THE CONTROVERSY OVER RICH PASTORS!!!

HEEEEEEEEEERE WE GOOOOOOOO! This is a very sensitive topic to myself and many others but I see on the topics needed post that the discussion has already begun.

Are Pastors too rich? Is there such a thing? Let me begin this post by stating that my father is a Pastor so I’ve had this discussion with many people. Needless to say I belong to a wealthy family. We work hard for our income and I know the ins and outs of congregational operations very well. So with that said…let’s get to it.

For many years there has been speculation about where preachers (which is the term I’m going to use for the remainder of this post. I mean let’s be real…there’s way too many titles lol) get their money. I’m sure most of us have heard and in some cases experiencesd horror stories about a preacher who embezzled church donations to fund their expensive lifestyles. But what are we missing? What are the questions we are not asking ourselves? Are we the ones who are quick to judge? What makes a pastor too rich or too wealthy?

In the Bible many of God’s leaders lived like Kings and Queens. God’s true leaders never had to beg for bread or want for anything of this earth. Back then it was usually jealousy or sex that led to the downfall of many leaders not money. Today we see preachers driving fancy cars, living in mansions, and eating only the finest foods (none of that potted meat stuff). Many of us ask “where does all that money come from?” let’s get into the financial aspect of a ministry.

Ministry Finances:

For those of you who don’t know, the church is an organization. The primary purpose is to spread God’s word to as many people as possible while maintaining a healthy membership. The members are asked to donate money (i.e. offering) in order for the church to be economically sustainable. Donations often go to keeping the lights and heat on, paying the rental fee or mortgage on a building, and supplies for church events. Membership plays a vital and sometimes sole part in funding. Simply put, the more members a church has the more money there is to be donated. Many churches pay their leader for his or her services. The average pastor is on a bi-weekly salary (usually not exceeding $100,000 per year) just like a regular 9-5 and is expected to put in the same amount, if not more, work. The pastor’s job is very hard. He or she is expected to stay on top of messages, church events, finances, and of course dealing with “church folk” (like the 1 a.m. “pastor please pray for me I just backslid at the club” phone calls). It is not uncommon for the pastor’s full duties to go unnoticed and therefore unappreciated. This results in the speculation of finances and how the church leader uses his or her hard earned money.

 

Take my father, Apostle Rick Daniels, for example. We relocated to Milwaukee, WI from Charleston, SC back in 1995 to join a ministry based out of Illinois. My father was to take over the Milwaukee division which was a fairly big church but faced membership declination due to the previous pastor’s departure. To make a long story short, my father moved his entire ministerial staff to Wisconsin; set up shop, changed venues (which included a full renovated building) hired a full band and before you knew it membership went through the roof. By the end of 1996 we had over 600 members in our church. That year we moved into a new home, my father bought a brand new Lexus (man I miss that car) and made some family investments for our college education. But what the members didn’t know is that my father was also a marketing executive at the time for Xerox Corporation and my mother was a nurse at Columbia Family Care clinic which served as a secondary income.

 

 

It wasn’t long before the complaints began. Some of the members were upset about how big our home was and the car that my father drove. Some people left and some people stayed. As a pastor my father has always been candid about certain aspects of the church finances which include annual financial reports which are distributed at the beginning of each fiscal year.

 

 

 

 

How much is too much?

There are some pastors who keep it simple and there are some who go over the edge. For as long as I can remember there has been heavy controversy surrounding Bishop Darryl Hines of Christian Faith Fellowship Church in Milwaukee, WI. If you’re a member or have ever visited, you may agree that the church facility is nothing short of amazing. The sanctuary seats thousands; there is a church credit union, school, and even a homeless shelter all inside one complex. Some have argued that the church is too lavish. Like the plush carpeted seating, or the lights, stage, instruments, or jumbo screen. And then there is Bishop Hines. He lives in his own gated community, he owns a fleet of luxury cars, and usually is accompanied by a bodyguard (or in church terms “armor bearer”). There have been many rumors about where the church funds come from (see some of the comments under the “New Post Needed” post). One may ask, how can I concentrate on God when there are so many bells and whistles distracting me? God question right?

 

Many of us may have heard of celebrity pastors like Bishop T.D. Jakes, Paul S. Morton, or Joel Osteen. These are all Millionaire preachers with books, CDs, and even publishing deals that get the word of God to millions of people worldwide…and make them a fortune at the same time.

 

 

 

 Now that’s a big church!!!

What it means to me?

Personally I don’t think there is such a thing as “too much” for a person who preaches God’s word. As stated before, there is so much work that goes into the organization of a church there should be some type of compensation. Who are we to set limits? Who are we to judge? What I think creates the difference (PAY ATTENTION HERE…IF YOU DON’T READ ANYTHING ELSE I’VE WRITTEN) is people are sensitive about giving their money to God. If you think about all of the ungodly things we spend our money on like parties, liquor, and in some cases drugs, we don’t tell rappers how to live their lives, we don’t tell drug dealers how to stunt, and we wouldn’t dare petition to shut down the liquor store. So what makes it such a big deal when preachers buy fancy things? I’ll tell you, people don’t want their hard earned money, which they feel they are giving to the Lord, going to personal expenses. And when that is the case then the church members (who are the owners of the church) do in fact have the power to tell their leader how to live. That’s just how it is.

 

So what do you think? Have you had a bad money experience with a preacher? Or are you just one of the bandwagon people who think all preachers steal money? Let me hear it.