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Few things devastate the church as thoroughly as a compromised
pastor. To be sure, no pastor is sinless, and indeed, each must
model confession and repentance of sin to the flock. But some
scandalous sins sully the white garment of integrity so badly
that the reproach remains long after the sin has been forgiven.
Satan knows this, and wages efficient warfare on God’s
church by picking off pastors. In so doing, each blow has the
simultaneous effect of four: Satan marginalizes an enemy officer
(1 Tim. 3:2), compromises enemy defenses (Acts. 20:28; Tit.
1:9), demoralizes the troops with the betrayal, and worst of
all, arms the enemies of God with an occasion to blaspheme (2
Sam. 12:14).
Most spiritual leaders stumble because they think themselves
strong, but are not “strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). Thinking they stand, and failing to
take heed, they fall (1 Cor. 10:12). But when a pastor takes
a bullet, the whole church bleeds. And so pastors must be vigilant.
With this in mind, we’ll devote the next few issues to
taking heed to the three most common traps laid for spiritual
leaders: money, glory, and women.
It is good to face temptation and prevail. But even better never
to encounter temptation in the first place. After all, Jesus
taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation. . . “
(Mt. 6:13). But the naïveté with which many pastors
handle financial temptation invokes images of a cheeky white
boy taking a midnight stroll through the back alleys of Harlem--they’re
begging for a beating. So following are a few suggestions that
might help pastors and their churches wise up.
The first way to avoid financial temptation, and you’ve
heard this a hundred times, is simply to live within your means.
Make a budget and stick to it. Avoid debt like brussel sprouts--it
is a form of slavery that divides loyalties between two masters.
As the weight of the stack of bills begins to bow the desk,
the pastor will be frantic for new sources of capital. And by
the time “Massa” starts calling to collect, he’ll
be justifying behavior that his true Master forbids. The sin
of fiscal impropriety is often heralded several years earlier
by the sin of overindulgence. “Better is a clunky Datsun
B-210 with righteousness, then a shiny new Land Rover with injustice”
(Prov. 16:8). So when considering a purchase, distinguish between
that which meets real needs, and that which strokes your ego.
Next, watch those taxes: take care with the manse allowance,
be sure to report all honoraria, and only claim valid expenses.
It is astonishing that pastors will sell their ministry, their
people, and their Lord so cheaply. Want to write off a $50 meal
that wasn’t quite a bona fide ministry expense? Do the
math: if you are in a 28% tax bracket, you’ve just sold
out your Lord for fourteen clams. Judas Iscariot came off only
slightly better. Is fourteen bucks worth it? Is fourteen thousand?!
Isn’t it better to take a loss rather than give opportunity
for the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme? So when in doubt,
either consult your accountant, or eat the expense. Integrity
is a very fragile thing.
Third, practice generous giving. Not only is this a good model
for the flock, but it also keeps your eyes where they belong--on
a self-existent God who doesn’t need your money, and who
Himself gives to all creatures their portion (Acts 17:24-25;
cf. Mt. 6:19-34). So focus on God to meet your needs, and you
won’t feel the need to massage the budget yourself.
And finally, don’t be short sighted. A little long-term
planning now can help you avoid temptation thirty years from
now. Many ministers--especially missionaries--neglect to observe
the ant, and don’t put away funds for their autumn years.
In light of this, if you are still within two years of your
ordination, opt out of social security. Use these liberated
funds, and others, to invest wisely. Families are primarily
obligated to care for their aged, not the state.
Next, let’s address what churches can do to help their
pastors avoid financial temptation. Churches must look to their
pastors to model fiscal godliness. This presupposes, of course,
that pastors have finances to manage. Many churches embrace
the devil’s adage, “We’ll keep him poor, and
God will keep him humble.” But this opens wide the door
to temptation. When a man sees his children hungry and the desk
piled with bills, filtching a loaf from the Safeway doesn’t
seem all that wrong. But Jesus said “a worker is worthy
of His wages” (1 Tim. 5:18), and the previous verse exhorts
the church to pay teaching elders double (1 Tim. 5:17). Out
of this they will be able to feed and educate their families,
provide for their latter, less-productive years, show hospitality,
and give generously.
Second, keep your pastor away from the dough. The pastor should
never touch the offering, except to put something into it. Nor
should he ever be given a clue that the Smiths are loaded but
never tithe, and the Johnsons are not, but give sacrificially
(James 2:1ff). Instead, deacons should handle the money, deposit
of checks, etc. Similarly, the pastor should not be given signing
authority on any accounts if it can at all be avoided. One cannot
be accused of mishandling funds to which he has no access.
And a third way to protect your pastor from temptation is to
require him to document and substantiate the validity of all
expenses. Don’t be timid about asking respectfully pointed
questions of him. Paperwork and pointed questions may seem like
a pain, but they are as blessed as concertina wire around a
mine field.
Sinners are clever, and so all thorn hedges can be circumvented.
Ultimately, the best protection from financial temptation is
the fear of the Lord.
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