According to the Bible, the church should support preachers, but the Chinese church has failed to reach a consensus on this.
Another stance in the church is that preachers should not be paid by the church but live by faith. There are examples in the Bible to support this, especially Paul, who was a preacher yet supported himself by his own hands.
I want to encourage young preachers with my own experience: preachers should be grateful if the church pays them, but they should be financially independent if not.
It is written in the Bible, "Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation." (Romans 4:4). Preachers are still hired since they get wages. Should we who are called to become preachers receive wages for our work or “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” as Apostle Paul confessed?
Preachers should have a spine and be self-supporting. Do not yield. A church is not for losers, otherwise frustrated preachers only attract new losers and the church will be a strange circle where both preachers and believers fail to have a social identity.
Workers are paid. What we give is always proportional to what we get. For this reason we feel the joy of hard work and are rewarded. The experience lets us be more zealous in serving the Lord since we know there is a great reward.
Preachers, are you waiting for the church to give you a pay raise? If the church can do that, we give thanks. However, this kind of waiting is mostly negative, consuming our pure devotions. Why don't you seek independence? Support yourself if the church refuses to pay you. Earn some money if you are underpaid. This is definitely hard for you, but isn't it always difficult to live?
Preachers who struggle to be financially dependent are always susceptible to money. They don't support themselves, and they are financially insecure. It's less likely for them to hold on to their ministry if they don't serve in a good church. This is why independence is important and good for us, our families, and churches. It's an imposition to ask preachers to be financially independent, but the difficulty of something reflects its value.
If we preachers overcome the dilemma and stand on our own feet, we can influence more Christians and change those who don't work, using the Gospel as an excuse.
Translated by Karen Luo
