Since China's reform and opening-up, its rapid socioeconomic development has been widely recognized. On one hand, people enjoy the convenience brought about by advancements in material goods and technology. On the other hand, a unique group, pastors living in top-tier cities, face immense challenges and tests in life.
The challenge arises from the fact that full-time pastors often have low incomes, creating a gap when it comes to supporting their families and providing for their children's education. The test, then, is whether they might be compelled to engage in business. If so, would they be tempted by wealth and stray from their original calling? These are crucial issues worth attention and reflection.
Recently, I spoke with five pastors from different provinces, each with over 20 years of ministry experience. They shared their views and principles on whether pastors should engage in business. All of them were called by the Lord when they were young and willingly dedicated themselves to Him. However, with the passing of time and changing circumstances, subtle shifts have occurred in their ministry paths and original intentions.
Pastor Jing Bohan, born in the 1970s, is outgoing, hospitable, and talkative. He leads a small church in City A, East China. With nearly 20 years of pastoring experience, he often testifies to God's wondrous work in his church when visitors come. In addition to sharing testimonies, he also talks about his experience and insights into direct selling. He demonstrates how he promotes related apps to his network, generating daily income from online purchases.
Pastor Jing firmly believes in one principle: "As a pastor, I need to become rich for God." In his view, it is acceptable for pastors to engage in business. Rather than living a difficult life, he hopes to improve his family's living conditions through his work in Amway's distribution model. "On one hand, I don't need to rely on the offerings of believers; on the other hand, I can donate a portion of my earnings to colleagues in need."
Similarly, Pastor Liu Yishan, also born in the 1970s, has a more reserved personality. He received formal theological education and once led a hundred-member church in City B, South China. However, he gave in to material temptation and was caught engaging in questionable financial behavior. As a result, the church's committee advised him to resign.
After leaving the ministry, he went through a year of low spirits. During that time, he became involved in the emerging field of social commerce. He began sharing his e-commerce platform in his social media circles, adding pastors and believers into a chat group where he regularly promoted products to earn commissions. His perspective is that pastors need to enter the workforce and business world to better understand the pressures and struggles of working believers. "In the past, I lived a routine pastoral life and couldn't truly grasp the real-life challenges of my congregation. I now hope to minister to business professionals and bring them the message of the gospel."
Elder Cui Tianhong, who differs from the previous two, believes that pastors may engage in business, but with extreme caution. Born in the 1970s, Elder Cui leads a thousand-member church in South China. From the church's founding, he has served bivocationally while being a top performer at his workplace. Before joining his company, he informed his boss that two days a week would be dedicated to the Lord, and thus no work would be scheduled on those days.
Cui has always focused his non-working hours on church ministry. At work, he performs excellently and earns the respect of both his boss and colleagues. After work, he prays, attends meetings, and works tirelessly with church leaders to advance church initiatives. His perspective is that the pastor's engagement in business should stem from a desire to serve the Lord and reach professionals in the marketplace, not simply for profit. "Pastors should not become enslaved to money through business dealings or allow commercial concerns to sap their energy, lest they neglect their service to God and the church."
Pastor Zhang Shuqiang, born in the 1960s and serving in a major commercial hub in South China, has received traditional theological training. With over 20 years of pastoral experience, he has led various types of churches and now serves as the senior pastor of a 300-member church in City D.
Regarding whether pastors should enter the business world, his view is that they may do so, but only if they clearly understand their purpose and whether it aligns with God's will. In the past year, a pastor friend introduced him to several so-called "Christian entrepreneurs." However, he discovered that many of them were fake believers, merely trying to recruit others to invest and help fund their startup ventures. "If a church pastor lacks discernment, they may irresponsibly introduce these pseudo-Christian businesspeople to church members, leading to financial losses. Worse still, the reputation of the church and pastors could suffer, ultimately harming the ministry. There are many unsettling factors when pastors get involved in business, which can open doors for harm in both church and pastoral work."
Pastor Zuo Zongsheng, also born in the 1960s, leads a large church in City E, South China. He had a successful career in business along with his wife before entering full-time ministry. Having experienced the lure of fame and fortune, they chose to give up their luxurious lifestyle, including never wearing clothes under a thousand yuan, when they answered God's call.
Reflecting on their over 20 years of full-time ministry, Pastor Zuo and his wife believe that pastors must learn to rely on God for their livelihood, for His grace is sufficient. After leaving the business world, they endured real material shortages, picking up leftover vegetables from markets and being unable to afford bus fares. However, they never turned back or reentered the business sphere. Thus, in their church leadership, they strongly oppose pastors engaging in any commercial-related work or partnerships. They advocate that pastors should wholeheartedly serve the Lord and entrust the rest to God. "Whenever we faced hardship, God sent brothers and sisters to supply our needs. Through all these years, we've overcome it victoriously. We remain convinced that delighting in the Lord and depending on Him can still allow us to live peacefully today."
- Translated by Charlie Li
