If a Church Pays Musicians Would That Cause Greeters & All That Serve To Want Pay

[DR.Marietta Brown]

For over 25 Years we served two Pastors in every capacity faithfully & for many hours. We were always taught to serve & help to build the Local Church we were assigned to. Never was paid and worked many hours per week... The Senior Pastor is not paid every time they Pray, Counsel the Members , Pray & visit the sick. They may receive an offering or Salary but they give so much back to the Work of The Gospel.Also look at all the work & sacrifice of a Senior Pastor  to build & maintain the Local Church.Lets comment

[Joyce Spencer]

Much love & respect for you, too, Leslie Gardner.

[DR.Marietta Brown]

Leslie Gardner & Joyce Spencer. Blessings to both of You. As we may not agree on all subjects lets still talk. Respect & Love you both more.

[DR.Marietta Brown]

Every time Christians start a dialog to talk we are touching the anointing and all the witchcraft threats to prophecy doom. I believe in true Prophecy and  fear God and live totally submitted to God. We are not starting strife at all. Young people are leaving the Church at a record rate because  they have so many questions & concerns & the Church want talk . Yes we Pray & read the Word and talk . If we can talk about issues that we are facing in the Church we will keep down all the strife and division. Lets continue the dialog. on this subject.

[Devin William Stephenson]

I am an Assistant Pastor, but also a musician.  I play many times for no money at all.  However, the Lord has blessed me to where I can support my family through ministry.  What this does, is that it helps me to focus on God 24/7, and not work a job that takes away from focus.  I like to focus on God's word, and not what we think.  HIS WORD says that a Levite should not work in the field.  In other words, they were supposed to only work in the church, not worry about an inheritance, and God would provide.  We have twisted in the church, saying that we should give to the church, but the church should not sew back into the congregation.

Once again, let's focus on scripture.  In the book of Acts, everyone gave one-hundred percent.  They did not just give a tithe.  Why?  The leaders of the church had a responsibility to make sure that before they even thought about financially feeding the church ministry, they had to give back to the same people that gave all they had.  That is why the people walked away lacking nothing. 

We need to begin to teach the flock to give to the church, so the church can take care of the people as God has commanded us.  There is nothing wrong with being paid.  We shouldn't do it for the pay alone.  However, we should understand that when we do give to God, God wants to bless us.

[DR.Marietta Brown]

This is Sad that we cant get People to serve & Help build the Local Church. If once the Church is built up to take care of there Senior Pastor & the Church and can pay a Musician that has helped to Build up the Music Dept thats the Senior Pastors Call.I can  not imagine paying a Musician that will not submit and be a member of our Church.

[DR.Marietta Brown]

We need to train our People to Build The Word of The Lord and To Be People Trained according to the Word of God. & People that are solid Christians.

[Min. Tullyvan]

Hello Dr. Marietta Brown and all others,

It's been a while since I was on BPN. I see that the dialog has continued.

If I may join the discussion: I would have to say that each local church is different. It has it's own pastor, ministry leaders and methods. Over the years I've played for many different congregations and several denominations. For over 25 years I juggled the demands of corporate america and ministry obligations. Rent, Food, Clothing, Car, Insurance, Education etc; all of these needs have to be taken care of. While it is not automatically the church's responsibility to provide these kinds of things; it should become the church's responsibility when the time that the person spends at church takes away from the time that could be spent on the job. Again, every church is different.

The needs of the local church, expectations of the local church, available personnel, talent pool and the various responsibilities of are all unique to each local church. In retrospect, while at some of the previous churches; I could have done more if they had paid me more. [Let me explain, because I'm sure that statement is going to loose some folk] As I mentioned earlier, our basic needs have to be taken care of especially when we have a family to consider. On many occasions, I could have afforded to take more time off work for a special event, revival, rehearsal etc; if the church was willing to compensate me for my time. It is an unfair and unreasonable expectation for anybody to take of their job on a weekly basis to volunteer at the church. I love the Lord - He heard my cry, but he Word calls me an infidell if I don't take care of my family. Again, every church is different.

It is one thing to say that a skillful musician should not be paid but it is another thing all together to say that you are unable to afford a skillful musicians. I realize that some musician charge too much. It's true, some of us do. If a church can pays a nice salary based on job description and budget; it's all good. If the church does not have a budget for music; then they are looking for a volunteer. Let's call it what it is.

