by David Taylor

cabletech1974@gmail.com

I recently received an email from a friend. In it he states: "I need your help to understand something that has troubled me for years ... why do churches pay preachers to preach or pastor a church? Why does a pastor even take money to preach? I pray that you can answer the question and tell me what the answer is to this." I thought about it and relayed my thoughts back to him the only way I know how- by using Scripture. Many Christians are surprised to discover that the Bible plainly teaches congregations to financially support those who care for the spiritual needs of the church body. This includes pastors, teachers and other full-time ministers who are called by God for service. Spiritual leaders can best serve when they are fully dedicated to the work of the Lord- to the study and teaching of God's Word and ministering to the needs of the body of Christ. If a minister has to work a job to provide for his family, then he will be distracted from ministry and forced to divide his priorities, leaving less time to adequately shepherd his flock.

A church should definitely provide for the financial needs of its pastor(s) and any other full-time ministers. 1 Timothy 5:17-18, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,' and 'The worker deserves his wages.'" 1 Corinthians 9:14 declares, "In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel." If a church is not able to provide sufficient finances for a pastor, then a pastor would have no other choice but to work outside the church to bring in the needed income. This is a regrettable, but sometimes necessary situation. It would be best for a pastor to be full-time so he can fully dedicate himself to the Lord’s work of ministering to and shepherding the congregation.

Many Christians believe that being a pastor or teacher is a relatively easy job. New believers especially, might have the tendency to think that ministers simply show up at church on Sunday morning to preach and then spend the rest of the week praying and reading the Bible. While pastors do (and should) spend plenty of time reading God's Word and praying, that's only a very small part of what they do. By definition of the word pastor, these servants of God are called to 'shepherd the flock,' which means they are entrusted with the responsibility of caring for the spiritual needs of the congregation. Even in a small church these responsibilities are numerous. As the primary teacher of God's Word to the people, most pastors spend hours and hours researching and studying Scripture in order to rightly understand the Bible so that it can be taught in a meaningful and applicable way. Besides preaching and teaching, pastors do a great deal of spiritual counseling, they make hospital visits, pray for the sick, train and disciple church leaders, officiate weddings, perform funerals, and the list goes on and on. In small churches, many pastors have the business and administrative responsibilities as well as office work to tend to; while in large churches, the weekly activities taking place within the walls of the church can be continuous. Typically, the larger the church the greater the weight of responsibility.

A reasonable income is based on what would ordinarily be paid for like services by a similar organization under similar circumstances. Most ministers serving in pulpits today are highly trained and well educated. In obedience to God, congregations should pay them what they are worth. The Word of God is specific when it says that laborers are worthy of their hire. This means that churches should give the maximum amount of support to their pastors, without jeopardizing the overall financial stability of the church. Inadequate income does produce negative consequences. Pastors who are concerned about providing the basic needs of their own families may not have the emotional energy to concentrate on the needs of their churches. Financial burdens may contribute to a lack of enthusiasm, a low self-esteem, and a negative attitude toward the ministry. Ultimately, that will harm the congregation. "Appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 5:12).

© David Taylor