Why pastors and preachers should not be receiving salaries

[Samson2020]

1 Cor 9:18-19 "What is my reward then? Verily that when I preach the Gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more."

 

[NYQueens977]

1 Cor 9:18-19 "What is my reward then? Verily that when I preach the Gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more."

Times be different though. Rent is expensive, and you need permits, which cost money. There's nothing inherently wrong with having money and using it to make your lifestyle comfortable, and I'm not a firm believer in suffering unnecessarily. It's when you start to love money that you're in trouble.

 

[Reba1]

Repent you leaders of the church.

Those folks are not the leaders of the church.

 

[Sue D.]

Pastors / preachers need to be receiving pay for their work just like everyone else does.

 

[Br. Bear]

Pastors / preachers need to be receiving pay for their work just like everyone else does.

Greetings Sue,

like all things, what motive do we have for what we do and do we compromise the faith we profess in order to get what we want, eg a wage?
In other words, one might say that if a man decides that being a pastor would be a good job due to the safe sort of salary offered, is that the right way we find recommended in the Bible?


Bless you ....><>

 

[Sue D.]

Pastors still need to be called by a given church. Or appointed by a synode. They apply for that job -- and a pastor search committee looks at their resume - goes to listen to them at the church they are presently at -- finds out what their reason is for wanting to be at their church.

A man feels led by the Lord / Holy Spirit / to preach. They get the Bible college training needed / seminary needed and then find out what churches are looking for a pastor.

It's quite a process.

 

[Hekuran]

Well there's a balance to be had.

My pastor is working flat out at the moment serving the church and leading our response to the wider community struck by the corona virus pandemic. There's no way he could do all that if he also had to find paid work to support his family. When I give to to the church and support his family I consider it money very well spent. He also have up a well paid job to serve the church.

There's a problem of greed in some quarters. And that should be dealt with.

How do you balance things so that pastors are not distracted from their work by financial problems, and at the same time avoid attracting people to the ministry who are drawn to a secure job with a comfy wage?

 

[Sue D.]

I meant that a church Should be paying their pastor a salary -- he's putting his life into leading / teaching that group of people. He's on call all the time. The deacons should be doing as much as possible to help.

 

[Br. Bear]

I meant that a church Should be paying their pastor a salary -- he's putting his life into leading / teaching that group of people. He's on call all the time. The deacons should be doing as much as possible to help.

Greetings,

one could ask what he needs a salary for if it is a true church?
Money is useful but it is not the only way to help provide for the needs of another.

food for thought (free, of course)


Bless you ....><>

 

[Sue D.]

What do you mean by "if it's a true church".

Why does Anyone need a job? Do you, personally need a job? Why ? What / who provides for Your needs or that of y our family. Just more 'food for thought'. But isn't it a reality in this world -- This society -- a pastor needs to eat, pay for his gas for his car / transportation / as does his family. His wife / children need to eat, his kids grow just like other people's kids.

 

[Reba1]

What do you mean by "if it's a true church".

Why does Anyone need a job? Do you, personally need a job? Why ? What / who provides for Your needs or that of y our family. Just more 'food for thought'. But isn't it a reality in this world -- This society -- a pastor needs to eat, pay for his gas for his car / transportation / as does his family. His wife / children need to eat, his kids grow just like other people's kids.

I am a PK (preachers kid) Dad had 2 jobs while us kids were at home . Often he paid the light bill at the church. Not every church group has maga dollars . Dad fell timber in season , worked as a fry cook, mill worker, among others ,working long hours yet he found time to make hospital visits , show up when family called cause someone was going bazerk . In reading the Scriptures seems to me
Mat 10:10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
Mat 10:11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
Those folks where they were to abide were to house clothe and feed them. I see no difference between a group paying a salary , about equal to the members of the group , and giving abode to the teachers.

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings Sue,

perhaps my words baffled you somewhat. Sorry about that, if so.

What do i mean by, "if it's a true church"?
Basically we are instructed in the pages of the Bible to 'do' church in a way that modern man seems allergic to.

The Lord provides for His and for His word and work to go forth and accomplish according to His will and plan/purpose. What does a man really need and can that be provided without a salary? Yes. Do we see that much today? No.

Monetary reimbursement for services given, provides money, which in itself is only what everyone agrees it to be, a means to bypass much and exchange it for goods and services. It is possible for men to not only give goods and services but to be part of God's provision for His Word to be heard, and for the Body to look after itself through and with His blessings.

Look at how things are today, for example. It may come to a time when money won't feed you, but food will. If we add Charity to that, we might see a bit of the 'true' church happening. We give food to food shelters and meals for the hungry and outcast. Giving food to each other should be OK, too. Same as services and where posssible, accomodation. clothes etc. Remember back in the New Testament times there were some who provided cloth and or clothing for others. They were doing 'true church'.

Does a modern day pastor preacher need a car? Probably not but it does make getting from A to B quicker. Same for a lot of things we have grown so accustomed to that we, even though we profess to be followers of Christ and even one with Him, that we consider it a standard right and anything less is below our satisfaction. What has happened to us? Can we revert or would that mean forgoing too much?
One thing the recent worldwide blitz has brought out to those who can see it, is that somehow we can survive without a lot of the extras we have become so accustomed to, and we might even realise that up until the last 100 years ago [and less, much less for many things] the world survived without a huge proportion of what we are somehat gluttonous anf frivilous with today.
We tend to expect [and even demand] a lot of what we really do not need and forsake a lot of what we do need.

