PASTOR'S PAY
Sometime ago I came across this little article entitled “THE PERFECT PASTOR.” It was written to church members looking for the perfect pastor. It says… “The perfect pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes, but thoroughly expounds the Word. He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings.
He works from 8 a.m. until midnight and is also the church janitor. The perfect pastor makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30 a week to the church. He is 29 years old and has 40 years experience. Above all, he is handsome.
The perfect pastor has a burning desire to work with teenagers, and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens. He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church. He makes 15 home visits a day and is always in his office to be available when needed.
The perfect pastor always has time for every church board and committee. He never misses any of their meetings and is always busy evangelizing the unchurched. The perfect pastor is always in another church!
If your pastor does not measure up, simply send this notice to six other churches that are tired of their pastor, too. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the church at the top of the list. If everyone cooperates, in one week you will receive 1,643 pastors. One of them should be perfect.
Have faith in this letter. One church broke the chain and got its old pastor back in less than three months.” (Source Unknown)
That is obviously a joke, but it does illustrate the difficult task to which Pastors are called these days. Even so, the church can help their pastors be better pastors.
You say, “How?” Well, if you will take the time to read this article and open your Bible and read the verses and thoughts I am going to share with you, I believe you will find the answer.
Let’s begin by looking at 1 Timothy 5:17-18: “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.”
How can we help your pastor be the best he can be? It’s simple, first…
PAY HIM WELL.
Make sure he has an adequate salary. Take care of him financially. Throughout my 48 years of being a pastor I heard the following statement many times: “If a man is called by God to preach, he will preach for what ever we pay him.”
I challenge anyone to show me where that is found in the Word of God. You can’t. It’s not there and because it’s not there it’s not Biblical. So where did these spiritual giants that think that if a man is called of God to preach, get the idea that he will preach for whatever they pay him? I don’t know where it comes from but it sure helps a church not have to be responsible for doing the right thing for their pastor.
Another thing, why does this not apply to Missionaries? I have never heard anyone say, “If a man is called to be a missionary he will go to the mission field for whatever the church pays him.” There is a double standard here.
It is sad but I believe true that there are some who feel called to make sure that the pastor does not live by the same standard that the rest of the congregation lives by. It is a spiritual thing to some to have a pastor that makes minimum wages. Their prayer is: “Lord you keep him humble and we will keep him poor.”
Pastors have a tremendous responsibility. God calls them to “stand before” His people. That’s what the word “rule well“ literally means in verse 17. Pastors are those who stand before God’s people to lead them, to be in charge, to give direction to the church. They’re the ones responsible to manage the church to see that it follows God’s will. (See Article NEW TESTAMENT AUTHORITY)
But they not only lead God’s people, they not only manage the church, they are responsible to minister to the church as well, to care for God’s people. In the common usage of the day, this word “rule” was used of a caretaker, who cared for an estate, a guardian, who protected and cared for children, a farmer, who cared for his land, and a friend, who supported another friend in times of trouble.
You get the picture? Being a pastor means so much more than preaching three or four times a week. Being a pastor means comforting the troubled, visiting the sick, and caring for the people. It is impossible to impact their lives from a distance.
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, ...” The Greek word translated “honour” is “tee-may’” it is translated “PRICE” eight times. Dr. Strong's Greek definition states: a valuing by which the price is fixed 1a) of the price itself 1b) of the price paid or received for a person or thing bought or sold
Why? Because preaching and teaching is God’s prescribed plan for reaching a lost and dying world with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ,. Your pastor is God’s gift to you. Look at Ephesians 4:11: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” Paul tells us in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17"
God’s Word equips God’s people for every good work. God’s Word changes lives for eternity. God’s Word is the only thing that satisfies the soul. God’s Word is delivered to you every week by your pastor.
“Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.” (1 Timothy 5:17)
So the Bible does not teach that “If a man is called of God to preach, he will preach for whatever the church pays him.” It does teach that a pastor is worthy of his hire and a pastor that rules well is worthy of double pay.
Pastors have a tremendous responsibility. They must lead and love God’s people through the teaching and preaching of God’s Word. Therefore, they should be compensated for their work. The Bible says “Do not muzzle the ox while he is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Pastors should be paid, and it’s just not right to deprive them. It’s just not right to withhold the proper compensation.
Dr. Andy Telford, talk about his experience with churches looking for a pastor. He said, “When a church seeks a pastor, they want the strength of an eagle, the grace of a swan, the gentleness of a dove, the friendliness of a sparrow, and the night hours of an owl. And when they catch that bird, they expect the pastor to live on the food of a canary.”
Thankfully, some churches today are doing a better job in taking care of their pastors, but the Scriptural principle still applies. Pastors who work hard at preaching and teaching are worthy of double honor – literally, “double honorarium.” In other words, if you want to help your pastor be the best he can be, then recognize this value and reward him accordingly. That is, pay him well.
