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I wouldn't mind a million dollar salary - in fact I wouldn't mind a salary, as I do not draw one from my congregation. I make them take the money and help the needy.
However I make a decent salary, (very-very far away from a million dollars), as a hospice chaplain.
I couldn't understand why this even became a debate topic, and 160 posts later, I still don't.
How could anybody have any problem with any institution hiring, at a negotiated fee in a competitive marketplace, a person to perform a necessary work or service that improves their viability and prospects for success? What is the issue here?
Perhaps the real question is, Should Ministers Be Paid At All?"
Perhaps a side question to the topic would be helpful. I asked myself, “Were ministers always paid and if not when did they start getting paid?”
I found my information by Goggling, “Emperor Constantine” and that lead me to, “First Council of Nicaea”. It seems that “three hundred years” after the apostles die off was a very important turning point for Christianity—and what an eye opener it turned out to be!
Concerning Constantine and the Council’s tampering; some of its statements were very straightforward and it seems there’s more trouble out there then whither or not ministers should be paid—here’s what I mean by that: I’ll give you an example by using something I always believed to be clear, plain Christian doctrine; surly ordained by Christ himself, and meant to be observed by all Christians. That’s “The Sabbath” our Holy Day of Rest—Sunday.
Well, not the case! The observance of a Sunday Sabbath day for Christians wasn’t instituted until 321 A.D. when Emperor Constantine decreed “Sunda” to be a day of rest for all people but farmers. That day was formerly associated with astrology and sun worship and had nothing whatsoever to do with how original Christianity was practiced.
SO THEN: If something like the Sunday Sabbath for Christians wasn’t practiced by the apostles (who knew Jesus personally) why are we observing something that was clearly instituted by an imperfect man over three hundred years after the fact? Why do we observe doctrines that are so clearly inaccurate? Should “traditions” practiced for so many years that they “appear to be factual” take precedence over truth once truth is discovered? Jesus didn’t think so because he said, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mark 7:1-8) New King James Version.
Well, that returns me to my opening thought. There’s ample evidence that there were many spurious (commands of men) additions to original Christianity that have been taught as “factual” Christian doctrine right down to our day. Among these “commands of men" have been: the split between the clergy and laity classes, the installation of a Sabbath rest day, and yes, “the payment of the clergy class for ministering to the congregations”, to name but a few.
So then, perhaps the question of why we pay ministers “at all” is what we should really be asking ourselves.
Concerning Constantine and the Council’s tampering; some of its statements were very straightforward and it seems there’s more trouble out there then whither or not ministers should be paid—here’s what I mean by that: I’ll give you an example by using something I always believed to be clear, plain Christian doctrine; surly ordained by Christ himself, and meant to be observed by all Christians. That’s “The Sabbath” our Holy Day of Rest—Sunday.
Well, not the case! The observance of a Sunday Sabbath day for Christians wasn’t instituted until 321 A.D. when Emperor Constantine decreed “Sunda” to be a day of rest for all people but farmers. That day was formerly associated with astrology and sun worship and had nothing whatsoever to do with how original Christianity was practiced.
SO THEN: If something like the Sunday Sabbath for Christians wasn’t practiced by the apostles (who knew Jesus personally) why are we observing something that was clearly instituted by an imperfect man over three hundred years after the fact? Why do we observe doctrines that are so clearly inaccurate? Should “traditions” practiced for so many years that they “appear to be factual” take precedence over truth once truth is discovered? Jesus didn’t think so because he said, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mark 7:1-8) New King James Version.
Well, that returns me to my opening thought. There’s ample evidence that there were many spurious (commands of men) additions to original Christianity that have been taught as “factual” Christian doctrine right down to our day. Among these “commands of men" have been: the split between the clergy and laity classes, the installation of a Sabbath rest day, and yes, “the payment of the clergy class for ministering to the congregations”, to name but a few.
So then, perhaps the question of why we pay ministers “at all” is what we should really be asking ourselves.
Actually, Christians always met on the first day of the week (what we now call Sunday) because it was the day of Christ's resurrection.
They met other days too, but the Sunday meeting was (as I understand it) happening from the very beginning of the Church.
Even so... Constantine changed the course of Church History - and not necessarily for the better.
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Perhaps the real question is, Should Ministers Be Paid At All?"
