Not Supporting is a Shame

“For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing,’ and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’” (rf. 1 Tim. 5:18–19 NASB)

“And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—but to wear sandals; and He added, ‘Do not put on two tunics.’ And He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave town. Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.’ They went out and preached that men should repent. And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.” (rf. Mk. 6:7–13 NASB)

“He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…” (Eph 4:11–12 NASB).

I was very disturbed recently by an article that was forwarded to me regarding the growing trend among both evangelical and mainline Protestant churches and denominations toward bi-vocational, rather than full-time, pastorates. Do not get me wrong! I do not have an aversion toward nor do I think myself above being a bi-vocational minister! Indeed, for over the first half of my ministerial career, I was in bi-vocational ministry, serving as pastor to churches too small to afford a full-time minister while working full-time as a bookstore manager in both college and Christian retail stores. So, I am well-versed in the demands of being a bi-vocational minister. My hat is off to my fellow servants in Christ who have two or more jobs to do to supply the needs of their families!

I knew my calling, in particular, was to eventually be in full-time ministry, wherein I could totally focus my time and energy on the needs of the flock that God had given me to serve. Toward that goal, I strived to get the education that was necessary at the lowest possible financial cost to the family since I had a wife and five children to consider. Had I gone the “normal” route of education, I would have attended one of the larger seminaries, accruing a sizeable debt, and, if my plans had come to fruition, would have exited with the desired Ph.D., ready to seek the place of service that would accommodate both my family’s needs and the ability to pay off the educational liability. The Lord, however, had other plans for me and my family. I am happy to say that I was able to get my education without any residual balance of educational costs to pay. We were very blessed. Unfortunately, this is not the case for so many present and future ministers today. Their prospects are dim, indeed, as this article recounts.

No, my disappointment is found in the fact that medium and large churches are choosing to require their pastors to go into bi-vocational ministry. If this has been done solely for financial reasons, then there is a shame and blight on the Church as a whole, a direct reflection on the fact that we have assuredly lost our way. A very large contingent of the flock of Christ has been so consumed with being “relevant” to the surrounding culture that we have sold our soul “for a mess of pottage”. We have followed hard after the latest fads to attract the crowds, purchased the latest equipment to keep “current”, and polished the presentation to make sure the “optics” are excellent and on par with those of the best the culture has to offer. All the while, we have become Biblically-illiterate, doctrinally-deficient, and totally self-absorbed and preferential in what we blithely perceive to be known as “worship”. As a result, those who come to our churches give little during the offering, know little in terms of Scripture, and portray little in terms of holiness in their personal lives.

If my words appear harsh and a scathing indictment, it is not because I despise any corner of Christ’s Bride, for I do not. Indeed, I love His Church with a great passion and what I see is unachieved potential because of the selling of a birthright for the sake of the acceptance of the world and its ways. The Church of Jesus was NEVER meant to be popular with the culture (rf. Lk. 6:22-23; Jn. 15:18-20). When we do things that make us attractive to the culture, we inevitably compromise the teachings of Scripture (rf. I Jn. 2:15-17). And when we do not follow Scripture, curses, not blessings, will come from Almighty God to get our attention. Guaranteed. Loss of the financial ability to provide for the shepherds of His flock is surely one of those in my opinion.

In the Old Testament, when the Levites who served God in the Tabernacle or Temple were not provided for by God’s people, this was due to the disobedience of the people to God’s commands in the Law. By the same token, God has set up provision for His servants through His Church, that all of their needs be met by His people so that their primary focus should be their calling to serve God and His people (see the above Scripture passages). When the servants of God are lacking, God’s people are sinning by not giving as they are supposed to give to His Church (i.e. tithing, a Biblical truth not taught in many churches today). Their priorities are out of sync with God’s Word. Only when repentance takes place will the situation be corrected and His blessings be restored, both financial and spiritual.

If the Church is failing in the area of finances toward her ministers, it is but one of many areas that needs addressing and correction. May the Lord of Hosts grant us the grace necessary to see clearly our errors as His people, provide the Spirit of repentance required to turn from our self-centered and self-focused ways, and the boldness to make the changes in our lives to begin putting Him first once more in our giving, our lives and our testimonies before the world, understanding that this will mean a sure disconnect from the culture around us and the resulting rejection by many of us and the Savior we serve. But, as Jesus rightly stated, that comes with the package, if we are truly His disciples.