Monday, October 10, 2005
Say It Isn't So...
...but alas it is. From a blog called "ysmarko" maintained by one of the people at Youth Specialities, comes this little gem
Oh this opens up all sorts of doors. Senior pastors paid on the number of people that receive communion -- baptism bonuses. Anybody for by-the-word performance bonuses on sermons? And the soup kitchen staff -- by the carrot? - or should it be bowls of stew dished?
This says a number of things, but I'll mention just two. One, there are some really misguidedly stupid people in Christian ministry these days. Two, there are way too many people trying to make a living doing Christian ministry these days.
It's a calling -- not a business.
an pastor said to me that he loves to try new things. and the thing he?s trying right now that he thinks is such a good idea? [drum roll, please ? and brace yourself]] he?s paying his staff based on how many people, on average, attend the ministries they are in charge of. he grinned as he told me that, for example, one of the pastors has a fairly low monthly salary, because he?s new and his particular ministry is average-sized; but if the ministry reaches x-amount on average, his pay will bump to another level, and at xx-amount, to another level, which is a great salary for their area. he said it?s a great system because it builds self-motivation in automatically.[emphasis added]Ah yes, the "commission driven church."
Oh this opens up all sorts of doors. Senior pastors paid on the number of people that receive communion -- baptism bonuses. Anybody for by-the-word performance bonuses on sermons? And the soup kitchen staff -- by the carrot? - or should it be bowls of stew dished?
This says a number of things, but I'll mention just two. One, there are some really misguidedly stupid people in Christian ministry these days. Two, there are way too many people trying to make a living doing Christian ministry these days.
It's a calling -- not a business.