The bible speaks of being equally yoked and primarily this is in the context of husband and wife; but we understand that it can apply in other ways as well. A capable musician who is dedicated to what he/she has been assigned to do needs to be yoked equally with a church that is capable of providing some form of compensation. This is not a one sided debate, pastors need to be compensated as well and it begins with education the congregation. Taking care of pastors, ministers, musicians is a biblical principle. Show me a congregation who is turned of by the request for tithes and offerings and I'll show you a congregation that is malnurished and living beneath their privilege. Even in this economy, people need to taught and told how to be blessed and not cursed. Over time the believers in the congregation will take upon themselves the teachings of the pastor. Jesus had to rebuke Peter's mindset many times before Peter preached on the day of Pentacost and about 3,000 souls were saved.

 There have been at least 3 things that greatly impact the outcome all of my assignments.

1. The congregation's understanding of tithing [Taught primarily by the Pastor]

2. The congregation's appreciation for the Word of God [Taught primarily by the Pastor]

3. The congregatin's expection for the music ministry [Taught primarily by the Pastor]

 

The congregations who received ongoing teaching and preaching about tithing, offering, the word and the music ministry's purpose had meat in the storehouse. From a platform of foundational principles and fundemental practices; I was blessed and also a blessing.

I submitt this in hopes that it will have a positive impact on all who read it. Thank you.

 

[Lawrence P Urquhart]

Allow me to make several points to this discussion. In many of the churches I have been associated with there are several different choirs which sometimes means the musician has to be able to play in several styles. Now he musician (minister of music), has to learn the music then reach it to the other musicians, of there are other musicians and then teach it to the choir. As we all know revival season,which runs form May to August, is the busiest time of the year for a musician. If the Pastor has to preach at a revival he wants the choir to support him and then the choir is asked to provide the music for another revival during the week, which sometimes is 3 nights. If you are from a Pentecostal background you know about those revivals. And then there is the anniversary and concert season which usually starts in January and runs through December busy time for musicians also. Now if a musician is asked to work on a Sunday  and  he/she  has to play on Sunday on and he/she knows that they aren't going to get paid and the job is going to pay them at least $ 50 which do you think he/she are going to do? If a church can't afford to pay a musician every Sunday they should at least have an  appreciation service for them.

[Douglas Greene]

I don't understand the premise of this conversation.  A church would not hesitate to pay a plummer to fix a pluming problem or a a mechanic to fix the church van/bus.  Why should every other profession and trade be listed above a anointed, trained, and talented musician?  It is not about whether the Pastor or church leaders get paid or not.  It is a whether or not have a professional musician that spends insurmountable hours behind closed doors practicing, studying to better his gift.  You see a good musician and P&W leader has practiced there gift and talent to make it look easy.  The problem is that everybody thinks that it is easy because they never see the preparation it takes. 

 

My statement is if you have a professional musician pay him/her and remember they have families also.

[DR.Marietta Brown]

This Is a Topic we Still Need To Discuss,

[Dale Williams]

What is interesting about this discussion is when people criticize musicians getting paid that will always be a person who is not a musician and does not know what it is like to go through the process of taking hours or days and sometimes weeks to learn a song even before getting to church.  If one ever lives with a musician and witnesses the process musicians go through to be ready for a service they will understand the justification for compensation.  And I dare not mention that songs have become much more complicated over the years, requiring a greater skill level than ever before.

 

What is also interesting is the same book that talks about tithing (Malachi) says that the tithe is for the Levites (Musicians).  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOwlqtkDcwQ

 

 

 

One can say a pastor does not get paid for every prayer, counseling session, etc., but if they are getting a salary that is included.  A musician does not charge by the song (normally) or by the hour (normally).  Sometimes services are much longer than expected and the compensation remains the same.  

 

It's easy for someone that doesn't play to say what a musician should do but that would be like me telling a doctor or a lawyer they should do or what they do for free.  In that case, why doesn't the pastor just do what he does for free and get a regular job.  In most cases if a musician is getting paid something, they also have a regular job.  

 

Another sad fact, is this issue tends to be a black cultural issue.  

 

Musicians go from church to church (church hopping) hoping to find a church that will treat them right; that will not try to change their salary like Laban kept changing Jacob's salary; not having a excuse as to why we can't pay you this Sunday; not having 4 services on Sunday, 5 anniversary services we are going to this month, 2 funerals, 1 wedding, play for 4 choirs, 3 rehearsals a week, Bible study, prayer meeting, etc.