Dear Bill

Chapter twenty-five

My precious brother, there is a huge difference between a salary and a contribution. There is therefore a huge difference between being salaried and being supported by contributions.

Jesus was supported by contributions, not by salary. (“Many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him.”) Paul was supported by contributions, not by salary. (“That you may send me on my journey, wherever I go.”) The twelve and the seventy depended on contributions, none were salaried. (“Eat such things that are set before you.”)

How much impact should these examples make? I suppose that would depend on one’s loyalty to the bible.

The Adders and Subtracters, that don’t “bear much fruit”, have found a ‘better way’ to finance their christianity than those earliest christians who had an abundance of fruit.

I have written a series of articles addressed to “Pastor Whoever”. I present a few excerpts for your consideration…..

…. Many do not understand the significance of a salaried pastor compared to one supported by contribution. Do you? To clarify the matter, let’s do some supposing. Suppose I was one of the pew-people in your congregation and…. no, no, no, let’s get wilder yet! Let’s suppose that I am the pastor and you are one of hundreds of pew-people. I know this calls for some powerful pretending on your part, but be a sport. Okay?

If the collection envelope were itemized in such a way that you could write down the amount to be contributed to me (let’s make that Pastor Me), it would compel you to make a prayerful decision. Yes, Jesus would be the actual decision-maker, a positive step toward making Him Lord in fact and not name only. On the other hand, if I, Pastor Me, were salaried, you do not have a say in the matter, no need to consult Lord Jesus.

Only the Holy Spirit knows the will of Jesus. Jesus may want your contribution directed elsewhere, perhaps to one within (or without) the congregation with a severe need. Or directed to an evangelist. Or to a sunday school teacher equally worthy. Or to whoever. Who knows the will of Christ except the Spirit sent by Christ? You might conclude my preaching lately isn’t doctrinally sound. Or my preaching isn’t Christ- centred. Why should you support me?

A lack of congregational support might cause me to go deeper in Christ. Perhaps Jesus is telling me my lifestyle should be simplified, as was His. And if I balked at such a correction, perhaps He would have me (horror of horrors!) get… a… job! (Yes, a part time job. A real estate agent, maybe. Or a self-employed whatever.)

The day I demanded a salary instead of support through contributions is the day I became, by definition of the word, a hireling. (Hirelings, I understand, do not fare well at “the judgement seat”.)

…. You might conclude your pay should be equal to those employed in the world system. But they are hirelings, almost every one of them, just like I was. Jesus has never hired a disciple to do His bidding. “Freely give” has never fizzled over the centuries. Thousands upon thousands of salaried church personnel does not alter, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Pastors are exchanging eternal rewards for a salary.

You are in a difficult space. You do it all because you are paid. And you are paid because you do it all. And you do it all because you are paid. Around and around and around. If I were you I would run, not walk, from that church system. After the Lord told a friend to shun all religion, he returned his credentials to his denomination. That’s my suggestion to you, my brother-in-Christ. Your effectiveness will not lessen but increase.

…. When you became salaried you became elevated, special, not from Christ’s perspective, of course, but that of your brothers and sisters. You went from one of the guys to ‘the man’. From ordinary to official. From ‘brother’ to ‘reverend’. From influential to powerful. From follower to followed. From mere attendee to boss. And you became lord of the pulpit. In short, you replaced the lordship of the Holy Spirit with yourself. You garnered (unintentionally?) loyalty intended only for Jesus. You replaced Lord Jesus as decision-maker, comforter, counsellor. Your salary did all this.

Had you lived by contributions (subsidized by outside wages?) you would have remained ordinary, one of the guys, a team player, respected but not acclaimed. Were it not for the salaried, Jesus would be the hub of the local church, and all others mere spokes in the church wheel. Also, others “who labor in the word and doctrine” – the sunday school teacher, the evangelist, the FB preacher, the missionary – would not be disadvantaged; they too would receive contributions, freeing them to serve Jesus more effectively.

Jesus ministers to His people through the Holy Spirit. “He [the Holy Spirit] will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears [from Jesus] He will speak.” The Holy Spirit, in turn, wants to minister to christians through christians. Not through a singular christian, but several. Your salary has seriously limited the Holy Spirit; people turn to (rely on), not Him and Jesus who sent Him, but to the one they have hired. Thus your salary, while elevating you, has weakened the grip christians have on Christ and Christ has on christians. Very not good.