Tithing

[pastor_chris]

If I was too harsh I am sorry. Seriously. I am a happy man. I am very happy and very blessed So maybe my post doesnt reflect my contentment and for that I am sorry. What gets me riled up is the Us VS. Them mentality that I see on this forum. Pastors are indeed brothers in Christ and there have been many shots at them as though they were uner the judgment of the poster. I felt I needed to defend the men that work so hard and sacrifice so much to feed God's people. None of you understand, this is quite obvious.

My point is that in the riches t country in the West Pastors are treated as second class citizens by the church itself. The reality is that if you compare a pastors salary with the median income of the people he serves he usually is at the bottom of the scale, or atleast the bottom part of the middle. I hear how Preachers "are in it for the money" and it makes me furious because it is such a Satanic lie!

Let me share. I made double what I make now before I entered the ministry. I had a very lucrative and promising career with benefits, car allowance, expense accounts the whole nine yards. I surrendered all of it to take a small church in a tiny little town. My children have been physically abused by church members, (on more than one occassion) I have been cursed out and yelled at by church "leaders" and my family has been forced to move (sell our home) twice because of ungodly church members that created unhealthy conflict.

I am happy in Jesus. I love my call. I Love to teach and preach God's word. I know my rewards lie in heaven. But I do not like hearing fellow believers hammer men and their families who lay their lives down every single day for Jesus. Regardless of how faithful you are to Jesus you have no idea how intense the sacrifice is when you pastor a local church. You have no privacy. You have no time off. You have no way to "get away". This is going to be misinterpreted and if so then so be it, but you guys need to pray for the pastor instead of bashing him. He is responsibnle for your souls! he carries that burden every day! And when he makes a mistake there is little grace or forgivness from church members.

I would never trade my call for anything! But I would pray (and I do) that God would show his people how they should treat men who devote themselves to caring for the flock of God. Please! Please ! Listen!! Pastors need to be loved and appreciated. Most make less than a school teachr does and they are doing the most important work in the world, feeding God's sheep. Love your pastor! Bless Him! Give generously to the ministry!!! This is the heart of God!