The Simple Pastor
By Phil Whittall, church planter, blogger & book reviewer
RT @lukedvd: Hope his resignation from the England manager job will allow @JoelVirgo to focus on his church duties #nomorehairdye 17 hrs ago
You should read the whole thing.
If you hadn’t noticed it’s nearly Christmas, that time of year where we go slightly loco with money and stuff, and it’s a unique event. Rampant consumerism and the celebration of the birth of Christ in a stable, and it was combining those two things that led to this very clever advert. Of course in the race to condemn all this excess we may kill all the fun or so thinks Sarah Dunn. This chart shows Christmas spending by country.
Unsurprisingly, in America despite not having the most money they will spend nearly the most on gifts. This is because, as Eugene Peterson says in this short video, the most materialistic we have ever known and shows how to handle wealth! (Ht: Mark Meynell)
It was following a drive through America that Tim Challies began to seriously think about the issue of money. He found this prayer on stuff and contentment and then ways to think wrongly about money. He then asks the questions do I have to give? And if so how much do I give?
This all goes to show that we live in a consumer age and it’s a pressure not evenly felt. By that I mean, as this post says, ‘UK parents seem to find themselves under tremendous pressure to purchase a surfeit of material goods for their children. This compulsive consumption was almost completely absent in both Spain and Sweden.’ A thesis that our personal experience can anecdotally support.
The best antidote is to be generous and to cultivate gratitude and that takes some thought. It’s worth thinking about.
So, what did you think? About right, too little, too much? Let me make a few observations, and this is from the perspective of someone who has only ever been the leader of a church of less than 100 adults.
First of all, the average income of the average American is approx $46,000. So the average mega-church pastor earns more than THREE times the average American wage. I don’t think that’s right.
First it strikes me that the model for determining a pay structure has come from the world of business. The more you grow (i.e the more ‘success’) you have, the more you should be paid. Has no one ever questioned whether that is an appropriate model for church pay? They must have done somewhere but I’d be interested in reading the thinking and justification. Another way in which business seems to have influenced the model is that with size comes an expectation of quality and to ensure quality you need to hire the best and to hire the best you need to pay; and if I pay my new worship leader $75,000 dollars a year well the senior pastor should get a raise too.
However, it’s often said that the bigger the church the more the senior pastor moves away from being a leader of the people to a leader of a team and the average size of a mega-church staff team is 60, so perhaps they should be paid appropriate to leading 60 and not 6000?
I can’t for the life of me, find justification for paying a pastor $150,000 dollars a year so that by serving the church for 10 years of more he could be a millionaire. Well, they have their reward. I guess my hope is that they will realise they can live on about 1/2 of what they earn (and still earn 50% more than the average American) and give away the rest. Somehow though I doubt it.
So how should a church determine the pay of it’s leaders and staff? Thoughts please.
When I first started blogging I called it ‘the simple pastor’ for a few reasons, one that’s all I am – it was a reminder to myself that that’s all I was. Secondly it was because I was stirred by the theme of simplicity and lastly because there are plenty of friends who think I’m a bit simple! But to me John Stott is an inspiration because he embodied simplicity and generosity, he wrote about both long before it became the pressing need it is today and most importantly, he lived it out.
Stott had a deep concern for the poor, writing for the Guardian Matthew Cresswell says,
“The young Stott, for example, had great concern for the poorer “newspaper lads” and young market traders around Langham Place and would coach them at football in Regents Park. He also invited them on “covenanter camps”, which were attended by boys from the wealthier families around Oxford Street. This was never easy as his footballers were lively and outspoken, but Stott insisted that they were part of the community.
Taking it even further, Stott once made himself homeless, in order to empathise with the down-and-outs of the city. Sleeping under Charing Cross Bridge and in a hostel in the East End, he said it made him feel “like an outsider, a castaway”. However, after two days, the game was up, when staff at Toynbee Hall remained unconvinced of his “cockney” accent.”
But it was his work in connection with Lausanne that still strikes home with me. Cresswell, by way of introduction to that, says,
“In 1974, Stott played a key role in shaping the Lausanne Covenant, a major document that encouraged Christians to be more globally conscious, to champion social justice and to bring Christianity to more developing countries.”
To understand what shaped him, you could do worse than to read this article by Mark Meynell who said he was a man who resisted trying to gain the whole world. Here is a phrase that struck me,
“He had decided early on not to seek to gain the whole world. He could so easily have done do, with his gifts, intellect and leadership abilities.”
There is no doubt that John Stott could have been a rich man, his more than 50 books have sold more than 8 million over the decades but ‘early on he decided that the income from his public life would go the Langham Partnership’ or as the Guardian put it,‘Stott’s own considerable royalties from his writing went towards the production and distribution of theological books in developing countries.’
