Should A Pastor Live In A Single Room?

By James Quansah, Pastor

ONE THING people must understand is that a Christian leader may decide to build his personal house. Some people particularly critics think that a pastor does not deserve to live in a decent and spacious house. They criticise everything. They want a pastor with a wife and children to stay in a single room.

Even many Christians do not understand the life of a pastor. Let me tell you something; for a pastor to be better prepared to God’s work, he must have a room alone in his house where he can meet with God through diligent Bible studies and prayers.

Those who oppose church leaders in this regard base their argument on a statement made by the Lord Jesus. Our Lord says, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” (Matthew 8: 20). But it is clear that these people do not understand this passage of Scripture contextually.

They must understand that the Lord Jesus Christ was a travelling Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. Acts 10: 38 says that Jesus Christ “WENT ABOUT doing good and healing…” He did not stay at one place to minister many for years as most pastors do today. 

Again, the Lord Jesus Christ did not marry a wife and give birth to children. If He did, it would be important for Him to rent or build a decent and spacious house for them to lay their heads and receive visitors.

Interestingly, however, Jesus promised His disciples houses to live in (Mark 10: 29- 30). Remember that Peter, the apostle, had his own house where his wife and sick mother-in-law who was healed by Jesus lived. So it is appropriate that a pastor may build his own house or rent a decent one.

James Quansah is the Executive Director of Christ-Conscious Leadership Centre (CLC) and lead Pastor of End-Time Christ’s Commissioners (ECC), Kumasi, Ghana. James is also a journalist by profession. He is married with four children.