Should Pastors and Ministry Workers Be Paid?

In an age where ministry is reaching unprecedented heights, many people worldwide have expressed significant concern about whether pastors and ministry workers should be paid. In some countries, such as the United States, many ministries put their full-time staff on salaries. But in some places, especially in Africa, many preachers and ministry workers aren’t paid (except for some denominations). People serving in newer and recently formed ministries (in most cases, established within the last 15 years) are often accustomed to working in unimaginably harsh conditions for years without remuneration, with leadership citing that it is a service to God, so they shouldn’t think about getting money for what they do. Do I disagree that it is service to God? Of course not! Do I advocate that pastors and ministry workers ought to be paid? Well, that is the purpose of this study. To break this question down to the lowest level of understanding and answer it according to what scripture says. After all that, we can come to a firm conclusion and handle God’s work most effectively.

The Old Testament Order of How God Handled the Welfare of Priests

Back in the Old Testament days, there was nothing like “ministry” work until God separated the tribe of Levi to be priests in God’s temple. But before that, everyone God called, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Noah, were His servants. They were not called “priests” because in those times, there were no formalised priestly duties. People were living normal lives every day. Those who served God weren’t going to church on “Sundays” because there was no such thing.

Initially, God chose the Israel nation as His priests (see Exodus 19:5-6). But after the Israelites became so numerous, with some tribes proving stubborn, especially on the return to Canaan from Egypt, God brought demarcations. That was when the Levites were separated unto God’s work (see Numbers 8:13-16). As part of their dedication to the work at the temple, God did some things to guard their lives.

1. He defined their age to serve fully at the temple. That is, from 25 to 50 years, after which they must retire from working, although they can assist their family members to perform their duties (see Numbers 8:23-25). So, retirement from ministerial work is Biblical. Let no man lie to you about it.
2. God created a report system for them. That is, to assist Aaron and his sons in ministering before the tent as well as taking care of it (managing God’s house) and being responsible only to Aaron, not his sons (see Numbers 18:2-3). So, reporting to your senior pastor as a ministry assistant is also biblical.
3. God dedicated a part of the offering and firstfruits presented by the Israelites from other tribes to them (see Numbers 18:8-12,19). So, things like food for the priests were to be gotten from the offerings because the Israelites used to present them. Today, it’s not like that.
4. God decided not to entitle the priests to any form of inheritance among the Israelites. Why? He said to Aaron that He (God) is their inheritance [both to Aaron personally (see Numbers 18:20) and the Levites as a tribe (see Numbers 18:23)].
5. For the Levites, God entitled them to all the tithes (not offerings) in Israel as their returns (or remuneration) for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting (see Numbers 18:21). Please note that the Israelites were not to tithe to the Levites, but to the Lord (see Numbers 18:24). It is after it has been brought to the Lord, then it’ll be shared among them as priests.
6. Now, after the Levites (priests) have received the tithes from the Israelites (after it has been shared amongst them from the tent of the meeting), they must also present a tenth of that as the Lord’s offering (see Numbers 25:26), which Aaron will receive them as his remumeration too (see Numbers 18:28). So, priests are included in giving to the Lord, not separate. As a pastor, you must also pay your tithe, especially if you are being paid by your ministry. However, because a lot of the tithes presented were foodstuffs, God charged them to present the best part of it to Him as a tithe, not those of low quality. When presenting your tithe, especially in monetary terms, be intentional about giving fresh currency notes to the Lord.

While some of these conditions apply to believers today, some of them have been adjusted by Jesus in the New Testament. Let’s look into that, too.

The New Testament Order of How God Handles His Servants’ Welfare

Well, for the New Testament order of handling His servant’s welfare, you’d realise that the Levitical priesthood order is no longer in function. Why? According to Hebrews 7:16-17, Jesus has been made a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. So, if all believers in Christ are sons of God, and we are made kings and priests in Christ (see Revelation 5:10, 1 Peter 2:9), the priesthood order has been permanently changed. Now, the question is, how has God defined the welfare of believers, especially those in churches (not those who come to church and do nothing)? Let’s do the comparison.

No retirement

There is no retirement plan for any of God’s servants in the New Testament, unlike the Old Testament. However, there is a multiple emphasis on ministers raising other faithful ministers to carry on the work of the Lord (see 2 Timothy 2:2, Acts 6:3-4). So, retirement isn’t an option, but ministry leadership delegations and continuity are very necessary. Know and implement this, especially if you are a ministry founder. However, if you are in an organisation where retirements are practised, it’s not because they are breaching God’s scripture. It’s a leadership strategy they are using to get more ministers to do God’s work as the older ones grow old and diminish in physical strength. So, don’t fight that policy.

What about tithes?

Unlike the Old Testament, where the priests were entitled to tithes (not offerings) by the Lord (see Numbers 18:21), there is no scripture in the New Testament that says churches should pay tithes to pastors. No! Tithing in the New Testament order is organisational (to ministries), not individual (to pastors). However, there is a provision in scripture for a believer to willingly share his harvest with his teacher in the Lord (see Galatians 6:6). This is solely a choice and not a must.

Pastors taking money from the church’s treasury?

Yes! Pastors and servants of God can take money from the church’s treasury. But there are restrictions to it as a way of curbing greed in them. In the Old Testament, priests got their food from the altar, but were supervised by the chief priest. So, in today’s terms, those who are to oversee the pastor’s salaries are not the pastors themselves but the church board. However, it’s solely a choice of a pastor whether to take a salary or not. Paul didn’t take it, but that’s Paul’s decision (see 1 Corinthians 9:14-15). What about you?

