Never go to work for God
Sometimes I really wonder why I left a good secular vocation to work for the church. Things were a lot easier when I could compartmentalize life into three neat piles: career, family, and spirituality. For most of my life, I have pursued a dual-career approach to ministry. My business skills related to computers and accounting enabled me to provide for my family; and I think we've done pretty well as a family, considering that all of our kids have turned out to be productive members of society…so far.
I never had problems working for secular corporations, even though I lived my faith openly in the workplace. I have worked very closely with co-workers who were Wiccans, Jews, atheists, agnostics, liberals, Christian Science practitioners, and Roman Catholics. We worked as a team, got the job done, and shared successes and setbacks without killing each other; and I was never mistreated or made to feel unwelcome because I was an evangelical Christian in the workplace.
But then I was offered a "full-time ministry" position. And since I began "working for God," I find myself constantly in trouble with church people. They seem to misunderstand what I say, question my motives, doubt my loyalties, challenge my sanity, lose their sanctification (and I've lost mine, too), and get offended when I state my beliefs with conviction.
This afternoon I was reading Steve Brown's The Old White Guy Blog, and I discovered a wonderful insight his friend, Bruce Fogerty, recently shared: "Never go to work for God." Here's an excerpt from his post that I think may have given me some answers:
That sounds like heresy until you listen to what else Bruce said. He went on: “Stay His child. Working for God always has and always will stink. Being God’s son or daughter and enjoying the privileges of adoption is a blessing of unimagined proportions. Satan’s goal now in your life is to have you get from son/heir to day laborer. Don’t make the trade.” So I’ve stopped working for God as a day laborer. I’m getting too old for this, anyway. Maybe my being a son instead of a day laborer makes me sound a bit flip and even sometimes offensive. Maybe I seem to take it too much for granted and appear to be a little too cocky. Sometimes I even take advantage of the fact that I’m not a day laborer and do things that would get a day laborer fired. I laugh a lot and that offends some of the other day laborers and there are times when I even refuse to work. But I don’t care. Everybody will have to deal with it. My father owns this farm and he loves me and will never kick me out. Fathers don’t kick their sons out…at least really good fathers, and this one is the best. My elder brother (Jesus) said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more your Father in heaven…” So I’m out of here! I don’t work for God anymore. I own the place…or will. If you want, you can have my hoe and shovel.
Thanks, Steve, for sharing this! I think I'll take Bruce's advice, quit this "job" and learn how to rest in Father's provision.
I don’t understand what you mean. Are you saying that you’ve left your full time position in the church to pursue a secular job again? Or are you saying that you’re looking at your full time church position differently?
Ben: Your second question captures my point quite well: it’s a matter of perspective.
Ah. In that case I can relate completely with your post!
Whenever, spiritually speaking I feel a tad down, I play an old Larry Norman song called “Shot Down.” It always makes me feel better! Look it up Brother Bill, see what you think.
Why is it that “working for God” tends to result in so much trouble, do you think? Like you, Bill, I’ve not had problems working for secular corporations, etc., even though I lived my faith openly in the workplace. I’ve worked as part of a team and was never mistreated or made to feel unwelcome. But, in the “religious” sphere, I found constant trouble. I was misunderstood, my motives were questioned, my loyalties were doubted, my beliefs and convictions were unsettling to others, and there was a lot of sanctification going on. That is why I left “working for God,” and instead found a position where I could serve the Lord in a secular setting. It has been much better for my family, more productive, and less harmful to my health.
Thanks for the tip, Chris. I’ve never heard that one.
James, I think it’s what happens when a business organizational mindset creeps into our religious institutions. If we pay your salary, then you’re supposed to do what we want you to do. It’s about control and manipulation. It’s one thing if you’re making widgets in a factory or producing financial statements for an investor group: those are tangible tasks that can be measured and evaluated. However, you just can’t saddle a brother or sister in Christ with such expectations, because everyone is in a constant state of spiritual growth. But we do it anyway and here’s how it looks: when I don’t like what you think, write, or preach—and I’m paying your salary—then your entire Christian vocation is in jeopardy. It shouldn’t be this way!
No, it shouldn’t.
I’ve wondered a lot about this, but wouldn’t it be easier to minister if it were all on a volunteer basis or bi-vocational? I mean, I work full-time for a church it’s that salary that puts food on my table. Therefore I feel somewhat constrained, and I think the church can sometimes feel empowered to control me, like a puppet, because I depend on that salary.
What I’m saying is that if I didn’t depend on that salary for my family’s well-being, I would definitely feel more freedom to preach what I know God wants me to preach and not be afraid of losing my ‘job.’
Also, would you say that bi-vocational ministry is a more biblical model than full-time ministry? Wasn’t Paul a tent-maker who supported himself?
Bill and Ben:
Ever been in the “business world” and have more than one boss? It is a recipe for disaster. It is best to get while the getting is good. Yet, this is often what happens to pastors. Everyone in the congregation is the boss. The problem is compounded by “our” style of church government. It is those folks who have little or no maturity that have too much influence.
Ben:
I have been bi-vocational and I’m not sure that is the answer. Most times bi-vocational pastors have two full time jobs. It might work if there is shared leadership and responsibility. Maybe two or three bi-vocational pastors, each with responsibility for certain areas of the church.
I would also preach what God wants you to preach. I think I would be more afraid if I didn’t. Now you might wind up in Wales…
LOL. And I always thought of Wales as a promotion…you know, for taking all those arrows over the years!?!? Are you saying I need to rethink this assignment and repent? Will that take away my pain?
Bill,
Get out of my head! That post sounds almost identical to one I was going to post very soon. Especially, “They seem to misunderstand what I say, question my motives, doubt my loyalties, challenge my sanity, lose their sanctification (and I’ve lost mine, too), and get offended when I state my beliefs with conviction.” The questioning of motive is probably the most hurtful of that list.
