I do plan on speaking to the Pastor. Not to have him "handle the situation" - it's my choice if, when, and how to speak up.
Rather, I would like to ask him if there is any "back story" that I should know about first, so that I approach the situation with the most understanding and empathy possible. It would be helpful to know if the congregation as a whole has a history of being extremely frugal, or if the family of the leader of the group went though a period of poverty (that can change a person and color their worldview).
There will be a meeting at the end of the quilting season, which would probably be the best time to bring up my concerns. I think if I support my words with Bible quotations, it will come across as "what we've been called to do" rather than as just "the new member's opinion".
Last edited by Favorite Fabrics; 03-16-2012 at 12:10 PM.