I don’t expect these words to settle well with everyone who reads them. I understand you may not agree with my viewpoint. That said, what you will read is grounded in Biblical truth and a correct understanding of often misunderstood and misapplied passages regarding the compensation of preachers.
If a pastor is in the ministry only for money then he is in the ministry for the wrong reason and may not actually be called by God at all. Bear in mind, no one can ever be completely sure whether any preacher is truly called… as personal choice in what one decides to do with one’s life is a powerful force in any professional pursuit, including ministry.
God never calls someone into the ministry so that they can make a living or to make a good living. The two lowest paid salaries in the U.S. are for teachers and preachers, so if they entered the ministry for money, they are most certainly on the wrong path.
Besides, Scripture is clear, preachers/pastors/elders are not to pursue riches, because one of the qualifications of being a pastor is that they be “free from the love of money” (1 Timothy 3:3). Not only would this disqualify such a person, this might become a snare from which they might not be able to escape because “the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Listen to Paul’s warning about the love of money in one of his epistles for church leaders in 1 Timothy 6:4-10:
“They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Preachers who enter the ministry for money or pursue a bigger, better paying church are not content with what they already have. They have confused “godliness [as] a means to financial gain,” and “fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” By pursuing riches, the minister-preacher-evangelist begins to rationalize that more money is “good” (lust of the flesh) seeing ministry as a career… “why shouldn’t I have more of what others get from their professions… money?” Such a mindset will cause a man to withhold the life-saving truths of the gospel unless he is paid to preach.
God’s work of saving souls has nothing whatsoever to do with pursuing the so-called rewards of the American Dream. Most ministers in America aren’t making six-figure incomes, especially from small, medium sized and certainly not from distressed churches. Nonetheless, the materialistic messages of the American culture also touch the minds of men in the ministry. Depending on their spiritual maturity, they can slide into a mindset wherein they believe they are entitled to more stuff, nicer stuff, newer stuff, better stuff. No one, even a preaching minister is immune to such a trap. Once such desires for more things and money take root in the heart, that man develops a sense of entitlement… that the church owes him more. Such a man is no longer fit for ministry. He is no longer suited to be an evangelist and teacher of God’s Word.
The New Testament book of 1 Timothy was written by a veteran missionary/church planter, the Apostle Paul, to a young minister, Timothy.
In the two letters of 1 and 2 Timothy, we gain insight into some of the major themes that God wants pastors to hear. In 1 Timothy 6:5-11, Paul issues words of caution for pastors who sense the tugging temptation toward materialism. Here are some of those lessons for pastors (and by logical application, for all Christians).
• The ministry is not a source of lucrative financial gain. To think so is to be depraved in mind and depraved of the truth. (1 Timothy 6:5)
• Being God-focused and being content with what you have is a true measure of success. (1 Timothy 6:6)
• Accumulating stuff in this life is shortsighted, since eternal life is what we should be focused upon. (1 Timothy 6:7)
• Even if you have only food to eat and clothes to wear, regardless of quality or cost, you should be content. (1 Timothy 6:8)
• Wanting to be rich is a major temptation, which becomes a snare, producing foolish and destructive desires, and eventually destroying a person. (1 Timothy 6:9)
• By loving money, you will be subject to all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)
• By craving money, you are in danger of losing your faith. (1 Timothy 6:10)
1 Timothy 6:10 gives us a chilling warning: through this craving (for money) some have wandered away from the faith. From materialism to apostasy, there is a direct connection. That’s a warning that anyone in full-time ministry must heed.
I am not suggesting that every preaching minister who seeks money be thrown from the tallest building. That said, changes must be considered and self evaluation is essential to uncover true motives. Money is very often an outward manifestation of pastoral burnout. Seeking money, sometimes with power and prestige, can for a short time sooth the emotional imbalances caused by burnout.
Burnout is when a man isn’t spiritually healthy enough to function at full capacity within the diversity and pressures of organizational ministry. When a pastor is experiencing burnout, leadership will suffer. Many things can contribute to burnout. Most common among ministers is frustration with slow growth in the church.
Preaching ministers need to learn how to recognize the signs of burnout and address them early, before they significantly impact their leadership. Along with self-awareness, the elders of the church also need to be sensitive to the preaching minister’s life circumstances. Constant vigilance about the spiritual health of every leader is essential to prevent anyone in leadership from being overtaken by Satan’s schemes.
The church needs to be mindful of the demands placed on the preacher, consider the needs of his family, and build a structure that invests in and protects the preacher’s emotional well being.
One of the best things a church family can do is give their preacher significant enough downtime to recover from the demands of ministry. Maybe a sabbatical would be warranted, to allow for reflection on the next phase of ministry, time for furthering education or spending time in a retreat environment. That need will vary based on the level of demands placed on the church, the preacher, his wife and family.
Preachers need to be diligent in remaining healthy physically, spiritually, mentally and relationally, and needs to seek help when any of those areas begin to slip beyond the normal stress of life.
No one who has devoted their adult life to the gospel ministry as a preacher wants to consider the possibility they, for a season, are not fit to serve God from the pulpit. It can be devastating. But its not the end of ministry… it should be a wake up call to find help in counseling and honest reflection, so that with much prayer and edification, a good and gentle man who loves the Lord can once again be effective in ministry. It’s a choice… to continue on a path of divisiveness or heal, grow and prosper in the Lord.