How do we do things? Who leads us to do what we do? The world, our flesh or the Lord?


Bless you ....><>

 

[Reba1]

Does a modern day pastor preacher need a car? Probably not but it does make getting from A to B quicker.

Often because of the small town the hospital was did went to visit folks in was 90 minutes away.. He often drove kids home who missed the school buss.
With out a salary who is to supply the needs of the old

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

I am a PK (preachers kid) Dad had 2 jobs while us kids were at home . Often he paid the light bill at the church. Not every church group has maga dollars . Dad fell timber in season , worked as a fry cook, mill worker, among others ,working long hours yet he found time to make hospital visits , show up when family called cause someone was going bazerk .

sounds like your dad was a good man.
Makes me feel very small and about as much a failure as one can be.


Bless you ....><>

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings,

Often because of the small town the hospital was did went to visit folks in was 90 minutes away.. He often drove kids home who missed the school buss.
With out a salary who is to supply the needs of the old

such is the modern world, for quite a lot of it, anyway... there are still many 'peasants' around the planet, from the little i know.
Money is handy and now [so far] almost vital due to the way the world has become. But it is not the only way to do things. Much is spent on much that we choose to spend it on, not always because we need it, either.
A lot of people still do a lot for nothing, either because there is nobody to pay them or simply because they are volunteering and being kind. Housewives, for example, work many hours and their only 'pay' is their family, which, when push comes to shove, money can't buy. They don't 'have a job' or a salary but they work often more hours and harder than their husbands.
In quite a few countries wives and mothers work harder than most men know how to in the west.

Another missing link that modern man has left behind, is the working of extended family and community, which brings us back again to "true church' and how we should be functioning (shouldn't we?)


Bless you ....><>

 

[Reba1]

How do you pay for the internet service you are using., and all that goes with it. If you are not paying for it who are you mooching off? We dont need internet it is not shelter, food or clothing.

 

[Br. Bear]

How do you pay for the internet service you are using., and all that goes with it. If you are not paying for it who are you mooching off? We dont need internet it is not shelter, food or clothing.

Greetings,

We all could do with a rethink, don't you think?


Bless you ....><>

ps.... by the way, i am not saying , nor have i, that pastors don't need wages etc, so please don't think i am doing so. I don't think i said anything either way regarding if i think they do or not. ....><>

 

[Reba1]

Some folks just love to play word games.. To my simple mind it is a form of dishonesty

 

[Enxu]

So this is my opinion.
I've attended small churches all my life, and they've all had the same dream: To grow so that they could share the gospel to everyone, all over the world. This is admirable, but realistically it costs a lot of money. I've had pastors come speak to us about how they were barely able to make it through college, and how they had to struggle to get loans so that they could build their ministries from scratch.
So when Churches do grow and become globally recognized, they're demonized as corrupt members of a capitalist system. Makes sense. Although I understand that there are plenty of scandals involving many recognized churches, such as Hillsong, Joel Olsteen, Joyce Meyers, etc., but what about all of the other megachurches, like the Potter's House, or the McLean Bible Church, and so many others? Should all of these pastors refrain from receiving a salary just because a select few choose to fall for corruption. Of course not. Money buys high quality Bibles and a comfortable environment for parishioners, and if you can afford the success to buy these things, I don't see the issue.

If I am a pastor and not receiving salaries means less people slander the Church for greed and scandal than I will make the sacrifice so that the Gospel is not spurned. Your point of view is still a self centered one much like most of the justifications I’ve heard. You people care about self comfort and whatnot more than the reputation of the church and how that affects the Gospel’s spread.

If Jesus did not even have a place to lay His head as the leader of the church why are His self proclaimed followers so concerned about comfort? Are you modern followers more privileged than Jesus Himself in terms of receiving comforts? Ask yourself whether that is right because it reeks of hypocrisy to outsiders.

And people are now attacking me for posting a honest discussion on how the church’s reputation is being affected by financial scandals. Just look at the level of self centeredness demonstrated here by self proclaiming Christians. Is it a wonder why the nonbelievers mock the Gospel? I wonder how you people will answer for that in front of God on the day of judgment for the self justification of a self centered lifestyle. Even more so, how will you answer to God for giving a bad name to Christ because of your lifestyle?

 

[Enxu]

Greetings,

We all could do with a rethink, don't you think?


Bless you ....><>

ps.... by the way, i am not saying , nor have i, that pastors don't need wages etc, so please don't think i am doing so. I don't think i said anything either way regarding if i think they do or not. ....><>

See the hypocrisy of those who call themselves Christians? This topic is about church salary and then some will say I play word games and assume I don’t have a salary outside of church. Btw I don’t even work as a pastor so I don’t take a cent from any church. Never have and never will. Apostle Paul was a pastor and he earned his own living without taking a cent from the church as his salary. I wonder why these people who attack me in order to defend their own selfish attitudes and who show no regard of Jesus’ gospel being spurned due to greedy pastors aren’t ashamed to call themselves Christians.