The next time you hear someone say, “If a man is called of God he will work for whatever we pay him.” Ask them politely, “where in the Bible did you find that?” Then show them 1 Timothy 5:17, 18. Second......
TREAT HIM FAIRLY.
That means don't participate in any gossip sessions about your pastor. Don't listen to accusations about him. In 1 Timothy 5:19 it states: “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.” In other words, don't listen to gossip about your pastor
Many years ago, the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, said something impromptu to the new members joining his church. They were standing in front of the church and as the church received them into membership, the Holy Spirit prompted him to say: “And now, I charge you that if you ever hear another member speak an unkind word of criticism or slander against anyone—myself, an usher, a choir member, or anyone else—that you stop that person in mid-sentence and say, ‘Excuse me—who hurt you? Who ignored you? Who slighted you? Was it our Pastor? Let's go to his office right now. He'll apologize to you, and then we'll pray together so God can restore peace to this body. But we won't let you talk critically about people who aren't present to defend themselves.”
Gossip and slander have done more to end the ministries of pastors and destroy the effectiveness of churches than anything else I know. So don’t even “entertain an accusation” against a pastor “unless it is brought by two or three witness” (verse.19), that is, unless there is substantial evidence to back up the accusation.
In other words, if anybody comes to you with a criticism about your pastor, any pastor in your community, or any member in your church, ask them, “May I quote you as a witness?” Furthermore, ask them to give you the names of one or two other people who saw the infraction.
Tell the person, “I’m going to check this out. I’m going to share your name with the people you have named and tell them what you told me. Is that OK?” And let me tell you, if that’s not OK with the person, then don’t even listen to him or her.
Franklin P. Jones, in the Wall Street Journal, once said, “The difference between news and gossip lies in whether you raise your voice or lower it.” Let me tell you something, If you can’t “raise your voice” and present your accusation to the whole congregation with solid proof, then you shouldn’t “lower your voice” to speak it either. Don’t listen to gossip, and don’t participate in gossip about church leaders. This is a serious matter.
When Dr. Wilbur Chapman was in his first pastorate in Philadelphia, a layman came to see him. The layman was frank. He told Dr. Chapman, “You are not a strong preacher. In the usual order of things you will fail here, but a little group of laymen have agreed to gather every Sunday morning and pray for you.”
Do you know, that “little group of laymen” grew to a thousand men, who gathered weekly to pray for their pastor. And Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman became one of the greatest preachers of his day. That’s the way you treat your pastor. Don’t criticize him behind his back. Instead, gather God’s people together to pray for him with his full knowledge. Do you want to help your pastor be the best he can be? It’s really quite simple. Just pay him well, treat him fairly, and third…
CHOOSE HIM WISELY.
Take your time, and choose HIM very carefully. In 1 Timothy 5:22 it says: “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.”
In other words, don’t be involved in sin by choosing a scoundrel for a pastor. For if he leads others into sin, then you are just as responsible as he is. That’s why it’s important to take your time when it comes to choosing a pastor. Go slow, and be sure. Be certain of the man’s character before you invite him to lead.
In 1 Timothy 5:23 Paul tells Timothy to: “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.” Evidently, some of the people in the church gave Timothy ulcers. So Paul tells him to take a little medicine for his stomach.
In 1 Timothy 5:24-25 Paul says: “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.”
Over time a man’s true character will come out. Sometimes his sin is very evident. Sometimes it is not, but over time it will be revealed, because it is impossible to conceal sin forever. The Bible says, “Be sure your sins will find you out.”
A certain woman, preparing to entertain guests, went to a small grocery store to buy food. She stopped at the meat counter and asked the attendant for a large chicken. He reached down into the cold storage compartment, grabbed the last chicken he had, and placed it on the scale. “This one weighs four pounds, ma'am,” he said. “I'm not sure that will be enough,” the woman replied. “Don't you have a bigger one?”
The attendant put the chicken back into the compartment, pretended to search through the melting ice for another one, and then brought out the same bird, discreetly applying some finger pressure to the scale. “Ah,” he said with a smile, “this one weighs six pounds.” “I'm just not sure,” the woman said with a frown. “I'll tell you what – wrap them both up for me!”
That man’s sin found him out. Let me tell you: no one can hide his or her sin forever. Sooner or later it comes out. Sooner or later it will be exposed. So we must take our time in choosing leaders for the church. and We must put only those in positions of leadership that have proven, godly character, demonstrated over a substantial period of time.
Three little guys were bragging about their dads. One said, “My dad owns a factory.” Another said, “So what! My dad owns a farm.” The third boy, a preacher's kid, said, “That's nothing. My father owns hell.” “Oh, yeah,” said one of the boys “How can a man own hell?”
“Well,” the pastor's son said, “I heard my mother tell my grandmother that the deacons of our church gave it to him last night.” No Pastor should feel like he owns hell. Instead, pay him well, treat him fairly, and choose him wisely.