Preparing for ministry you constantly hear conversation about how poorly pastors are paid, or how this church pays their pastor more than that church. Recently there was a group of people together and they were praising a senior pastor, the comment was made, "He could easily make more money at another church" and then some one hushed them and said, "Don't let him know that, he may leave". Overhearing this conversation I whispered to a friend, "If your calling won't keep you, we don't want you"!
My personal opinion of "the call" is God calls individuals to full-time ministry. Then allows us to pick how we will fulfill that calling as we examine our "SHAPE", as Warren calls it. With this understanding I would also be predisposed to think that one could fulfill God's calling to full-time ministry in a large spectrum of ministries.
If one is called to full-time ministry salary should never be the determining factor in whether they remain at a church or not.
I would respect a pastor who left a church because he was not passionate about the ministry he was in, or he didn't feel his talents and or gifts did not match the ministry he was in far more than I would some who leaves a church because they don't pay him enough.
For those of you who know me, you would realize this is a drastic change in my previous opinion that salary should be a major factor in the decision to go to a church or not.
In Summary "your passion and God's peace should empower you to be at a church to fulfill your calling. If you do not have passion or peace then it's time to leave and fulfill your calling elsewhere".
Please comment and help me to develop these thoughts further.
TSB VIII
2 months ago
4 comments:
I tend to agree with your current position. But if I had a family and a potential church wasn't going to pay me enough to support them....I'd not go there, even if everything else seemed right.
It's a hard place to be in, Matthew. I think it's fine for money to be a concern, but I think ultimately money shouldn't be the determining factor. Someone once said, "Passion is measured by what you will endure for your desire." I would tend to think that if you felt uneasy or unsettled about the financial packet a church was offering, that would be the Lord not granting you his peace.
What do you think?
Well, it could be Jesus not granting peace OR it could be the potential pastor being greedy OR another reason I suppose.
I just think, in a practical sense, if it's not enough to support the pastor's family then it'll become a bitter issue for many involved. And that won't be good for anyone involved.
interesting post, dave--money and pastors isn't something people usually talk about, so i say: talk about it bluntly! not many pastors do make much money (i speak from experience) but i agree with matt that a church should be willing to pay enough to support a family. if not, i think it's a fair indication that it may not be the right church for me. if they aren't willing to support my family, what type of ministry are they expecting from me? family friendly? or work-alholic friendly? i dunno...i'm rambling now...
Post a Comment