A Wrecked Church!

[CC1]

I remember way back in Bible College in the late 70's I was in a class where they talked about the importance of a pastor knowing when to retire. The sad truth at that time and even much later is that many Pentecostal churches were not funding any kind of retirement for their pastor and many pastors opted out of paying into Social Security because they could.

This meant for many pastors either no income or a significant drop in income if they retired. Sometimes churches who had not funded any kind of retirement for their pastor would find arrangements negotiated between his successor and him to give a portion of the tithes to the retired pastor for some period of time. Of course many smaller churches could not bear this burden as they could hardly pay the current pastor.

Pentecost has really changed as it has grown through the years. From preachers barely getting by to ones who now make triple digit incomes and use it to invest in real estate, income properties, etc.

Probably the strangest investment I heard about was when about 20 years ago a UPC pastor friend of mine told me of a conversation he had with a neighboring pastor who was so conservative he didn't even wear a watch. That pastor was sharing his investment portfolio with my pastor friend and mentioned that he had just invested in a movie video rental vending machine at a local factory! Of course none of his church members knew about it.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by CC1

I remember way back in Bible College in the late 70's I was in a class where they talked about the importance of a pastor knowing when to retire. The sad truth at that time and even much later is that many Pentecostal churches were not funding any kind of retirement for their pastor and many pastors opted out of paying into Social Security because they could.

This meant for many pastors either no income or a significant drop in income if they retired. Sometimes churches who had not funded any kind of retirement for their pastor would find arrangements negotiated between his successor and him to give a portion of the tithes to the retired pastor for some period of time. Of course many smaller churches could not bear this burden as they could hardly pay the current pastor.

Pentecost has really changed as it has grown through the years. From preachers barely getting by to ones who now make triple digit incomes and use it to invest in real estate, income properties, etc.

Probably the strangest investment I heard about was when about 20 years ago a UPC pastor friend of mine told me of a conversation he had with a neighboring pastor who was so conservative he didn't even wear a watch. That pastor was sharing his investment portfolio with my pastor friend and mentioned that he had just invested in a movie video rental vending machine at a local factory! Of course none of his church members knew about it.

I am not sure when you define it changing but being in the UPC from the early 80's to about 90 I remember ALL pastors (who had churches of over 100) driving Lincolns. It is what Pentecostal Pastors Drove! Now at the same time, those who pastored smaller churches lived like paupers. They weren't part of the official royalty and you could even tell how uncomfortable they were when asked to sit behind the pulpit area when visiting the larger churches.

[CC1]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

I am not sure when you define it changing but being in the UPC from the early 80's to about 90 I remember ALL pastors (who had churches of over 100) driving Lincolns. It is what Pentecostal Pastors Drove! Now at the same time, those who pastored smaller churches lived like paupers. They weren't part of the official royalty and you could even tell how uncomfortable they were when asked to sit behind the pulpit area when visiting the larger churches.

RandyWayne / BillyBob,

I do think the late 70's and then the 80's is when it started changing. OP churches were just then starting to grow to the point they were no longer in survival mode. Where once a pastor receiving 100% of the tithe was really not enough to take care of him, his family and the church plant now churches were growing to be in the hundreds and some in the thousands of members with many pastors still receiving 100% of the tithe to parcel out between their personal income and what was spent on the church as they desired.

Of course a lot of ethical preachers moved to salaries or a percentage of the tithes as churches grew. I don't begrudge a pastor having an income enough to support a family. I also think it is every churches responsibility to have a retirement program in place for a pastor. A formal one that he could take with him if he ever leaves to minister elsewhere. Many of the problems in Pentecost have been because pastors pastor too long or insist on handing down a church to a family member both out of pride and financial consideration.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by CC1

...Many of the problems in Pentecost have been because pastors pastor too long or insist on handing down a church to a family member both out of pride and financial consideration.

Some times the church is considered a "family business" and is handed down from father to son (or son-in-law) to keep it in the family. Some times those sons or sons-in-law do not have the vision, qualifications, burden etc of the father and things just go downhill.