You could say it was an act of faith that the St. Marys United Methodist Church in St. Marys, Georgia, decided not to keep all of a $60 million gift it recently received.

The church's congregation says it doesn't want to allow the possibility that the millions will take precedence over belief at their 201-year-old church.

"The sense was that too much money would hurt us, that we would be depending on money instead of faith," the Rev. Derek McAleer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "...There are thorns in every rose. The question is, when this is done, will we be a Christian church or will we be a club?"

Local resident Warren Bailey, who died in July, gave the bulk of his telephone business holdings to St. Marys. When the stock was sold, it netted the 721-member church a total $60 million in cash.

Church members decided to use $40 million to set up the St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation, which will provide grants to nonprofit groups and other religious groups. Some of the initial projects likely to be funded include an assisted-living center, education and scholarship programs, the Methodist Children’s Home in Macon and other youth programs and missions, the newspaper reports.

Another $16 million -- $4 million more than a church advisory board initially suggested -- will go to other churches and ministries as early as January.

"We've tried to keep in mind that this money has never been ours, it's been God's," Carl Barnhardt, the advisory board's chairman, told newspaper.

A $2.8 million endowment fund in Bailey’s name will be established to guarantee continuation of Bailey’s annual $100,000 donation to the church. Interest from the endowment will support projects and missions Bailey favored.

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