What Soldier Serves at His Own Expense?

February 6


Probably one of the most controversial and confusing topics with which the church has to deal today is the salary schedules for those working in it. Its current structure in America adds even more confusion. The huge buildings where many churches meet and the problem of maintaining them often demand people other than the senior pastor receive payment for services. When churches met in homes and there were no maintenance issues to resolve, all income collected by the local church was free to be used to care for the infirmed, poor, lame, blind, and widows and orphans. Church leadership who ruled well and labored in the word and doctrine were also paid modest salaries, so they didn’t become distracted trying to make a living for themselves and their families outside of their calling (I Tim. 5:17). The itinerant church workers’ calling made it extremely difficult for them to work outside of their church ministries because they were continually on the move. Paul made it clear such people needed to be supported by the local churches throughout the empire (Rom. 16:1-2; I Cor. 9:3-11; Phil. 1:3-5). Most “senior” pastors in churches in America today strongly disagree with my understanding of the biblical instruction on the topic, so I will start by making it clear I am outnumbered by a margin of about a gazillion to one. Imagine trying to get congressmen to vote to lower their own salaries. Unfortunately, the same mentality exists among pastors all across America. I’ve never believed the majority should rule when discussing biblical truths anyway. God plus no one is the only majority that really matters.

What is clear throughout New Testament is that church leaders absolutely and unequivocally were expected to live exemplary lives of personal sacrifice. They were to be the human examples by which local church members gaged their own lives. Paul told his readers over and again to imitate him (I Cor. 4:16; 11:1). In chapter 11 of his first letter to the Corinthians, he admonished them to imitate him as he imitated Christ. For anyone seeking the biblical view on an issue, it seems to me that would be the end of any discussion on the topic. Jesus was the example for church leadership to follow. He never asked for a raise, never asked for more money to pay for unexpected medical expenses, never complained about a cost of living increase, and never suggested his income should be equal to the average of the members of his congregation. His need for food, clothing, and shelter were minimal because He cared little for contemporary fashion and ate whatever was set in front of Him. When I listen to pastors speaking about pastoral salaries today, it makes me nauseous.

If you want a wake-up call, google John Hagee, Joel Osteen, and Feed the Children. By law their tax returns are a part of the public record, so one can find out what their annual salaries are. I think you’ll be sickened to learn many of our national religious figures are making well in excess of $100,000/year. And usually both the husband and wife are drawing similar salaries from the same organization. I was actually told by one pastor that some denominations demand their pastors be “well paid.” Such thinking is wrong on so many levels I won’t attempt to deal with it here. I have written several studies where I deal thoroughly with stewardship in general, but here I will simply close with the statement that local church leaderships’ failure to provide exemplary lifestyles for the rest of the flock to follow by living sacrificial lives is the major reason so many give so little to the local church.

People who realize they must be good stewards of what God has entrusted to them, have had to become creative in discovering ways they can be good stewards without blindly giving to their local church. Consider this. Some people, in an attempt to be good stewards, check with organizations that rate non-profit groups before giving to them. According to Trent Stamp, the average salary for CEOs of charitable organizations in America is $300,000/year (http://www.trentstampstake.org/2006/10/you-make-how-much.html). One has to ask himself if giving to an organization that pays one man $300,000 dollars a year is good stewardship. And the obvious answer is a resounding, NO! I can only conclude some believe because the secular world pays CEOs millions of dollars in bonuses, CEOs of large Christian organizations should likewise make extravagant salaries and bonuses. That’s good, sound reasoning for unregenerated heathens.

I’ll close today’s instruction with this final word of caution. Don’t’ give blindly to your local church or to any outside organization whose books you can’t access. Hold your local church’s leadership accountable. Demand all of those receiving any financial support from the church live sacrificial lives. If they’re able to work secular jobs to provide for their families and still minister effectively in the local church, they should not be getting any financial support from the church. That’s a decision each local church has to make for itself. And don’t’ assume just because an international missionary group is highly rated by an independent association it’s being faithful with gifts it receives from supporters. Check them out for yourself. My personal preference is to support individual missionaries and preachers I know are called of God and are fulfilling that calling with reckless abandon while living sacrificially. The title of this writing makes it clear those who labor hard in the vineyard need to be rewarded for their labors financially. I have no problem with that teaching. It’s solidly biblical. Unfortunately, many conclude that means they should be paid extravagantly, and nothing could be further from the truth. Now, go and tell someone what great things God has done for you.