Notice that phrase ‘early on.’ Before he made his money, before he had achieved international recognition, before he had published 50 books, before he had done all this he had decided not to gain the whole world. He knew it would profit him nothing.
And this is why for me, it is not Basic Christianity or even The Cross of Christ that stands out among his writings but his last book, The Radical Disciple. In in he outlines what he considers to be the hallmarks of a disciple from the perspective of his near 90 years of life. Mark Heath writes,
“A fifth area is simplicity. John Stott speaks from a position of integrity on this subject, since his book sales and speaking engagements could have made him a millionaire, yet he practices what he preaches, giving all his book royalties towards the work of providing books for believers and pastors in poorer countries. He feels grieved that the International Consultation on Simple Lifestyle which took place in March 1980 received very little attention, and this chapter is simply given to republish their statement (which he co-wrote with Ron Sider). This is a very challenging chapter, and one that exposes deep-seated idols that we are reluctant to part with. It is sad that Stott seems to be something of a lone voice in the evangelical world on this subject.”
It was reading this that encouraged me that a quest for simplicity and generosity was part of my heritage as an evangelical and one whose path had been trod by John Stott. You can find the Lausanne papers on simplicity here and here.
So for me, Stott is the simple pastor, a hero of the faith not just for his wisdom, biblical clarity but for also for his humility, integrity and commitment to simplicity and generosity. It’s a privilege then to imitate him as he himself imitated Christ. (1 Cor 11:1).
“Regardless of your perspective on big fat gypsy weddings, to get married is to invite rampant capitalism into your life. I’m surprised the government hasn’t done more to promote marriage as a means of kick-starting the economy because there is clearly so much money to be made from it. Even breathing the word ‘wedding’ in some shops makes them double all their prices. We’ve done fairly well (we think) in avoiding many of the cash-splash traps by spending a lot of our budget on food and entertainment for our guests, and ignoring enticements that begin ‘Don’t forget to treat yourself…’. But the gift list is about things for us, so how could we escape materialism here?”
And
“Except that the Bible is very concerned with wealth and what we do with what we’ve been given. The quote I started with is from one of the many discussions about money – Jesus has more to say on this issue than He does about sex, not that you’d know it from the amount of attention those two topics are given by many of His followers. What we do with money is an indicator of what we’re really like, that’s why it’s important. If lavishing money on myself is normal and giving to others is abnormal, then there must be a fault somewhere inside. The desperate tactics used by companies to persuade me to give them money must either have fooled me or more likely pandered to a tendency that was already there.”
Read the whole thing
Worship was led by the inimitable Andy Flannagan and I highly recommend downloading his ‘we are blessed’, which makes it onto my social justice album. Andy is director of CSM and he’s making politics fun. I was representing Breathe and just really enjoyed the evening. I was inspired by the youthfulness of 75 year old Tom Sine and I’ll post some of the quotes that captured my thinking.
Tom and Christine live in a small community in Seattle and have spent their life helping the church think about how we live in a rapidly changing world and to embrace creative solutions to housing, mission and community. And perhaps above anything else as a result of listening to them I had ideas, imagination was stirred up and fostered and that’s pretty cool.
“Lifestyle change without community is impossible”
“The good life of God is the life given away.”
“The life taken on is greater than the life given up.”
“We don’t have to be satisfied with watching Idol and all that reality crap. We can celebrate better.”
The first stage of Ruth’s research is a short questionnaire and we need about 80 of us to complete it to make the research viable.
Please click on the link below, which will take you directly to the survey. It takes only about 10 minutes to complete. If you want more information, an information sheet is attached for you to read.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QPV25SG
The survey is open until October 31st, so please don’t delay: make yourself a drink and fill it in for us now!
Thank you!
Breathe are partnering with LICC, Livability and Tearfund for the evening and I’ll be there on Breathe’s behalf and take part in the Q&A at the end. Cost is a £5 donation to Tearfund & Livability. Come and say hi.
Here’s the info
“Tom and Christine Sine are well-known authors and speakers. They live in Christian community in Seattle and are active in an Anglican church but have had the opportunity to work with and learn from the innovative edge of the Church all over the world. See below for more information.
This event is particularly aimed at those who work during the week and are generally not able to come to events during the day. We know that many would like to learn how to connect more deeply with the needs in your communities and also how your faith should impact your lifestyle. There is lots of talk about ‘living simply’ but sometimes this turns into a discussion about using energy efficient lightbulbs. Maybe we can consider other, more sacrificial, ways to live in a more sustainable way.
Christine and Tom Sine will discuss:
* What is happening in our culture that is leading to a breakdown in community life?
