“Kudos To Who? - 2”

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

(This question is a follow up to “Kudos To Who?”).

What I am talking about is a certain day that the church sets aside for the pastor.  Right now, we are asked to give one thousand dollars to the pastor for pastor appreciation, but in this particular church, you pay for everything that is done, and the leadership caters to groups who give that money, and others are left out.  I wanted to be a greeter in this church and was told that I couldn’t because I didn’t sign some type of contract and pledge to give every time they ask for something.  A thousand dollars is a lot of money for some, and I really don’t think that they are understanding what Christ's church is all about.  If you have heard this before, then believe it because it is happening, and these people think they are right, and it saddens me to see people doing it, and nobody is doing anything about it.

Sincerely,
Hand On My Wallet

Dear Hand On My Wallet,

Wow!  Apparently there is big money in pastor “appreciation” day.  If only we all could get a thousand dollar gift from our friends and neighbors.  This sort of money-grubbing worldliness makes us sick… and it sickened Jesus too (Mk 12:38-40).  Heb 13:5 teaches that everyone, and that includes church leaders, should be free from the love of money.  All sorts of evil comes from the love of money (1 Tim 6:10), and a pastor is specifically forbidden to be a man who is a lover of money (1 Tim 3:2-3).

The church you are describing is a false church, and the best thing you can do is leave.  They are using the Gospel as a means of financial gain and power – a deplorable misuse of Christ’s message.  These wolves in sheep’s clothing have perverted the Bible for their own wicked gain (Acts 20:29-30).  We recommend you read “Finding The Church” and start looking for a faithful congregation.  If you would like our help, feel free to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org, and we will happily point you toward a faithful congregation in your area.

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