Q & A: Obnoxious Church Obscurity
Q: An example of church obscurity?
A: Pew-people are not told the pastor’s salary.
Q: Why do pastors keep their salary veiled?
A: Perhaps to foster their image of humble servant.
Q: Would pew-people be surprised if they knew?
A: Surprised, disillusioned, perhaps embittered.
Q: Why don’t the people demand to be informed?
A: Pew-people are afraid to offend pulpit-people.
Q: Afraid? Why afraid?
A: Crossing Pastor Whoever could be self-inflicting.
Q: What other ‘obnoxious’ obscurities?
A: Leadership refuses to speak percentages.
Q: Why?
A: Percentages would weaken the glow of their
reports of outreach (i.e., Christ’s Great Commission).
Q: What should reports look like?
A: Example: Expenditures of Previous Month:
Salaries (pastoral, secretarial, maintenance): 55%.
Buildings (mortgage, maintenance, grounds): 35%
Outreach (evangelism, missions, etc): 5%
Q: Hmmm. When should these reports be given?
A: Prior to sunday’s collection.
Q: But wouldn’t that result in smaller collections?
A: Much smaller. Thus the need for obscurity.