Celebrity Preachers

[stmatthew]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

This is pretty pitiful. It shows how much we value the preacher that brings the word. To me, a large campmeeting should pay its preachers at least $2500 per night, plus lodge them in the best hotel available, and feed them the best food available.

I can understand that a small church may not be able to do as much, but churches need to start thinking "excellence" when inviting ministers.

I was going to quote others, but did not want to put anyone in the hot seat.


It amazes me that Apostolics are so cheap when it comes to offering time. We show just how "Oneness" we really are every service at offering time when we drop our dollar in. Folks we are missing out on a lot of the financial blessings that many charismatics are getting because we are stingy with our money. For me to hear "For What!" when I state that a preacher at a camp should receive a $2500 gift lets me know that for most of you, the preaching of the word is not that valued in your life.

Lets look at this reasonably. IF a large camp is roughly 1000 in attendance, and a special offering is taken up for the speakers on the biggest night with the one taking the offering asking each family represented to give at least a $20 offering, then conceivably the offering could be $10,000, given that all 1000 are married couples. Folks this easily would give at least $2500 to 4 speakers. And that is only is everyone gave a minimum $20 gift. Some will give more. Most will waste $20 over the coarse of a week.


My whole point in my above quoted post was not to necessarily set a price, but to get folks to understand that the mindset of blessing the men that give you the spiritual things with excellence. I understand that a small church may not be able to give as much, unless they PLAN in advance. But all of Apostolics need to be taught to give generously and be a blessing to the ministry.

And lastly, for those of you that want to hold the minister down to the "going wages", I would say that you probably do not know how much time is given into pastoring a church. My dad pastored a small church for over 18 years. He was a nobody. But it was normal for him to get calls all hours of the night for folks he did not know in the hospital dying, and he would get up and go. He, and his family sacrificed much for the church. He was in the Union prior to pastoring, and could have went back and made 16+ per hour at any time, and that was good wages in the early 70's. But he did not feel that he could really "pastor" the folks God had gave him to feed, and work an outside job to. There was times we lived on $400 for the month, just so the church could keep its doors open. I said all that to say that a true Pastor is on the clock 24 hours a day. He is caring for the most valued possession there is, and some of you want to limit his income to what a secular job would be. BAH- HUMBUG!!!