It is particularly difficult for pastors since their personal and “professional” life are so intertwined. Take a look at my post for July 10 and you will see another example of the problems involved with being “THE” pastor.
There have been too many times lately in which I thought I could do more ministry if I was was not a pastor and that is a horrible thought to have. If this is the case, something is seriously wrong. What is the answer? I suppose many people are tempted to just give some religious platitude like “Just trust God”, but there has to be some concrete and biblical actions that we pastors need to take in addition to trusting God. I do not think it is a coincidence that Paul took assistance from some churches, but not others.
I can tell you this, I will NEVER live in a parsonage again. I tried to explain to my congregation that it is not fair a fair fight when a pastor loses his livelihood and his home at the same time if he is on the losing end of a church battle. Rank and file church members can just stop coming to church and wait out a pastor without any fear for their family’s basic necessities. Is it any wonder that pastors are half crazy, paranoid and defensive? I can honestly say that I never let this fear keep me from preaching what I needed to preach, but I could certainly have done without the sleepless nights after delivering potentially dangerous sermons.
I COMPLETELY agree. I’ll never live in a parsonage again either. It’s just a nightmare.
J Kent – blessings to you as you make the move from Central Illinois to Louisville.
Like you and Ben G, I must say that a parsonage is a bad idea. As you point out, it is possible for a pastor to lose both his job and his home at the same time. Also, if a pastor lives in a parsonage through all of his years of pastoral ministry then he builds up zero equity and has no resources for a place to live when he retires. There are many, many retired pastors facing that difficulty now.
Personally, I would like to see congregations use their parsonages to house missionaries on furlough and support their pastors with “private” housing. I realize a lot of small congregations don’t feel as though they can afford to do so, so I imagine that brings us back around to bi-vocational ministry. Bi-voc. ministry is on the rise and will continue to be so in the years ahead, IMO. It takes a lot of pressure off of a man and seems to take some “power” away from congregations (or certain members) who hold the “job” (and “parsonage”) over the head of the pastor as a means of leverage. Of course, being bi-voc. presents problems of its own. Nonetheless, if I were twenty years younger and beginning all over again, I’d go bi-vocational.
JKK: I’m sorry, brother, but I just laughed out loud when I read that first sentence…”get out of my head!” Maybe the Lord CAN use the internet for His glory.
You also said,
In all seriousness, Kent, you CAN “do more ministry” not being a pastor. We’ve really been fed a dump truck load of “bulldust” (a phrase frequently used by an Australian friend of mine) regarding the definition of ministry. I know you just resigned your church and plan to attend Southern Seminary in September, but perhaps you should do some serious study of the New Testament without the rose-colored glasses of a “professional ministry” mindset. Did you read my previous post on “Rethinking ‘full-time ministry’ in the light of 1 Corinthians 7″?
Better yet, read the Jake Colsen book, “So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore.” You can read it completely online (yep, it’s free!) and it will turn you inside out. It messes with your head and your heart and it helps put things in perspective regarding all those years of being programmed by our modern way of “doing church.”
Bill,
I will certainly read that post and that online book. My background has lead me to act unconventionally without even knowing it sometimes. When I was younger, I was just too dumb and inexperienced to realize that there are large sections of the Bible that do not apply to real life (please note sarcasm..)
James,
thank you for your words of encouragement! I have just 3 days left until I evac to KY and the pressure is really on the family now. They are all acting really funny and it is going to take a while to get back to some normality. Is this the same James that left me a comment on my blog? If so, yes, I am going to be a chaplain and I am excited about being able to minister outside of the constraints of the local church.
To all,
The tone of this blog and its comments is really fantastic! It is honest and transparent without being overly negative or overly nicey nice. It is so hard to have conversations with other pastors and Christians without experiencing nothing but platitudes and party line answers. You really can question the establishment without being too bitter. keep up the good blogging Bill and Co.
P.S. I am not sure I like the new theme. Dark backgrounds have always bugged me.
Bill,
P.S.S My name is J, not Kent. Kent is my middle name and I usually include it to add heft to my first name which is only the letter J! This is a very common mistake that I have dealt with since Kindergarten. I am not sure what my father was thinking when he gave me just a letter for a name. Then again, I am not sure what I was thinking when I named my daughter just the letter K.
I kinda like the JKK that some posters were using to signify me. I have started to sign my blog post with that…
Thanks for the link to the book. I just downloaded it and fully intend to read it very soon. I agree with the last comment by J Kent Kroencke. It’s a huge blessing to me to be able to talk with other pastors about common issues we face in an honest and open atmosphere.
Because of this one post I’ve subscribed to your blog, Bill, thanks for putting time into it.
Regarding the Redoable theme: I like it. I like dark themes that are done well and this is one of the few dark themes that I think it good.
Bill:
Wales is definitely a promotion. I haven’t been to Wales, but I spent some time in Shropshire (where my grandfather was born) and it is beautiful country. The people there were very friendly and gracious.
Keith Price
I’ve suffered from Godwork syndrome all of my adult life. My observation is that it’s quite difficult to make any meaningful progress toward ministry while you’re busy making everyone comfortable. Every church must ask whether they are more concerned with ministry or maintenance. Sadly, many say mission but do maintenance.
I very much enjoyed your post. Thanks.
J:
Yes, I’m the same. You guys are in my prayers as you make the move.
Ben G.
Well, I thought I had found some brothers in Christ on this site, but considering that you like Dark themes, I cannot in good conscience be in fellowship with such a man. EVERYONE knows that light themes are loved by God and that dark themes have the stench of brimstone around them. I will pray for your error brother and that you will see the “light”
JKK