* What are the opportunities for Christians to live differently?
* What does it mean to live more simply in order to show an alternative to the consumer culture of today?
* What are some examples of people who have done this?
There will also be a Q & A time in order to allow you to explore the issues you are facing.’
Clement of Alexandria wrote a ‘special discourse on to help Christians puzzled about the right use of their money and troubled by the absolute command of the Lord to the rich young ruler, ‘if you would be perfect, sell all you have…’. Here’s what Chadwick says about this,
“On a rapid reading it might seem as if Clement were merely a compromiser trying to wriggle out of the plain meaning of a commandment. But a fairer reading of his tract shows that he did not see the gospel ethic as imposing legalistic obligations but rather as a statement of God’s highest purpose for those who follow him to the utmost. What really matters is the use rather than the accident of possession. Accordingly Clement laid down a guide for the wealthy converts of the Alexandrian church, which imposed a most strenuous standard of frugality and self-discipline. Clement passionately opposed any luxury or ostentation, and much that protested to be lawful he regarded as highly inexpedient.” (p98)
Emphasis mine. What would our teaching and instruction be to the wealthy in the church?
Why did the early church grow and succeed? It’s a fascinating question. Chadwick gives some support to those that love cities but also says,
“Nevertheless, the Christian mission was not directed merely at centres of power. It was consciously aimed at the common people, and the ideals of simplicity and humility were never far from the minds of those who had to propagate their faith.” (p72)
Emphasis mine. I’m not sure that those ideals are anyway close to the minds of most church leaders in the western church. Maybe there’s a connection there.
“God was and is the owner of all things. I was and am simply His money manager. He has never revoked his ownership, never surrendered his claim to all riches and treasures. God didn’t die and leave this earth to you and me. He still owns it. The more I thought about it, the more real it became.”
And
“Do Nanci and I go to bed each night thinking, “It sure is a big sacrifice giving away all that money”? Not at all. I go to bed feeling joy, because there’s nothing like the thrill of giving to God’s purposes and His people. It’s participating in God’s grace. It’s exactly what we were made for.”
And there’s more
“We didn’t need a higher standard of living. We didn’t need a better house or car. We didn’t need a better retirement program or more insurance…We don’t need a million dollars or a hundred thousand dollars. We do just fine on a lot less, and God will provide for us every step of the way.”
Read the whole thing here
We worshipped, listened to my friend Mark Powley on consumerism and freedom, and then we watched this video
(let me know what you think)
Then we talked and it was just encouraging to see people engage with ways we can live that go against the culture and towards generosity and simplicity. Try it out for yourself, it’s liberating.
HT: Challies
Which is why it’s important what we teach our kids about money (click here for a summary). We live in age of unparalleled consumer credit, where technology is inescapable and there’s no reason to expect that to change much any time soon.
So, if you live anywhere near Shrewsbury, you might want to come to this event next Thursday (facebook event)to learn more about how we can live well in a consumer culture, we need a conspiracy of freedom. Do come if you can, I’m sure it’s going to be a great night.
“Jesus our Lord summons us to holiness, humility, simplicity and contentment. He also promises us his rest.”
Jesus is summoning me to simplicity and contentment. Simplicity is not then a matter of choice but a matter of obedience. It goes on to say,
“We intend to re-examine our income and expenditure, in order to manage on less and give away more. We lay down no rules or regulations, for either ourselves or others. Yet we resolve to renounce waste and oppose extravagance in personal living, clothing and housing, travel and church buildings. We also accept the distinction between necessities and luxuries, creative hobbies and empty status symbols, modesty and vanity, occasional celebrations and normal routine, and between the service of God and slavery to fashion.”
I love the heart, ‘to give away more’ – if anything should mark Christians out it should be our generosity, shouldn’t it?
“We intend to reexamine our income and expenditure, in order to manage on less and give away more. We lay down no rules or regulations, for either ourselves or others. Yet we resolve to renounce waste and oppose extravagance in personal living, clothing and housing, travel and church buildings. We also accept the distinction between necessities and luxuries, creative hobbies and empty status symbols, modesty and vanity, occasional celebrations and normal routine, and between the service of God and slavery to fashion. Where to draw the line requires conscientious thought and decision by us, together with members of our family. Those of us who belong to the West need the help of our Third World brothers and sisters in evaluating our standards of spending.”
“‘Life’ and ‘life-style’ obviously belong together and cannot be separated. All Christians claim to have received a new life from Jesus Christ. What life-style, then, is appropriate for them? If the life is new, the life-style should be new also. But what are to be its characteristics? In particular, how is it to be distinguished from the life-style of those who make no Christian profession? And how should it reflect the challenges of the contemporary world—its alienation both from God and from the earth’s resources which he created for the enjoyment of all?”
