Quote:
Originally Posted by HERn
Thanks bro Stevee, that was really good! I'm ok with paid clergy. This morning the deacon board interviewed a candidate for assoc. pastor. He wants to serve the body of Christ as a pastor. In secular employment he could probably make twice the salary of an assoc. pastor. He has a masters degree and could probably make a lot of money in business. Paid clergy are almost 24/7 slaves to their congregation. They fellowship, counsel, preach, pray, and work to facilitate the functioning of the body. Just my two cents regarding where I am today.
|
I respect people's service, and as I quoted, the Scripture says a worker is worthy of his wages. What I've observed is the drift from service to control to preeminence - like Ray Graver in the LC. Another issue is the strata it normally creates in the minds of immature saints. You have the ruling, administering class and the rest of us that pay, attend and help a little here and there. The different members of the body become weak and malformed. It doesn't have to be that way just because there is full time clergy, but that seems to be the Catholic/Protestant way.
Do you know of any group that is sticking to the early principles of the LC, where the Spirit worked in each one to serve?