committee meets quarterly.”

Interim pastor Dale Forsythe, 54, confirmed that a subcommittee was appointed in 2019 to draft application guidelines and has not submitted a report. The subcommittee chairman moved to Tucson in 2021 but remains technically active on the roster.

Forsythe said he plans to address the fund in an upcoming sermon series tentatively titled “Loving Your Neighbor With Proper Documentation.”

At press time, a congregation member quietly facing eviction had decided not to mention it because she didn’t want to be a burden.