$600,000 Preacher
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:15 pm
For the last few years, my wife and I have been considering many of the aspects of the "institutional" church, beginning with the topic of tithing. Of course, when I was teaching Sunday School on this very topic, it became the "straw that broke the camels back" for the church leadership. Eventually we were asked to step down from teaching and cell group leadership. A bit of a shock to our systems, since we had been very active in "church life" for close to 25 years. But the Lord Jesus Christ takes care of His own and teaches us as were struggle with issues, and for that I am very thankful.
Over the last few years as I have sought to take off the denominational/institutional church "glasses", I have come to some shocking conclusions about professional ministers, and just recently noticed this particular article.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/200 ... ot_yo.html
How does that fit in with -
Acts 20:33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye (ELDERS) ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 37 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, (KJV)
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
But alas - I fear it is as the Lord Himself said in Matthew 15
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
One other instance that I found recently in the area of believers becoming property is a denomination that supplies it's member churches with a spreadsheet to determine the salary of professional preachers for each church. Some of the variables in determining the salary would be the length of time in the church, and the number of members in the church. This last variable was very interesting, for you see, for each member, the professional preacher received $52 per year. Imagine knowing this as you attend that church, that as you sit there on any given Sunday, you are worth 100 pennies to that professional preacher-man.
Over the last few years as I have sought to take off the denominational/institutional church "glasses", I have come to some shocking conclusions about professional ministers, and just recently noticed this particular article.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/200 ... ot_yo.html
How does that fit in with -
Acts 20:33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye (ELDERS) ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 37 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, (KJV)
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
But alas - I fear it is as the Lord Himself said in Matthew 15
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
One other instance that I found recently in the area of believers becoming property is a denomination that supplies it's member churches with a spreadsheet to determine the salary of professional preachers for each church. Some of the variables in determining the salary would be the length of time in the church, and the number of members in the church. This last variable was very interesting, for you see, for each member, the professional preacher received $52 per year. Imagine knowing this as you attend that church, that as you sit there on any given Sunday, you are worth 100 pennies to that professional preacher-man.