It’s a pretty deep conviction of mine that because the church has largely failed in its thinking and response to materialism and consumerism that the church is not at all distinguished from the life-style of those who don’t believe. A challenge to the simple living movement is also not to simply draw a new line with the environmentalists and eco-friendly brigade, not that that’s all bad. Instead we need to be thinking about redrawing the connections between our life style and Jesus. So I agree with this:
“Those of us who live in affluent circumstances accept our duty to develop a simple-lifestyle in order to contribute more generously to both relief and evangelism.”
This latest rediscovery came from this book review on John Stott’s final book The Radical Disciple and it’s eight ways to live this radical Christ-like life. The review says,
“A fifth area is simplicity. John Stott speaks from a position of integrity on this subject, since his book sales and speaking engagements could have made him a millionaire, yet he practices what he preaches, giving all his book royalties towards the work of providing books for believers and pastors in poorer countries. He feels grieved that the International Consultation on Simple Lifestyle which took place in March 1980 received very little attention, and this chapter is simply given to republish their statement (which he co-wrote with Ron Sider). This is a very challenging chapter, and one that exposes deep-seated idols that we are reluctant to part with. It is sad that Stott seems to be something of a lone voice in the evangelical world on this subject.”
So I followed the links and discovered this and this. Breathe, (and I realise this is a bit ambitious), has taken up the baton for a simpler lifestyle. Perhaps we should call for a new International Consultation on Simple Lifestyle. It’s about time don’t you think?
Originally posted at Breathe
In 1996, five years before I was asked to plant a church, I felt the call of God to do that. The call to plant churches, to teaching, preaching and justice. It would have helped if I’d had that notebook in 2001!
More encouragement to come because there are things that God has spoken about that I cannot let go. How about these things from the summer of 1996:
“Commitment to the poor, to live with open hands, to discipline myself to give generously and make it a lifestyle.”
Long before I knew what consumerism was, it seems God was speaking to me about generosity, compassion, simplicity, church. I’m very grateful for God’s grace to me in all of this…so we keep going.
This video is on my front page for a reason
“If we reject materialism and asceticism it seems to me we are left with the biblical way of generosity, which in turn is linked with simplicity. Simplicity is not to be understood in ‘nothing’ but ‘enough.’ When we consider the needs of the poor, and indeed the needs of world mission, then there is a challenge to generosity – something that can always be increased as we simplify our lifestyle.
This is a sensitive area, for simplicity can easily become pharisaical when we begin to bring our opinion and judgement to bear on how others should simplify their lifestyle. (And particularly pharisaical if others should suggest how we might simplify our lifestyle!) The reality is that we are all extravagant in different ways. Voluntary simplicity of lifestyle is a way to increase our generosity.”
“It’s 07:49am and I’m standing on an escalator, flanked on both sides by streaming commuters and flashing LCD screens. Easyjet suggest I go skiing. Armani want me to know that their new mobile phone has ‘night effect’, whatever that might be. I deserve more TV channels, and Virgin would love to supply them to me. I am barely an hour into my day, and already I have seen dozens of these visions of commodified happiness. Where, in all this buzz of hype, is the promise of real life?“
Read the whole thing here
![[Bus+Tithing.jpg]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lgUciOmfPEg/SYl-mkexqpI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Bxg5SNwIYEg/s1600/Bus%2BTithing.jpg)
The theme of Sabbath continues to crop up time and time again. This rediscovery of rest is vital to living more richly and more simply, so on this theme we have Christine Sine reflecting on how she uses the Sabbath to find refreshment, while Mark Driscoll lays out some basic teaching about Sabbath and my friend Andy describes Sabbath as ‘one of God’s best ideas’. Related is Tim Chester’s series on the rhythms of his church, today was ‘eat’, while on the other side of the pond Todd Hiestand thinks about the rule of Benedict in suburban life.
Other mini convergences were this post from Dave Bish added to this from Douglas Wilson mentioning his visit to Oxford, and both mention the federal vision, which was a focus on theology that I haven’t paid much attention to, but have done a bit more today!!
Another mini convergence was some more recession linked posts: Luke asks Credit Crunch: How Can The Church Help? while Christine Sine thinks about the Tough Choices for the Hungry.
Interestingly, can you name the country with 10% of its population currently needing food help from their governement? No, not Zimbabwe, or any country in Africa, no its the US. Unbelievable and also true.
I believe Jesus when he said 'life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions'. I believe he offers something better. This blog is mostly about that search.
I'm also a husband, a father, church planter, keen runner, reader, and motorcyclist. These and a few other things make guest appearances from time to time.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
LinkedIn
Picasa
