The Church and $$$

Does “Churches and $$$” make you think of Lakewood Church (Joel Osteen) in Houston, Cornerstone Church (John Hagee) in San Antonio, First Baptist Church (Robert Jeffress) in Dallas, or even the late Crystal Cathedral (Robert Schuler) in Garden Grove, CA – very rich, large churches and their very rich leaders. We must remember though that our TVs usually schedule only those shows that make profits for themselves and maybe others (otherwise you might have watched me and the 40 members of Kempner church sometime). Joel Osteen, John Hagee, Robert Jeffress, Robert Schuler, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, Kenneth Copeland, Pat Robertson, and even the late Robert Schuler do not represent the common pastor or common church that helps people but doesn’t get rich off of it. I can only imagine what Paul, the tentmaker evangelist, might think of The Lifestyles of Rich and Famous Televangelists.

Churches like those are not the norm for the Church universal which is made up mostly of local churches that draw middle class sinners like you and me. Churches that sometimes struggle to bring in enough $$$ to keep the lights on and the missions operating. Churches that require special fundraising to replace the AC when needed. Churches whose pastor and volunteers are often amateur electricians, amateur plumbers, amateur carpenters, amateur food bank employees, amateur food handlers that make hot meals once a week, and amateur accountants, saving the church money that it might not really have to spend on people outside the church that might need help in some way.

I am fortunate, I am a second career pastor. I lived and operated in the business world before I answered the call into ministry. I was prepared for the numbers part of being in the pastorate. I was familiar with budgets, balance sheets, income statements, assets and liabilities. For most seminary graduates, they are not prepared to understand the business of being a church. In fact, they are admonished about so little as helping count the offering on any given, frozen, winter Sunday. Which is a good idea, by the way.

So, what should a new pastor do about what they didn’t know they needed to know? Do like I did, I took a seasoned pastor as a spouse. Now that might not be available to all of you but you might pause and take a quick look. No better way to know how the church REALLY works than to marry into experience. Fortunately for me my pastoral spouse also happens to be a sweet girl I met in Boude Storey Jr. High School in Dallas and went to church with until we went off to college. We dated off and on from 1958 until 1964, when I let a small black-haired freshman sweep me off of my feet. Later, in 1991 I returned to my first love and we got married in 1993. She, of course, is the clergy spouse who trained me so well. Thanks sweetheart.

Next to a spousal teacher, the next best thing is collegial support. You might not think you have time, but you must make another pastor(s) (besides your spouse) a new best friend. I regret that I didn’t know then what I know now. A good way to do this is to become a member of an accountability group. A group that can keep secrets and be supportive without being judgmental or what I call “fix its.” If you are in a remote, small church you might even choose one or more pastors in your community which are not within your denominational family. Sometimes those are the best kind. I still remember fondly the pastors of the Brackettville, TX Ministerial Alliance and the times we had together holding summer Revivals. What fun. What collegiality. Such a blessing.

It might not be obvious at first, but you should not be friends with your congregants lest you find yourself opposed to their perceived way of doing a church task/mission. And, congregants CANNOT believe you might favor one congregant over another. Don’t invite one to dinner unless you invite them all. It isn’t a good look and can actually split the congregation. It is ok to help the congregation be an extended family with you and one another, but keep a little distance.

I also highly recommend taking a night course in accounting. It can let you walk with the heavyweights in your church leadership when they decide how to spend the hundreds of dollars left after the monthly bills are taken care of. While in the night course arena, find out all you can about what it means to be a 501(c)(3) business. Hint: Think like Paul the tentmaker. If you are persistent in getting further educated, you might even see ways the church can make the offerings go farther (they will think you are Peter, walking on water). I loved the night course on accounting I took where the teacher was sometimes drunk and I took over teaching rather than have all of the class members waste their tuition for the class. We had a blast and it was a blessing for me.

If you didn’t get it in seminary, find a counseling 101 course anywhere that can help you understand and work with the hundreds of people who will come to you with their troubles. Here I was fortunate, I earned a BA degree in Psychology. But still, there is much to be said for a course in pastoral counseling, if you can find it. When the bride-to-be comes to you the day before the wedding sobbing, with a black eye and begging you to “PLEASE do the wedding tomorrow,” what do you say?

You will find yourself in many new roles as you become the pastor/preacher/teacher/administrator/financial-guru/counselor/parental figure/part-time janitor in a church. Find any way you can, including my blog posts, to teach yourself the things you need to know. You will use them and you will be blessed.