Where have all the Preachers gone?

My $.02? Preachers gotta eat. They gotta have a roof over their heads. They gotta put their kids in school. Here in so cal, where the average price of a single family home is $425,000, some churches don't wanna pay a preacher an adequate salary, but thenget upset when he leaves to accet a pastorship at another church where he's more appreciated.

I recently heard of a church that voted to reduce its associate pastor's salary by $500.00 a year because he had cable tv. Petty, methinks.

 

I am old enough to remember that days when we were paid a pittance, worked like a mule and begged for a day off when we were ill.

We had the educatio of a medical doctor, but couldn't afford to engage that doctor. We drove an old car and hoped it got you back home again. The parishioners brought groceries, in season, and the local funeral parlour gave us a choice of clothing and footwear. My first vehicle in England was a bicycle. In 1962 I had a 1948 Pontiac.

It was, however, never to make my needs known in public, and wage were never a consideration. The Lord always provided.

Years ago we did weddings and funerals because it was our duty. If we got a few dollars, that was a plus, but often refused. Different mentality.

My last wedding paid $400.00 (a fee schedule set by the organization), and received $50.00 for funerals requested by the funeral parlours.

I fear, times they are a changing, at both ends; the pulpit and the pew. Some preachers are begging and some are gloating. Many deacons are still praying: "Lord, you keep him humble, and we'll keep him poor."

In my opinion, it is time we all spent more time on our knees, and less on our feet. It is time we began to believe God..I did not say believe in God....and do His bidding whatever that may be.

Then will we see preachers again, and pews hopping, as we glorify God in our very being.

Cheers,

Jim

 

I do more ministry today than I did pastoring. I have more time to spend with those who want to grow and I don't have to deal with those who don't want to be challenged to grow and are content to be complainers.

The gospel was never given to me by anyone who was a part of a church but two men who were students part of a parachurch organization. When I came to know Christ I saw men and women in that group who took their faith in Jesus seriously even to this day.

Each church I pastored grew both in numbers and in knowing how to make disciples. But my last church gave me so much trouble that I spent so much time putting out fires and felt that I needed to leave and start ministry with students. So I left and moved to another area and started working a secular job. Within a few months I was meeting with twenty people throughout the week teaching and training them to walk with God. I showed them how to do ministry. When I pastored I had so many meeetings and other things I never really had that much time to do the real job every pastor is called to do.

The fact is that I have found so many in the church who have sat for years and years and have never done ministry. They don't care to know how to do miniastry either. I have actually had some deacons tell me not to call on them to pray.

It is a fact but many younger people do not want to pastor. I think God is preparing them for other avenues of ministry. Friends of mine who have been missionaries have come back to the US and are saddened by the lack of commitment to real ministry. We have a lot of pew sitters who get mad when we challenge them to come with us. They are afraid of what God might want. They are sold out to their own ideas and not what God can make them if they would only be willing.

We want "successful" pastors who will stay but often the first requirement in not a passion and zeal for God. It is waht can he do to build out church. Or what can he do for us.

Take a look at http://www.gospelcom.net/navs/collegiate/resources/borntoreproduce.pdf

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of God upon the earth.
John Wesley (1703-1791)

We don't have men and women walking with God not because the gospel is not powerful enough. It is because we are playing church and not being humble before God and fearing Him alone.

 

The preacher that is God Called is also Spirit filled. This kind of preacher believes that God will provide all his needs according to His riches in glory. I have heard both kinds. I choose the God called preacher. Paul said he provided for himself so as not to be a burdon on the church. I believe if you are a full time pastor you need full salary pay to take care of your family. If your just a Sunday Preacher you should be paid a love offering.
But to the question where have all the preachers gone? They have compromised their belief and now can't stand. They are humming luluabys instead of preaching the meat of the word. A church memeber with a forked tongue can chase them away in less than a week. they have no armor on to stand the heat or test of time. They are in the "books" instead of in the word. They depend on acceptance of the congergation instead of the approvial of God. Men seek to find favor in other mens eyes not Gods.

Sometimes, when we have revival our church will invite the preachers from another association to come and preach. They are awesome. These men say what the bible says if you like it or not. You will hear the truth from these men of God. I say when I leave, truly it's been good to be in the house of the Lord. I hear the truth-I learn-I grow- I serve my Father better. Some men having a form of Godlyness but denighing the power. If Gods word is preached it will not return void. It will change lives. In these last days it's getting harder and harder to find someone willing to stand for the Lord and so much more as we see the day approching.

Who? Who? Will take up his cross and follow me?

