Pay your gifted workers in the church

[Classik]

So, as usual, I asked this question: is it proper for our workers to be paid for the work they do for he Lord?

Some may decide to go elsewhere where they think they can be paid for what they do for a church.

The response was: how much did they pay God or the Holy Spirit that gave them that gift?

Another person was like, if a particular group feels they are so inevitable and must be paid, then all gifted workers must be paid too: choir, instrumentalists, ushers, etc. She was against the idea that some really wanna be paid for working for the Lord.

Your 2cents pls.
Ta

 

[reba]

Some answers maybe fitting for a big church and not a a small.... and vise versa.....
Dad and Mom often cleaned the church.... sometimes a member would volunteer Dad played the piano ... Mom taught childrens church... Moms took care of their own kids ... You can see this is a small church...it could not pay....
Looking at a big church ... there is nothing wrong with paying a janitor etc. if the church building needed heavy electrical work would it be a question to pay the contractor?
I believe in paying the pastor... according to the income of that church body...

 

[Classik]

Some answers maybe fitting for a big church and not a a small.... and vise versa.....
Dad and Mom often cleaned the church.... sometimes a member would volunteer Dad played the piano ... Mom taught childrens church... Moms took care of their own kids ... You can see this is a small church...it could not pay....
Looking at a big church ... there is nothing wrong with paying a janitor etc. if the church building needed heavy electrical work would it be a question to pay the contractor?
I believe in paying the pastor... according to the income of that church body...

Your last sentence is very similar to the question asked by one of us.

 

[Knotical]

It really depends on the size of the church and how much time an individual devotes to what they are doing within it. For example, if they are putting in so much time it really is a full time "job" for them, then I would see whatever position they are fulfilling as something that would require remuneration, as they do not have the time to do work they would find elsewhere. They, arguably, would require a living wage in order to maintain their role, and earn an income sufficient enough where they could continue to do the work they were called to.

 

[TOG]

So, as usual, I asked this question: is it proper for our workers to be paid for the work they do for he Lord?

Some may decide to go elsewhere where they think they can be paid for what they do for a church.

The response was: how much did they pay God or the Holy Spirit that gave them that gift?

Another person was like, if a particular group feels they are so inevitable and must be paid, then all gifted workers must be paid too: choir, instrumentalists, ushers, etc. She was against the idea that some really wanna be paid for working for the Lord.

Your 2cents pls.
Ta

I used to sing in a church choir, and I got paid for that. It was a certain amount for each practice and service I attended. It wasn't much, but when they handed me the check at the end of the year, I was like "What?? We get paid for this??" Most of the choir members gave all their pay back to the church, but we were paid.

The TOG​

 

[evenifigoalone]

I think in my church, the pastor and intern pastor if there is one is paid. Don't know for sure, but doubt the musicians are paid. I've played up there with the youth group, and we weren't paid. I think the people all do this on a volunteer basis, like most of the church workers.

My church does offer a little bit of money weekly for those who work in janitorial and I assume other maintenance, unless the person does it on a volunteer basis. I'm actually going to be doing the janitorial work there some weeks (when I'm assigned), and I asked to be paid...but it's because I, myself, have no income. (It doesn't even pay as much as a part time job, really.)

 

[Knotical]

I really don't see any reason why a member of a church choir should, or would, be paid. Now, in churches I have attended if the person who was the worship leader was on the staff, and that was their full time job, then I can see why they are paid. But, a member of the choir, that seems really odd to me, considering they are there to bring praise to God, not see anything (monetarily) in return.

 

[Kathi]

A person can make a choice to help the Church.They do not have to.It should be voluntary.If a person wants to be employed as a Church secretary that is a different story.Of course the Pastor should be paid.

 

[Obadiah]

Glad you asked us all to respond with our 2 cents.

This is what makes me wonder about the priorities of many churches. Most worship positions such as pianist, choir member, etc, and many times even pastor or youth pastor, etc are expected to be done on a voluntary basis. If any of those people think they should be paid, some people make them out to be weak, 2nd class Christians who just want to make money off of God. Yet many of these same churches think nothing unusual of paying a janitor, gardener, painters, contractors, or others who build and take care of their buildings and property. In our society you can know where priorities are by looking to see where the money goes. That's a well known fact in business and government. Church government is no exception. These churches in my opinion have made it known by their spending priorities that their property and buildings are more important than the spiritual wellbeing of their people. To me, when a person who assists with worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, etc is less of a priority than those who maintain the building, there's something seriously wrong with that church's leadership's priorities.

