Is Money The Qualification?
In a recent conversation with a brother he said something to me that struck a chord that is continuing to resonate in me. We were talking about how the Body of Christ is being matured and brought together in various places and in various ways. As he was sharing with me about the manner in which the Body has been coming together in his hometown he was saddened that it seemed that for all the good information and teaching that had been brought in by various men of God, the gathering to specific leaders was rooted in something less healthy than the revelation of the Lord. Many of the people in his city were gathering around leaders that had a common quality – financial wealth. He quoted another brother’s read on the circumstance and it is that quote that has been stirring me deeply; “The Body of Christ will not mature until rich men are no longer the leaders.”
Before anybody gets all bent out of shape or starts to think I am attacking wealth as something evil I am not. Nor am I going to espouse the spiritual goodness of poverty. Both those arguments are the creation of men to defend their condition or to give “good” reasons for their disregard for brothers and sisters in Christ who are not in the same condition as them. I’ve heard both of these arguments and have found both to be well crafted, deeply held and basically useless in the life of most believers. These are not rooted in following the Spirit of God, these are simply “spiritual” prejudices creating an excuse to behave poorly.
Our connection to or submission to a leader in the Body of Christ ought to have nothing to do with their net worth. If we are choosing the leaders based on their income level or success rate in the business world because we see that as somehow being connected to God’s approval and anointing as a leader we already have plenty of those in the Word of Faith circles. It would seem clear to me, at least, that we don’t need more of those leaders. As the Lord unfolds His purpose and plan into this generation the need is for those who are more mature to simply live out what it means to be led by the Spirit, to live out what it is to be a son of God. A person’s portfolio is not ever going to be the standard for such.
If Jesus said that those who trust in wealth are going to have a hard time entering the Kingdom (mark 10:23-25) can we make wealth the basis for our esteem of a leader? I fear that too often the cultural view and value of the wealthy man has influence over the Body’s view of leadership quality. it is time to let that cultural stigma about wealth no longer have sway in the Body of Christ. We are told again and again that God is looking into the heart of a men not their viewable traits to choose leaders. we must stop contradicting the Lord’s ways and instead let His ways be enough.
May the Lod continue this work in us all…
Interesting, I have to say that this struck me as an odd thing that I really have not experienced in my past. It has made me look back at the churches that I have been involved with and I can truly say that I find no leaning to a trend either wealth or poverty for “leadership.” That has never been even a thought of a consideration for deciding leadership in the churches that I have been involved with.
I personally have never thought about that either. Not sure what to think about that…. Sorry its been a problem for you all.
What I am hopig to discover is if this has been something others are experienceing or have experienced. It is a curious thought that wealth or the lack of it is deemed spiritual depening on who is evaluating. I do knowin one particular city this has become an issue and I want to know if it currently widespread or is it more a singular experience. Thanks for the comment Heath.
The church is in bondage to capitalism. Capitalism in its contemporary form i more than a system of ownership and distribution of economic goods. It is a faith and a way of life. It is faith in the wealth as the source of all life’s blessings and as the savior of man from his deepest misery. It is the doctrine that man’s most important activity is the production of economic goods and that all other things are dependent upon this. On the basis of this initial idolatry it develops a morality in which economic worth becomes the standard by which to measure all other values and the economic virtues take precedence over courage, temperance, wisdom and justice, over charity, humility and fidelity.” Richard Neibuhr, 1935
I would say that in every church I have been in or served at I have seen some who have wealth try and use it to sway the church in directions they deem to be more important or more beneficial for the church. And yes, as often is the case, where there is humanity involved there is fallibility. Thus I have experienced decisions being made in churches where those who had money used their financial means to try and sway the church in one direction or another. In many ways I think we could all be guilty of trying to sway the church in directions we think are better or more appropriate for the church. While many of us don’t have the means to try and do it by using our financial influence, I would say we all try to do it. How many times have we come out of a service and discussed what parts we liked or disliked about the service if not to sway those we are talking to in order to at least let them know what parts of the teaching we agreed or disagreed with. While we may not be throwing our money around we are trying to guide the church by reason. Somewhere along the way we have begun to buy into the lie that the church is to be a place of perfect peace and harmony where Godly values are the only ones that reign and sin is no more… The reality is that while we should be going through the process of sanctification, it is a process. None of us are exempt from the fact that we are all on this journey and we all still let our flesh guide us at times. No the church isn’t perfect that is promised us in heaven.
So back to point in discussion, to say that “the church is in bondage to capitalism” in my opinion would be a gross generalization, (No offense to Richard Niebuhr), as he probably wasn’t aware of the inner workings of every local church at the time. Romans 13:1 suggests that all of those in authority have been placed there by God. I don’t necessarily have an issue with those who are in leadership roles who weather by good intentions or by wrong motives try to lead with their pocket books, they are doing what they do best. I take more issue with those of us who are in pastoral leadership roles who do not stand boldly and recognize we are placed in our positions by God as well and as such offer another opinion or stand up to those who would aim to lead because of their wealth. For when we fail to confront them we not only do them an injustice by not allowing them the joy of operating in the body and letting “Iron sharpen Iron” but we are the ones that give them their power and most of the time it is because of the very thing we accuse them of, or love of money or lack thereof seeing as how most of the time we are fearful of losing our job more than being obedient to Christ and trusting Him for our needs.
I actually do agree ith Neibuhr quite a bit, but my point in posting his work was to show that there is nothing new in this debate. Generation to generation thinks that its generation is the last, or the worst, or the best. Nothing is new under the sun. Jesus’ primary political stance wasn’t against which sect had the strongest theology, but the corruption and unhealthy relationship that existed between the church and the government. His stance was against those with power using it to exploit those without power. Money can be a power means to get what you want done, even in a church. But there are other forms of power that exist within the church as well.
A few paragraphs later Neiburh then states “the church is a slave to nationalism”. That is the real issue here. The church (american church in particular) has allowed the influence of its culture to shape the paradigm of ministry. The conquest and territorialism of America is as seen as easily in the church as it is in Washington.
Craig,
I agree completely that culture has had a huge amount of influence on the institutional church. But at the same time it causes my heart to hurt knowing that the honor of the Lord is sold regularly for cash so that men of little real spiritual maturity or depth can hold positons that allow them to bear titles. I don’t care if it Catholic, Methodist or any other thing that calls itself chrisitan. When places that only God can assign men are turned into attainments avaialble to the highest bidder we are in trouble.