The subject of whether a minister is employed or supported by the church has been discussed for decades. In most cases the federal government views the minister as a church employee, but since we are more concerned with Bible definitions and God’s plan we will leave the government and taxes out of the discussion.
Although secular words like “staff” may be associated with ministers, most churches would acknowledge their ministers are not employees, but rather are supported by the local church in order to accomplish the Lord’s work. There is a difference, however, in how this often plays out in practice. Consider a person who does mission work in a foreign country. This person takes in funds from one or more churches and may be under the guidance of a supporting church or eldership. The missionary is not under daily oversight, but has near autonomy as to how they spend their day. They can strike the balance they believe is necessary between building up and equipping members and reaching out to those who are not Christians.
Contrast this with the paid preacher within the domestic church. On the strictest end of the spectrum a church who holds the employee view will have all of the expectations for the minister spelled out with little room to deviate. This could include specified study times, office hours, number of visits required, documentation of studies, clerical tasks, and possibly building and lawn care maintenance. No doubt there are church leaders who want to be good stewards of the finances and resources of the church. Perhaps specified duties are reactionary to a bad experience where a minister was not accomplishing the Lord’s work and the leaders feel that strict oversight is required.
While it is true Paul was an apostle and had an authority we don’t see today, he does demonstrate what the work of the Lord should be like. We see a man whose goal was “to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” 1 Corinthians 2:2. Imagine if all ministers had that view and all church leaders trusted them to put that faith into action. Perhaps what begins as strict oversight will eventually lead to greater minister flexibility when a relationship of trust develops between the minister and the church. It is encouraging that many churches do indeed see their ministers as trustworthy and assign minimal tasks that would hinder their work.
The benefits I’ve noticed by being the part time minister is that apart from presenting lessons, writing articles, and coordinating the occasional activity, my time outside of the building has been highly respected. My study and lesson prep times are in the evenings, my wife and I visit members as needed, and we have had many opportunities to host Bible studies within our home. Many of the tasks that sometimes fall on the shoulders of the full time minister have been readily picked up by members looking for ways to serve. It’s a blessing to see so many working to accomplish what often falls to one or two people. If the situation allows, the spreading out of responsibilities is a blessing to all. My encouragement to church leaders is to trust and empower your ministers with the support they need. Emphasize the biblical mandate we see throughout the New Testament and turn them loose to accomplish the Lord’s work.
Eric Dougherty