Now I would never say those who take care of the property, or run the office, or whatever shouldn't be paid in some way for their efforts (when the church can afford this, of course). But these things shouldn't be given priority over those who are given responsibility of the spiritual wellbeing of the people. Once again, if you want to see where priorities truly are, not just where leadership SAYS they are, just follow the money. If someone decides to volunteer their labor to the church, that's between them and God. They should have the opportunity to choose to return their pay via the offering plate, not letting "their right hand know what their left hand is doing" so to speak. In other words, doing this between them and God, not to show off to others or make those who don't choose to do this (and might really need the money to survive) feel guilty about it. The church (and it's individual members) should let the individual being paid make this decision between themselves and God.

 

[Deborah13]

I don't have a problem with the choir or musicians being paid if the church members choose to do this.
I think people do not realize the hours of practice that go into learning harmonies and arrangements. I think that anything we do for the Lord and His people should be done to the best of our abilities and for singers and musicians that means practicing together.

 

[Knotical]

I don't have a problem with the choir or musicians being paid if the church members choose to do this.
I think people do not realize the hours of practice that go into learning harmonies and arrangements. I think that anything we do for the Lord and His people should be done to the best of our abilities and for singers and musicians that means practicing together.

But the effort involved is a way to show your praise for God. How does that include recompense? God has already given you more than you deserve, why should anyone expect more than that?

 

[Deborah13]

But the effort involved is a way to show your praise for God. How does that include recompense? God has already given you more than you deserve, why should anyone expect more than that?

I didn't say that someone SHOULD expect it, only that if they are putting any hours for God and His people, I don't have a problem with them being paid for their labors.

And,
In the OT the Levites were cared for by the people. Some of the Levites were the singers and musicians, that was their job. So I don't think God would be against it either or be insulted that they were paid.

 

[TOG]

But the effort involved is a way to show your praise for God. How does that include recompense? God has already given you more than you deserve, why should anyone expect more than that?

Doesn't the same apply to the pastor?

The TOG​

 

[Obadiah]

Seems like we've all had this argument before. A few times. You guys have fun with it.

 

[Classik]

I used to sing in a church choir, and I got paid for that. It was a certain amount for each practice and service I attended. It wasn't much, but when they handed me the check at the end of the year, I was like "What?? We get paid for this??" Most of the choir members gave all their pay back to the church, but we were paid.

The TOG​

It makes me kind of uncomfortable to do so.

 

[Deborah13]

It makes me kind of uncomfortable to do so.

If it makes you uncomfortable then you probably shouldn't do it.

 

[Knotical]

Doesn't the same apply to the pastor?

The TOG​

No. A pastor is there because he was called to lead that church. It is the duty of the church to provide a living wage so that the pastor will not endure a hardship just because he is filling that role in the church. Look to the example of the levites. God purposely set that tribe aside and set them up as the priests of that nation. A portion of the offerings that were given went to them, they had no other job. Along these same lines pastors are provided for out of the tithes that we give back to God.

The same does not apply to those who sing during the worship service, otherwise God would have set a tribe aside just to sing to Him.

 

[Knotical]

I didn't say that someone SHOULD expect it, only that if they are putting any hours for God and His people, I don't have a problem with them being paid for their labors.

And,
In the OT the Levites were cared for by the people. Some of the Levites were the singers and musicians, that was their job. So I don't think God would be against it either or be insulted that they were paid.

The levites were the priests of that nation, which may have included leading the people in songs of worship, but that would fall under the same vein as worship pastors in some churches.

It really comes down to if this is their profession, or calling, or if it is something that is done to just contribute to the worship service.

I have attended churches where choir directors were volunteers, and others where they were paid, but it did come down to if this was their profession, or if it is something they did as their way of giving back to God, by using their gift to praise Him, and help others do the same.

 

[Deborah13]

No. A pastor is there because he was called to lead that church. It is the duty of the church to provide a living wage so that the pastor will not endure a hardship just because he is filling that role in the church. Look to the example of the levites. God purposely set that tribe aside and set them up as the priests of that nation. A portion of the offerings that were given went to them, they had no other job. Along these same lines pastors are provided for out of the tithes that we give back to God.

The same does not apply to those who sing during the worship service, otherwise God would have set a tribe aside just to sing to Him.

When the tabernacle was moved from place to place different families of Levites had different jobs.
Then when they settled King David, appointed new jobs to the Levites. You can find these in 1 Chronicles. Specifically in 1 Chronicles 6:31-33 and in 1 Chronicles 25:1-25, is where you will find that the singers and musicians were levites and appointed to that position and received tithes for that job.

I don't understand what you are saying here...?
"The same does not apply to those who sing during the worship service, otherwise God would have set a tribe aside just to sing to Him."

 

[Knotical]

The point is that the levites had their specific jobs which were set apart from normal everyday things that the rest of the nation were responsible for. We do not, in your society, or church construct, have anything that comes close other that the pastor, assistant pastor, or possible worship pastors in some churches. Those who are members of a choir do not have that as their primary job, it is just something in which they participate to praise God. I do not see a reason to compensate those people.