church debt

Andrew Jones over at the Tall Skinny Kiwi as a great post on debt within the church, especially in regards to staff.

He does well to highlight the restrictions which debt cause.

The problem with this is that a lot of ministry graduates come out of seminary or university with a debt that some dear church or ministry needs to help clear. That means the graduate needs a decent salary. That means that they will probably not end up in the organic/house/emerging church scene where lay-led churches don’t need a paid professional but rather in an older traditional church setting where paying a professional pastor is normative. So rather than pioneering new breakthrough ministries into unreached areas of their country, they often end up taking care of mature believer’s spiritual needs. Apostles and evangelists end up as pastors to pay off their debts. The church strengthens its position but it doesn’t advance.

I think that image of apostles & evangelists ending up as pastors speaks very powerfully. They are really called to something really great but they can’t do it, because they have to receive a certain guaranteed salary to pay off the mortage, the car, the education loans, the credit cards, etc.

But being saddled by materialism goes beyond debt, even if you were lucky and got through it all without debt plus you made a lot of money; that is still is a huge burden to have to carry.

I am lucky to have gotten to know a man who is well off, that relationship has helped to break some of my ill feelings towards prosperity. I have seen his money be a great blessing, to those around him. For all the good which is can bring, there is a downside to it. Money keeps him in constant worry. He has to continually worry about protecting it, especially during an economic season like this.

This is something you don’t get in the fine print of the prosperity gospel.