Psychic Paychecks

Here are a couple of my responses to discussion posts concerning non profit compensation policies from my Strategic Human Resources Management class I'm taking at WMU right now. Would love some feedback on feelings surrounding the pay of preachers.

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Post 1

Sarah, I’m also involved in church ministry and a have actually just taken the lead pastor position in a church plant. This idea of compensation in the church is of great interest to me and ties into one of the core values I’m working on articulating for our particular gathering—generosity and an “others-centric” focus in our finances. I want our people to be good stewards, as you mentioned. As leaders in the church, the staff should model this attitude. Paul reminds Timothy that elders or deacons need to be “free from the love of money” and not addicted to “sordid gain” (1 Timothy 3:3, 8 New American Standard Bible). In my opinion, there are few things more unsettling to me than preachers getting rich off the church. So I will be experimenting with a volunteer staff and will be unpaid myself, working bi-vocationally. Paul set this example with his tent-making gig; he had the right to be paid but didn’t want to put any obstacle in Corinthians’ way. As you mentioned, my compensation is the joy and honor of working in the church, pursuing the mission and loving others.

But the reality is, my family and I need to eat, too. Paul, also in 1 Timothy, says that “elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor [good pay?], especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” followed by the reference to Deuteronomy 25:4 that “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing” (1 Timothy 5:17, 18). Sounds a bit like a merit-based system according to Pynes, where “individuals should be paid according to their contributions” (2009, pg. 266), though I don’t see an emphasis on results but more on effort in these references. My situation allows me to keep the church position voluntary at this point in time, but that may not be feasible in the future.

Here’s another way to approach the idea of compensation in the church: should the organization be the one to limit the greediness of the staff by instituting a lag system, which forces the staff to be focused on more intrinsic rewards or should the church “bless” its workers for their efforts and allow them the freedom to choose between being greedy or being generous?

Post 2

Patrick, I liked the "psychic income" term from Manzo. As someone immersed in the non profit lifestyle, I admit I feel this way even about my own pay, that I need to focus less on cash and more on cognitive compensation. Why do I feel this way? Times when I've made better money (usually in brief jaunts into the secular business world), I've felt like I was stealing. I also identify with the community members who write in and challenge the pay of nonprofit workers. It's especially hard when donors see NPO executives making more than they do. Why should they give their hard earned money, even to a good cause, if the workers of the organization make more than they do?, their thinking goes. Admittedly, I think there are cases of abuse that support their fears. Not that this is one of them, but as I was researching Executive Director salaries for assignment 8, I looked up Richard Stearn's pay (ED of World Vision). He operates a global organization with a budget of hundreds of millions and I still thought, "Really? 400k? That seems a little high."

I think I need to be okay with my salary making its way out of my head and into my pocket.

Do four jobs make a living (sacrifice)?

In accordance with my theme of walking with God, I sit here tonight wondering if God is into heading down multiple paths, an act easily handled by an omnipresent diety but rough on a regular flesh and bone guy like me; I feel I'm being quartered. Picture God running down my job trail, which suddenly splits into a four-pronged fork. He does His God thing and divides while I try and hold on (or is He grabbing me?). I don't break but I stretch like one of those cartoons where the character gets pulled like taffy into a paper thin line. I have yet to break but I'm wondering if I'll snap back.

I can say confidently that I feel I'm trying to follow where God leads. I leave room to be corrected on selfishness, pride, work addiction, etc., but I think my intentions are honorable in taking on each. My current jobs/responsibilities are Sales & Marketing Director at Miracle Camp (20 hours), Executive Director of Orphan Justice Mission (20 hours), Lead Pastor of Life Point Community Church (10 hours) and grad school (10 hours). Don't forget family, friends and an hour or two to chill out. Each tends to run over a bit, with some give and take between categories, so I usually end up with a 70 - 80 hour work week, which could be worse, I know. Yet, as I think back on how I ended up at each, I think, "yeah, God was going there." I just said "yes" to going for the walk. Each is a good cause, each fits my personality and giftings and I think I'm seeing fruit from each not to mention that this strange career combination is paying the bills (though barely). Taking any one component out (maybe with the exception of grad school) creates financial difficulty.

So am I dumb or is this what being a living sacrifice is all about? Am I killing myself to fulfill some twisted need to succeed, to do the impossible, to show my family and friends (ahem, BC) that, yes, I can keep all the balls in the air? Or is the act of giving myself fully to God, to be used up, consumed and totally spent in someway similar (though much, much less grand) to what the Lamb of God went through?

Larry Osbourne in his book The Contrarian's Guide to Spirituality says we should live up to our calling and not our potential. I'm still digging that bullet out from between my eyes, but I'm curious to know if Larry would allow God to call us down diverging paths simultaneously? If so, then maybe getting stretched (be it even cartoon thin) is how we really grow and the only realistic way for me to fulfill my calling. If not, then I pray I figure out which path I'm supposed to be on because I'm not very good at doing the splits.