[triumphant1]

Originally Posted by commonsense

Quote:
Originally Posted by rkentsmith View Post
A pastor should be able to live as good as the folks in his church....

Not too far above them....

Definitely not beneath them....
I can agree with this!
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This is the basic concept Bro Norris taught. If the church is blessed financially so should the pastor. But if it's a small struggling group the pastor should not be living way above them.
Obviously I've seen it all in my vast background of attending churches in several states. Knew of a pastor in one state that couldn't find a single house in the city that suited his needs so he had a home built...a very nice home. Brick, 2 story colonial, on a well traveled road so everyone could see it.

Two issues here...one the man's family had a business and he still received some income from this but on the other side of the coin...the house was far above anything this church had ever seen. No one lived in so fine a home, not even the few families who had good jobs. The church folks were intimidated, resentful and didn't dare think of visiting the pastor. The pastor should be taken care of and have respect,,,but he's not royalty!

Or the people could stop being jealous and be thankful for the blessing of the Lord in their pastor's life....these folks that always nitpick those who have it better might just try having some initiative to get out there and do something with their talents and such, instead of gripping and complaining about what everybody else has.

This really bugs the soup out of me....all this talk about keeping the pastor poor and his wife barefoot and pregnant....sickoes....the pastor has the right to be rich too so get over it!

Too many church folks have the "poor is me, the other side of the tracks, just give me a cabin in the corner of gloryland" mentality and it is rooted in a culture that keeps it's kids from going to college and becoming the doctors and lawyers and wealthy business owners in town....shoot everyone knows that all the kids need is two or three years of non-accredited bible school to get deeply indoctrinated and to find a bed partner.....then come home, with a worthless diploma and work at walmart, live in a trailer, and join us in gripping about the pastor's new boat....

Usually the one doing the gripping about what the pastor drives, lives in, and what the pastor wears...have much deeper issues of insubordination and jealosy and control...usually have no more drive than to sit around gripping and complaining about everything they can gossip about....instead of using that same energy to better themselves....