Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Paid Clergy?

Next year when I get done with seminary will it be in the best interest of our church, and for me, for me to get a "real" job. The more and more I think about it I wonder why our church, or for that matter many churches, need a full time paid pastor. I sometimes wonder if our church would grow stronger if I did construction forty hours a week and then pastored on the side as a regular member of the church. Some would say I would then be overwhelmed with the work load, but what if I didn't take it on? What if we let the church be the church? Wouldn't the work load be just the same as any other church member? We need a new model of church. We need to see the Body of Christ fully alive and active.

2 comments:

Stetlers said...

You just might be on to something...
Our church support ends in two more months and we just finished talking about our plan to make ends meet at dinner tonight.
Miss you guys, that little one is going to be here so soon!

James said...

New model needed? Yes
Our Work Load the same? Should be
The Body of Christ fully alive and active? Sounds like a good step toward forcing that to happen

Easy to sacrifice the support? No way.

We don't feel he has led us to that decision yet, but we have felt the Lord take us down that path and it is scary. Church support becomes so comforting and comfortable... oh, but that isn't what the journey is all about is it?
I hear the battle Kev. I feel it. I hope that I am not the little boy in the corner with his hands over his ears and his eyes shut, because he doesn't want to see or hear the scary truth.