A Child of The King,

 

johnv said:

Petty is an understatement, johnv.

 

Where have all the preachers gone??

I'm still here! Expounding the scripture like Nehemiah and Ezra---"giving the sense" and "causing the people to understand!"

Thats what I do best! I can do anything I want to besides preach--thing is---I don't want to do anything else but preach!!

Brother David

 

Dear gb93433,
My experience is very similar to yours. Spent 30+ years in the pulpit, but really just started to minister the last 5 years. I am mentoring men who are God-called, God anointed to preach. Most of these men (SIX SO FAR) are older, no seminary, but with a fire in the belly to preach. God impressed me that my greatest use was to reproduce His ministry in others. 2 Timothy 2:2. Also, have time to discipline new Christians one on one, taking the time to do it God's way, not man's way. Jim, I too believe, a time's coming when Godly preaching will prevail, but, perhaps not in the traditional mainline church.
WallyGator

 

Where have all the Preachers gone?

We have one at OUR church!

We have evangelists come in to preach revivals and I always get a blessing out of them, but my biggest blessing comes from listening to my OWN Pastor.

He speaks out openly about sin and he 'walks the walk' as well as he 'talks the talk'. He both desciples and is a mentor.

I trust him implicitly. He gives Godly counsel. He is a very wise man. If I couldn't feel that way about my Pastor - I would be looking for a different church...

§ue

 

We don't have "backbone" in our pulpits today such as existed in the 1700s. We have the 'christian' pastors and churches who are trying to win souls to Jesus Christ, but, at the same time have failed to be salty and vigilant.

Why do we not hear pastors teaching the truth today in relation to our sinful economic, industrial, cultural, political, educational, judicial and ecclesiatical policies? There are certain topics by law, the 501c3 church cannot preach.

Christ alone is the head of the church. A corporation is the creation of government and subject to any and all decrees which its creator ordain.

If we had real preachers, there would be no baby murderers or sodomites running amuck...God's judgment has already begun! God give us preachers like we used to have!

No, my pastor doesn't take a salary, even when we try to force him to. He works as a carpenter. He leads us in street ministry and does have backbone. The whole world is our "family life center". He is my son'n'law.

"To SAVE OUR COUNTRY from the hands of our oppressors ought to be dearer to us than our lives, and next to the eternal salvation of our souls, the thing of greatest importance-a duty so sacred that it cannot be dispensed with for the sake of our secular concerns." ~~Samuel West, 1776 Election sermon.

 

Why not?

 

Is this the "I wish for the good ole days" forum? Give me a break! These aren't new comments and aren't unique to this generation. Strong backbone doesn't mean good preaching. There are plenty of strong backboned folks without a clue what the bible actually says. In fact 1 Timothy says nothing about backbone, and I could make the argument that the confrontational style that so many are want is against the teaching of this scripture.

 

I'm not hung up on methods... but rather the message. The methods of delivery may change - and there are many examples of differing methods in Scripture - but the message must always remain TRUE to Scripture.

Jesus spoke to people in ways in which they were intimately familar. To different people in different ways. The Truth of His message was always the same, though.

We can use methods that speak to people in today's world while communicating the unchanging message contained in Scripture. Jesus was creative - we can be too!

 

Baptist Believer;
You ask "why not?"
Have you considered the history of this nation?
When 'real' preachers were in our pulpits, saloons closed, brothels closed, sodomites repented, abortionists repented, violent men quit their wicked ways, profanity ceased, adulterers forsook their fornicating, and the average "Joe christian" witnessed for Jesus.
It has been truly prophesied that when our churches ceased to be good this nation ceased to be good.(Loosely quoting DeToqueville) When the world looks at the church 'in general', today they have only one comment...'irrelevant'. Why is this? Because of mambie-pambie men who have no guts to confront the sin and wickedness of this nation.
Yes, man would still be sinful but the CHURCH would have an influence on the society around it and NOT the other way around. The worldlings see 'church' and do not see Jesus. It didn't used to be this way. But then again- we WERE told there would be a great falling away first weren't we?
Just my two cents worth. Simply look at the history of this nation, objectively and you will see my point. When the church was set on fire by PREACHING it changed its community, but when the church quit preaching and started 'lifestyle' evangelism and teaching 'christian ethics' the world went ..."HO-HUM'.
Jim

 

CR, There are still a few of us out here, but the numbers are dwindling down some. I assume you meant preachers, not necessarily pastors. The problem with the average preacher is that he trust in his audience to take care of him instead of depending on God to do so. So because of that they just don't like preaching on sin, at least not the sins of those he is preaching to.

Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread