Should a Pastor, Pastor a Church for free

[Pastor Lorenzo Edwards]

Should a pastor that spends most of his time preaching and teaching get paid for what God has him to do? I know what the scriptures says about this, but would you pastor for free?

[Teria Whitted]

ok preaching which most people do this times. you can not preach to me and then teach me on what you preach for some money. again god words is freely give. it was givin to you when you were born into this world. and thats how the word of god was recieve by the world. at first people did not have the money to learn the truth about god like now. you have to pay for and education but anyways
i know it came from god when it comes to me freely.
you can not put a price on the word because it is given to you by grace
so you were chosen to tell message and like all messenger there is a price to pay eventually and thats usually your life. but the advasary got full of souls and started to find other a ways to try to stop the word of god but he soon found out that it nothing but slow down the process. but centries later it was founded againg in caves and the spreading started again. so now the word is being stop again by having a price tag on it.
just my opinion

[Rev. James Williams]

The kind of heart that I have I will give first, If the Pastor is not working a job like a warehouse or something else yes he should be paid or anyway it go's pay the Pastor, 24 hour Pastoring calling early in the morning, he should be driving a better car than Bill Gates, the best of everything. dealing with the saints aint no joke pay him!!!

[John]

Honestly y'all are cracking me up but go ahead, it's really not between any of us but between us and God. I just know what I will and won't do. I'll tithe as long as I know my funds go to the church needs and congregation member that may need some help but not to pay the ministers mortgage, car note, plane, boat and nothing else material. He/She can come to my house to eat if they are hungry and sleep if they need a place to sleep. First of all if they consider it a job, I'm not a part of that congregation anyway. God bless.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Throughout Church history, there has been a struggle between the two extremes: Rich Bishops/Priests vs Poor Righteous Teachers. Neither have actually took time out of their busy schedule of deeming the next one a heretic to notice something: they need what the next one has! The rich ministers need the focus and discipline that the ones that take a vow of poverty have. The poor righteous teachers need the provision of the rich Bishops. How can you say "I'm doing GOD's will" if you are living high and mighty and the person next to you starves because you won't supply? At the same time, how can you say "I'm doing GOD's will "because you have a heart to feed the people but foolishly reject the provision to carry out the mandate?

Being rich seems to be a sin here by the mentality of many. Its not at all, for if it was, then many a man would be a sinful glutton by such standards:

-Abraham
-David
-Hezekiah
-Job
-Josiah
-Isaiah
-Boaz

I can EASILY name more men and woman while PURPOSELY avoiding the most famous of them all: Solomon. The Bible teaches us that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous, that HE gives seed to the sower, to give and it shall be given unto you, and the list goes on. As a man in ministry with major plans directly from GOD to carry out, I have to accept the gifts given for a few reasons: 1) I as a success, am a visual sign for those that are poor, desperate and need an example of success, 2) I teach and encourage people to be givers to GOD's work by receiving from their hands, showing them the rewards that can be reaped 3) when GOD first saved me HE spoke to me DIRECTLY and told me that I would live off of the Gospel after I asked HIM how would I provide for my family, and the list can easily go on.

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the Gospel of peace (Shalom). It just so happens that Shalom translates out to also mean "prosperity". If I'm struggling to make ends meet, its kinda hard to have "shalom" in the household, let alone the ministry.

[John]

So your visual sign to the poor is showing them they can become a minister and become rich, please tell me this is not what you mean! The next one is God DIRECTLY told you that you would live off the gospel to provide for you family meant your riches will come from preaching His Word? If this is what you mean by your sayings then God bless you. You know people are never questioned when they say "God told me" or God said to me" and I always wonder why that is. We should try every spirit that speaks to us and don't think that if a spirit speaks to us it's God. NOt saying He didn't because I wasn't there nor am I in your head. I just pray that it is as you say. YOu keep using those that you feel were provide wealth by God for His ministry and you should go back and really understand why Abraham, and some of the kings of Israel had wealth because it had nothing to do with ministering God's Word. You are comparing OT to NT and there was no completed Word nor were they spreading His Word. Please learn what prosperity God is speaking of and it's not on earth. Trevor my Brother I wish you all the success you feel you get from ministering and what ever that means to you. God bless you.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Adding to or changing my words does nothing for your point. I clearly said "I as a success, am a visual sign for those that are poor, desperate and need an example of success". I'm not a millionaire, and thats not my aim. My aim is to be successful. Is it biblically or morally a crime from me living off of my success and inspiring others to do so righteously? If/when I do gain wealth from what I do for the Lord, what is that to you or anyone else in "the Body" so long as I do exactly what GOD tells me?

JESUS walked on water and because Peter saw it was his Lord, and that what he thought was impossible turn possible, he did it too. JESUS did miracles right before their eyes and said said to them "these things shall you do and greater works also". Had HE not done it in front of them, they wouldn't have believed that anything was possible for them even if they believed that HE was Lord. A visual is very important for people.

And yes, the Lord did come to me, speak to me and explain to me how I was to live and minister. At first I didn't understand at the time, but I grew to understand over time as all do when the LORD speaks something to them. I don't care if a person challenges me as to if I seen the LORD or what HE tells me. Thats ok, so long as once my words fail to be refuted, faith kicks in. If I was wrong before or ever prove to be wrong in the future, I won't stand corrected, I'll move corrected.

By the way, scriptures like Job 22:21-30, and Mark 11:29-30 refute what you said about "Please learn what prosperity God is speaking of and it's not on earth."

[John]

Come on Brother Trevor, the Jew required a sign and that wasn't stated as necessarily a good thing. Jesus's statement to them was when the Holy Spirit was in them they would heal the sick, raise the dead, caste out devils and the things in Mark 16:17 - 18. Now Job was a rman of much possessions and a man that totally believed in God since he was an offspring of Nahor's (Abraham's brother) firstborn son, Huz (Uz from which Job is from) from whence Job's wealth came. Mark 11:19 - 30, if you mean to tell me that what you do is authority from heaven, I have no disagreement with that and I'll get off the spreading His Word means prosperity on earth to you also. You and I will never agree on that and that too is ok. You just keep telling others about the gospel Brother Trevor. As I've stated before I pray you get all the success you seek from sharing His Word. God bless.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

OK ,and by mentioning Job's wealth and lineage, what does that have to do with what his friend said to him? Was his friend's statement true or not? That is the point.

If you want to bypass what HE (JESUS) said in Mar k 29-30 about the sacrifices made will not only be rewarded in Heaven, the kingdom to come, but also HERE NOW, then hey, short change JESUS' words if you want. As for me, I pay close attention to detail, especially when GOD speaks. He clearly said "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."

I tell people of the saving Gospel of JESUS, but thats not my main job. I'm not an Evangelist. I have another assignment to do.

[John]

Evidently my Mark 11:29 -30 is completely different than yours. Did you mean another verse instead.
Job's friends were not his friends and full of themselves in their own self righteousness and he found that out because of what they were saying. They were too busy telling him he must have sinned against God for this to happen to him and they didn't speak of God right and God rebuked them for what they had spoken to Job, look at 42:7 - 8. It's all good Trevor we don't have to continue as I said, you'll have your thoughts and I'll have mine. God bless.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

I JUST looked at it, and yes, I did use the wrong verse! Pardon me! I meant to use Mark 10:29-30.

Yet even with the "mistake", it still works out for good, for the things I do come from direct instructions from GOD, including my compensation.

[T. Michael Owens]

I have and would pastor for free and that's a fact.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

That is well appreciated, Pastor. It is because of such a willing heart to do something for free, and not only be willing to do something, that GOD rewards us.