Quote:
Originally Posted by UntoHim
Have you reviewed any of the tax forms released by the Living Stream Ministry? There are quite a number of "salaried" employees. Some are payed rather handsomely, with some pretty nice benefits and perks. Do you think Benson Phillips has no "contractual arrangement"? How about Kerry Robichaux - do you think a smart guy like him is just hoping and wishing that he'll get paid? Not on your life. He gets a salary..he has a contractual arrangement.
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And let's not be fooled into thinking that one's "salary" or "
contractual arrangement" with LSM has absolutely no effect on one's decisions and Christian service. Once all of these brothers, grown up in the LC's, leave their home church and become employed by LSM, they lose all independence. They become captives, or as
Evan G calls them "hirelings."
The Bible teaches us that our loyalties and service ultimately must be to the Lord Himself. Throughout the centuries untold men of God have sacrificed their own lives and futures because they refused to compromise their service. LSM regularly condemns this type of "independence," but without a certain amount of it, all workers become compromised "man-pleasers." I definitely prefer that workers and ministers are supported by their home churches, than by some distant book publisher, which places loyalty to them above all.
Look at Titus Chu of Cleveland or Dong Yu Lan of Sao Paulo. Both of them were connected for years to the work at LSM. They both had long term relationships which they had no intention to sever, but they also maintained a certain independence from the financial / bureaucratic / legalistic / and exclusive theological bondage to LSM. Because of that her Blended authorities could not control them, and viewed them as threats, which demanded surgical removal at all cost -- even the collateral damage of hundreds even thousands of saints.