Financial dependence on ministry position

[sampan1997]

This is a question I’ve often wondered… is it common that paid pastors feel constrained to a ministry position in order to provide for their family? Perhaps men do find themselves in this position because they had no other skills prior to entering the ministry, or maybe they’ve encountered some physical disability which severely limits their options for entering a new trade, and perhaps their education which they acquired for their ministry pursuit is simply not that desirable in the secular workforce? If this does happen, what are your thoughts on how a man should proceed if he realizes he is in such a position? Should young men take steps to prevent being left in this sort of position? It seems like a dangerous thing to me to be financially dependent on a calling like this. I’ve especially considered this question in recent years as my husband’s most marketable skill is in fulfilling some ministry position, but he has no degree or formal education to qualify him in other fields which might provide enough for our family.
My husband is currently a prison chaplain and I’m torn between supporting his desire to fundraise to meet our needs in his current position as it does not pay enough and it happens to be an excellent ministry, or getting him into a higher paying trade via schooling. Thank you for your thoughts and time.

 

[Ploutos]

What are his thoughts on the matter?

 

[Andres]

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." - Psalm 37:25

 

[Edward]

The subject of his calling or lack thereof seems totally lacking from the original post.

 

[Parakaleo]

Just a few thoughts in no particular order:

- In principle there is no "danger" in a qualified, called man entering the ministry possessing only the training and skills to do the work of the ministry since there is a biblical model of a man living "of the gospel" (1 Corinthians 14:9)
- Note I said in principle because things in real life are more complicated and we seem to be living in a time of declension in the church and in the economy
- Young men intending to enter any professional field might do well to have training in some trade as a fallback in case things don't work out
- We live in unstable times; a man could train for 9 years to enter a medical field and then find himself out of a job within a few months because he didn't use the pronouns that someone else wanted him to; this could be seen as a mark against him and negatively impact future job searches
- Speaking from personal experience and observations from other men, trained ministers who find themselves unable to continue in a call have terrible difficulty in translating their skills to work for them in other professional fields, with education as the one possible exception to that rule
- The education field is notorious for low pay
- Due to all of the above, I would strongly advise young men contemplating the ministry to train for at least a year in some marketable skill or trade they can revert to if needed, and not be starting at the absolute lowest level

 

[Polanus1561]

Is HRC GR involved with your husband's ministry, possibly in the area of financial support?
Another practical issue is your housing/mortgage situation. A decent mortgage situation gives a lot more room to breathe

 

[CasualWestminsterEnjoyer]

Have you talked to the elders at Resurrection OPC in Oshkosh about this? They generally give good advice!
(By the way, I think I met your husband at church a month ago).

 

[sampan1997]

Have you talked to the elders at Resurrection OPC in Oshkosh about this? They generally give good advice!
(By the way, I think I met your husband at church a month ago).

Haha! Small world. I do intend to ask some elders about it soon. Today is the first day I’m seriously considering this and articulating this hesitancy.

 

[sampan1997]

Is HRC GR involved with your husband's ministry, possibly in the area of financial support?
Another practical issue is your housing/mortgage situation. A decent mortgage situation gives a lot more room to breathe

Our mortgage situation is rough. We only purchased about 6 months ago. We actually relocated to Oshkosh, WI.

This is a question I’ve often wondered… is it common that paid pastors feel constrained to a ministry position in order to provide for their family? Perhaps men do find themselves in this position because they had no other skills prior to entering the ministry, or maybe they’ve encountered some physical disability which severely limits their options for entering a new trade, and perhaps their education which they acquired for their ministry pursuit is simply not that desirable in the secular workforce? If this does happen, what are your thoughts on how a man should proceed if he realizes he is in such a position? Should young men take steps to prevent being left in this sort of position? It seems like a dangerous thing to me to be financially dependent on a calling like this. I’ve especially considered this question in recent years as my husband’s most marketable skill is in fulfilling some ministry position, but he has no degree or formal education to qualify him in other fields which might provide enough for our family.
My husband is currently a prison chaplain and I’m torn between supporting his desire to fundraise to meet our needs in his current position as it does not pay enough and it happens to be an excellent ministry, or getting him into a higher paying trade via schooling. Thank you for your thoughts and time.

We’ll be in conversation with elders but I have historically been curious on this topic more broadly anyway so I thought I’d take the opportunity to hear from other people on it. I hope I haven’t been too forward to get honest responses from people, I suppose a lot of people may be in this position and I don’t mean to be abrasive about it. I’m genuinely curious how people from different places on the spectrum process this sort of situation.

 

[Ploutos]

I’m torn between supporting his desire to fundraise to meet our needs in his current position as it does not pay enough and it happens to be an excellent ministry, or getting him into a higher paying trade via schooling. Thank you for your thoughts and time.

One thing hasn't been clearly addressed here and that is your husband's thoughts. Are you and he of one accord in wrestling with this, or is this a source of difference, with him wanting to go one way and you believing the other would be better?

 

[sampan1997]

In our situation I’d say we are of one accord in identifying and taking pause at the risks and investment involved in the fundraising route, but he is more emotionally motivated to push through those things because he loves his job and he’s really blessed with the fruitfulness of his time there so far. It is also the best and most high paying job he has had. I don’t suppose that he is afraid of the hard work involved in making ends meet while going to school, but I consider it a good sort of stubbornness that wants to make the current thing work. I think he feels devoted to the people he has begun to enjoy and serve. Above all, I think he just wants what he wants.. I don’t fault him there.

 

[sampan1997]

By “dangerous” I mean that it would be very tempting for a pastor to retain his position when possible, even if he is not healthy, because he feels that he cannot make ends meet another way.

 

[Ploutos]

Thank you for clarifying. I wanted to read your post in the best possible light, but it is also exceedingly important that a husband and wife not be working at cross purposes. Were that the case (glad it's not!) that would be the matter to take to your elders for counsel, not the comparatively trivial matter of career paths.

 

[sampan1997]

Just a few thoughts in no particular order:

- In principle there is no "danger" in a qualified, called man entering the ministry possessing only the training and skills to do the work of the ministry since there is a biblical model of a man living "of the gospel" (1 Corinthians 14:9)
- Note I said in principle because things in real life are more complicated and we seem to be living in a time of declension in the church and in the economy
- Young men intending to enter any professional field might do well to have training in some trade as a fallback in case things don't work out
- We live in unstable times; a man could train for 9 years to enter a medical field and then find himself out of a job within a few months because he didn't use the pronouns that someone else wanted him to; this could be seen as a mark against him and negatively impact future job searches
- Speaking from personal experience and observations from other men, trained ministers who find themselves unable to continue in a call have terribly difficulty in translating their skills to work for them in other professional fields, with education as the one possible exception to that rule
- The education field is notorious for low pay
- Due to all of the above, I would strongly advise young men contemplating the ministry to train for at least a year in some marketable skill or trade they can revert to if needed, and not be starting at the absolute lowest level

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response!

Thank you for clarifying. I wanted to read your post in the best possible light, but it is also exceedingly important that a husband and wife not be working at cross purposes. Were that the case (glad it's not!) that would be the matter to take to your elders for counsel, not the comparatively trivial matter of career paths.

Thank you for clarifying. I wanted to read your post in the best possible light, but it is also exceedingly important that a husband and wife not be working at cross purposes. Were that the case (glad it's not!) that would be the matter to take to your elders for counsel, not the comparatively trivial matter of career paths.

Thank you for being thoughtful