If you are a ministry pioneer and you want to do the work full-time (that is, without doing any side business or secular work), you are not wrong. However, it’ll take some time before you get to a level where the ministry can pay you well, because until the church grows in huge numbers and has a much larger revenue flow, you cannot entirely depend on the church. You have to really trust God in that season. But many struggle, and that’s why so many families in Africa hate the idea of their children becoming pastors. Aside from that, congregants can also freely give you gifts of their choice when they feel like it (see Galatians 6:6).

Can churches take offerings for pastors?

Yes, that one is a common practice that was even done in the early church days. Paul recorded that some of the churches he founded sent him gifts (see Philippians 4:15-18). And in 1 Corinthians 16:1-3, he told the Corinthian church to take offerings every first day of the week and send them to the Apostles in Jerusalem. You may be surprised by what I am saying here. But the Amplified Version of that scripture expands it so well. It says,

[1] "Now concerning the money collected for [the relief of] the saints [in Jerusalem], you are to do the same as I directed the churches of Galatia to do. [2] On the first day of every week each one of you is to put something aside, in proportion to his prosperity, and save it so that no collections [will need to] be made when I come. [3] When I arrive, I will send whomever you approve with letters [of authorisation] to take your gift [of charity and love] to Jerusalem;" — ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭AMP

Paul instructed the Corinthian church to take weekly offerings to be sent as a relief for the Apostles in Jerusalem, just as he urged the believers in Galatia to do. Paul stressed this so well that he told the elders of the church to let every congregant know about this initiative, so that after every week, at least, a token will be given to the church of God, purposely to support the Apostles in Jerusalem who were in full-time ministry overseeing the churches all over the world. Therefore, taking an offering for a pastor, even in His absence, is Biblical. However, the pastor(s) are not in charge of a salary raise (suppose the church pays the pastor), but are entitled to funding from the church.

What about pastors who depend entirely on the congregation for their financial support?

Well, as said earlier in the study, a pastor is entitled to funding from the congregation. However, such support can be unstable because it heavily depends on the financial status of the church members. In addition to that, it limits pastors to have faith in only the offering bowl and not in God’s supernatural abundance. In Africa, where many people battle with poverty on a daily basis, it is a pure risk for a pastor to be dependent on the church for stable financial support. Many churches record that only a few people give a substantial amount of money every week for the offering, even in established orthodox churches. Founding pastors of even new ministries are at a greater risk, especially when the church members aren’t plentiful.

God, knowing this, didn’t put any limits on a minister’s work life in the New Testament. For example, Paul was a great preacher of the Word, but he also worked as a tent maker at some time in his life (see Acts 18:3). So, from this, nothing stops a pastor from doing business or having a secular job on the side as a main financial support for their life. In fact, Jesus somehow supported this when He said in Luke 22:35-36 (NKJV),

[35] And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" So they said, "Nothing." [36] Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

Just read this carefully. Initially, when He sent the disciples to the mission field, He told them to carry nothing along. But now, things are different. At the time He spoke this, he had not died and arisen, meaning the New Testament order of pastoral welfare was not unveiled. But in preparation towards it, Jesus made this statement. So now that the New Testament is here, every pastor is at liberty to go into ministry with other achievements and possessions they have. Don’t say that you ought to leave your educational achievements, knowledge and marketable skills aside just because God is calling you. No! It is not wise to do that.

When you combine your secular work with your calling, you are practising something called the lay ministry, and it’s not bad. However, living with this lifestyle as a minister is limiting and one of the most challenging areas of life to blend. In fact, it can potentially crush an entire ministry if care is not taken. For instance, you won’t be able to do much ministerial work during your secular work hours, which can be a drawback to ministry growth. In addition to that, you’ll not have full concentration on the Lord to get enough time to constantly study the Bible, unless you take full days off on Saturdays to do that (which can also be difficult because you may try to cover up for the ministerial tasks undone on the weekdays). Even if you have a side business you’re handling as a pastor, it can be more difficult when the daily pressures of handling a business add up to your list of things to think about, coupled with irregular financial flow in the business.

However, if you are a minister living like this, you can make things better by handling your life in a very strategic way. And if you dream of laying everything aside to focus on the ministry (enter full-time ministry), do it gradually and carefully, not immediately; otherwise, it can harm your life and family financially. On the other hand, you can decide to move to full-time ministry if and only if God told you clearly to make that step.

Practical guides to handling your life as a pastor while thinking about stepping into full-time ministry

Given the extensive literature on the ministry terrain and the importance of clear vision, I’d like to offer some practical guides to help you navigate your life as a minister, particularly if you are a ministry founder considering a transition into full-time ministry later in life.

1. Explore ways for our church to generate sufficient income, with a focus on investing in the media ministry. Revenue from social media and video monetisation may not be immediately seen, but it will pay off over time when done well. That will prevent you or the church from overrelying on church offerings.
2. Let it be in your mind that even if the church decides to give you financial support, it may never be enough for you. So, please don’t limit yourself to it. Work and find ways to earn an income without stressing out too much.
3. Focus on developing a robust ministry administrative system that considers best practices and emergency procedures, while being mindful of your “lay ministry” status and your associates’ work schedules.
4. If you plan to have full-time staff church workers later in your ministry, focus on building a stable financial foundation by maintaining a fat net-zero budget over time, and then gradually hire from within the ministry.
5. Don’t suffocate those who help you to do the work of the ministry. Even if they won’t be paid for their work, at least provide them with the resources they need. For instance, provide the media team with a substantial data bundle on a regular basis to enable them to perform their job effectively.
6. Trust God to provide for you in whichever means He uses. But don’t be greedy or overly expectant of people to give.
7. Tackle situations one at a time. Otherwise, you’ll bombard yourself with too many issues and can harm your mental health.
8. Invest in raising people in the ministry who can start working as lay ministry associates to help in the work.

I know this study has been long, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please share it with a friend or your group for further discussions.