How much should a fledging church give to missions?

I know of a lot of churches starting out with a pastor that is either working another job or on support. Most of these churches are "taking" on missionaries. My argument is that they have no right taking on any missionaries until they are able to support their pastor adequately.

 

That's an observation being made more and more and is a valid statement.

I know of churches that pay out enough on missions to cover 75% of a pastor's salary but give that money to missions instead.

However, whether or not that is right or wrong I would say is down to the individual church and their pastor.

It may not be logical to some, but that is the beauty of the independent church. They do what they feel is Scripturally correct.

 

OTOH there are some churches where the pastor will more than likely always be bi-vocational due to the location (smaller cities in New England or the West, for instance). Should they never have a missions program?

 

They have a missions program locally.

 

I believe that a church should support missions as soon as humanly possible. My tiny church supports two Japanese missionaries. Why? For my church's own sake, so the believers can learn how important world missions is and learn how to be a church that gives sacrifically.

What did Paul say to his supporting church at Phillippi? "For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account" (Phil. 4:16-17). The major benefit was not to the missionary but to the supporting church!!

Paul also praised the churches at Macedonia because they gave sacrifically. This is the Bible pattern, not waiting until you can afford it. "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God" (2 Cor. 8:1-5).

You folk who think a church should never support a missionary until the pastor gets an adequate salary, let me ask you a couple of things.

(1) What if the pastor is poor at his job and the church never grows. Do you then never give to missions? Can't the pastor earn his salary to a degree by getting new folk into the church and getting them giving?

(2) If a small church elects not to support missions until they are "financially capable," then how do they obey the Great Commission, which teaches that we are to reach people BOTH in our own area and around the world?

(3) How are you going to teach sacrificial giving to your people? Or are you content to have them be wimpy givers? It sounds selfish to say, "Give sacrificially so your pastor can have a salary some day." But is that how you will handle it? What else can you say if you don't give to others (missions and the poor) as a church?

 

Good post John. A church that catches the vision for world missions very often has a great passion for local missions.

 

Amen, mnw! And more than that, if a church obeys God in this way, I believe that God will pay their bills. Why would God allow a church that is trying to obey the Great Commission to be financially hindered? And why would He look down at a pastor who thinks is sacrificing his own salary for world missions, and not bless him financially?

I remember Dr. Lee Roberson saying that every time his church had financial trouble (even big churches can get into financial trouble!), he took on more missionaries, and the problems went away. I believe that "Give, and it shall be given unto you" can be applied to churches, too!

Luke 6:38--"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."