Does ministry pay? The last time I heard someone say that the ministry pays within three years they were running roughshod over the very people to whom they were there to minister.
I have never received a cent for ministry except some free meals, some free seminars and a couple of night's lodging when I was ministering or training away from home. To set the record straight I have done everything from pulpit ministry and counseling to computer work to technical electronic work to repairing plumbing. I will not say it is wrong to be paid, in fact I believe a workman is worthy of his hire and there have been more than a few times that I probably should have been compensated. This was my choice so I don't fault those I served. And those who minister more than 10 hours (not sure of exact number) a week should be paid. But those who seek the ministry to enrich themselves or fall into the trap of seeing it as an easy meal ticket will eventually do that at the expense of ministry and at the expense of the flock they are to feed. I fear when I see those who see it this way come to places of authority. I fear when I see someone campaign for a position because I can almost predict the outcome and it will not be good.
Over the years I have seen a lot of itinerants. I got the close up and personal view of a lot of them. I have run church sound and often got the job of meeting them at the church and helping them set up. Some that impressed me over the years were John Coyer, The Hopper Brothers and Connie, Jim Hilliard, Kirk Tulley, Martin and Eileen Stephens and Bill and Betty Ward. There are others but these stand out. I haven't seen any of them for several years. Many of the groups I have seen are prima-donas. They put on a show. I have never seen any of the ones I mentioned here do something that I would consider even remotely degrading to the gospel. Martin and Eileen didn't carry a sound system. They used the one in the church. Bill and Betty are ministers of the Gospel first, singers second. And the Hoppers are entertainers who love God so much that it comes out no matter what they are doing. John Coyer is just a capable minister in song and word. And there are some others I could list that are fine people of God. Recently I have seen the Steve Courtney band and would rate them with this group.
One snowy night the Hoppers were in our church. They had an afternoon meeting about 60 miles away, it was snowing and got there with little more than enough time to set up and had nothing to eat since lunch. Our pastor knew their schedule and asked if they wanted something. They were non-committal. If they got something it would be nice. The pastor handed me some money and told me to get six McDonald's meals for them. I brought them back, handed them into the bus and left. Before they left the church that night five of the six asked me how much they owed me for the meals. I'm not concerned about the sixth one. He probably would have offered but he probably found out about the finances from one of the others. I told them the pastor paid for them. They all offered to pay him. Not important, sure. But it showed an attitude that these people exhibited. I have seen Connie (and others) leave the platform to pray for someone who came to the altar when she thought nobody else was moving out. One other time they were with us our pastor talked to the board after the service about doing something more than usual financially. They didn't set a price. They come for what they were given. The board agreed, the check was written and given to Claude. I had seen him other times they were there just stick a check in his wallet without looking at it. This time he looked. Tears came to his eyes. He explained that he had asked God to meet a very specific need. They had a bill for repairs on the bus that was due. They were concerned. They had not mentioned a need to anyone including the pastor. They didn't ask for pledges. They had not asked for an amount. That check was a couple hundred dollars more than what they knew they needed, but they would not have asked. We as a church were usually generous but not this much so in the past. There are those out there who care for the flock, and there are those who try to fleece it.
