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I'll back you on that one. Basically no one gets into pastoring a small church with minimal growth prospects for the money. Some do it for social status / power / influence, but in my experience, most small church pastors really want to do good in the world and it's a labor of love.
Of course as you well know I think it's misdirected sincerity, but it's sincere nonetheless.
That said, I think the original point was along the lines of "a worker is worthy of his hire". The rural church I grew up in had around 60 or 70 in regular attendance, and the pastor got $95 a week plus free gas for his car and a house to live in rent-free. This was in the early 1970s but even adjusting for inflation, paying someone with a wife and two kids less than $5200 a year, even with the perks, struck me even as a teen, as being parsimonious and exploitive. If that's truly all they could afford, I think they should have closed it down.
I won't argue any of those points. Unfortunately, that has really been the attitude among a lot of congregations in America. There is a "keep him humble and holy" mentality. A lot of people don't realize their pastor works more than 1 hour a week, and they don't really see the value of paying him a decent wage.
You mentioned the house that the pastor stayed in. I'd be willing to guess it wasn't equipped with the most modern appliances, either.
Yes---it's a shame that churches don't pay their pastors better. Some CAN'T afford to...some don't care to. Again--I want to say I'm not bitter -- my church was small when I got here, and it still is. My salary is supplemented by a source outside the church--they do pay me a little WHEN they can, but not lately. In the time I've been here, we've always managed to pay the bills and we have not gone hungry.
I won't argue any of those points. Unfortunately, that has really been the attitude among a lot of congregations in America. There is a "keep him humble and holy" mentality. A lot of people don't realize their pastor works more than 1 hour a week, and they don't really see the value of paying him a decent wage.
You mentioned the house that the pastor stayed in. I'd be willing to guess it wasn't equipped with the most modern appliances, either.
Yes---it's a shame that churches don't pay their pastors better. Some CAN'T afford to...some don't care to. Again--I want to say I'm not bitter -- my church was small when I got here, and it still is. My salary is supplemented by a source outside the church--they do pay me a little WHEN they can, but not lately. In the time I've been here, we've always managed to pay the bills and we have not gone hungry.
If you are satisfied it is no one's business but yours, your family and the congregation. In our home we usually use a 65 year old dishwasher and a 62 almost 63 year old dish dryer but occasionally we switch roles.
There are lots of positions that society underpays and many that are overpaid and that is that.
You mentioned the house that the pastor stayed in. I'd be willing to guess it wasn't equipped with the most modern appliances, either.
I plead being a teen and a dude. I didn't notice. But probably not. It was an older home, a nice corner lot, next to the church and across the street from the funeral parlor ... and so easy to "marry 'em and bury 'em".
The free gas thing was courtesy of a member who had the town fuel oil concession and delivered oil & gas in the area. Somehow in the 60's he finagled the installation of a tank and gas pump on the church premises. It was probably the only church parking lot in the midwest with its own gas pump for the exclusive use of the pastor. I imagine environmental regulations may have forced the removal of that in recent years.
Yes I saw the "keep them humble and holy" thing. An interim pastor I knew in those days made it a point when he was serving as "pulpit supply" to speak out in his sermons against this, in fact, and to educate / remind parishoners what is demanded of pastors ... the time it takes to visit the sick, prepare sermons, provide free counseling, and in our case generally serve as chairman of the board of directors, and double as youth pastor and minister of music.
Unfortunately I didn't see any evidence that he made an impact. He certainly tried though. I'll give him that. He was an avuncular type but didn't pull punches either. He used to say, with his index finger and thumb extended at the same time, "when I point a finger at you I'm pointing it at me, too." It was hard to be mad at him, but I think he pushed his luck an awful lot.
If you are satisfied it is no one's business but yours, your family and the congregation. In our home we usually use a 65 year old dishwasher and a 62 almost 63 year old dish dryer but occasionally we switch roles.
There are lots of positions that society underpays and many that are overpaid and that is that.
Good point. I know that a lot of my friends that are teachers would agree.
As an IT guy I did not have the same stress. For the most part, I went home at night and didn't think about work. I did not get phone calls at midnight, or knocks on the door from troubled people. People that were experiencing relationship issues didn't knock on my door. I wasn't on call 24/7 to deal with death, injuries, etc.
Some people do that as a matter of course. They do it because they want to be there for friends when their world is falling apart. They do it because they know total strangers need help and support. They do it because it is the right thing to do. They do it without the title of "pastor" and the paycheck that goes with it.
If this is where we "share"...I've done it. I've helped people deal with death and injuries. I know other people have as well. And I'm grateful for the people who have done it for me.... which include IT people sitting with me in the ER at three in the morning waiting for word from the doctors . No "pastor" title needed. No paycheck for doing what good, supporting, helpful people do every.single.day.
Some people do that as a matter of course. They do it because they want to be there for friends when their world is falling apart. They do it because they know total strangers need help and support. They do it because it is the right thing to do. They do it without the title of "pastor" and the paycheck that goes with it.
If this is where we "share"...I've done it. I've helped people deal with death and injuries. I know other people have as well. And I'm grateful for the people who have done it for me.... which include IT people sitting with me in the ER at three in the morning waiting for word from the doctors . No "pastor" title needed. No paycheck for doing what good, supporting, helpful people do every.single.day.
It struck me as odd seeing one "Christian" church after another last time I visited my in laws in South Carolina. I'm talking like a mile apart in a sparsely populated area.
Then after visiting all these fine Christian white folk, I understood the high number of churches: they don't like each other either. They have a spat and it's off to a different church.
Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EDnurse
It struck me as odd seeing one "Christian" church after another last time I visited my in laws in South Carolina. I'm talking like a mile apart in a sparsely populated area.
Then after visiting all these fine Christian white folk, I understood the high number of churches: they don't like each other either. They have a spat and it's off to a different church.
The funniest part is if you drive the interstate down a bit further south in Georgia, there seem to be as many strip joints as there are churches that are visible. Oh, the hypocrisy!
Some people do that as a matter of course. They do it because they want to be there for friends when their world is falling apart. They do it because they know total strangers need help and support. They do it because it is the right thing to do. They do it without the title of "pastor" and the paycheck that goes with it.
If this is where we "share"...I've done it. I've helped people deal with death and injuries. I know other people have as well. And I'm grateful for the people who have done it for me.... which include IT people sitting with me in the ER at three in the morning waiting for word from the doctors . No "pastor" title needed. No paycheck for doing what good, supporting, helpful people do every.single.day.
Well.....what can I say? I'm no Dew......I mean....who is? Sorry for daring to suggest I could in any way compare!
Well.....what can I say? I'm no Dew......I mean....who is? Sorry for daring to suggest I could in any way compare!
You're right.
She shines a light that exposes the darkness of your shadow.
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