Today’s Church Leaders and Money

“MONEY IS a very sensitive subject. Many criticisms leveled against ministers are about finances. We cannot avoid criticism but we must minimize the opportunities that people have to speak against us. We, therefore, need to adopt certain standards and ethics in the area of finances”, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills.

The renowned Lighthouse Chapel international founder wrote the above statements in his book titled ‘Ministerial Ethics’.

The Bible is replete with a lot of references about money. It teaches people how money should be acquired or received and used. Money is important in every human activity including pastoral work.

However, the means of acquiring and using it have been abused in some places. Throughout the world, it is rare for people to work for hours for free. People do not commit themselves to working hard in an organization just for pleasure without being paid.

Many people spend time in schools to study and earn higher academic degrees. Others go into politics, business or artisanship to learn various vocations in order to make huge sums of money.

Thus, you can clearly see that money is the motivation for most of the human activities throughout the world.

Unfortunately, a good number of ministers of God in most parts of the world nowadays have also joined the material wealth and money- grabbing brigade, working primarily for money, cars, houses and fame.

There is no doubt that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers need money, cars and houses to survive in this world and to fulfill their ministries.

But God did not call pastors to work for the purpose of maintaining and boasting about fat account balances, fleet of cars and mansions we seem to observe these days.

It appears that a good number of pastors in this age see the pastoral work as part of the normal works that are done in the world. They see it as an earthly career or profession rather than heavenly, high and holy calling which makes them accountable to God.

Consequently, many focus their preaching, teaching, counseling, prayer and other activities on the acquisition of riches instead of winning and preparing souls for the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus Christ warned those who are rich-conscious and would not want to obey his commands. He said it will be difficult for them to enter heaven. This includes ministers of God who are not determined to walk worthily of their calling and committed to pleasing the Lord.

“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:24)

Having understood and upheld the Lord’s warning, Paul also taught Timothy, his son in Christ, to be wary about the love of money.

Apostle said, “…godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

The Lord Jesus and Paul exhort Christian leaders to do good things with their riches for God as biblical characters such as Gaius, Joseph of Arimathea, Abraham and others did.

Meanwhile, Pulpit Commentary of the Bible explains that “the force of the address, O man of God; is very great, which indicates that the money lovers spoken of were not and could not be “men of God”.

Another commentator, Matthew Henry, wondered how ministers of God can point out the dangers and duties of the rich if they themselves are not above the love of things that wealth can buy.

Dr. John Gill, in his commentary, urged servants of God, devoted to and employed in the service of God to flee worldly gain, selfish interest and mercenary views in religion; a wicked resolution to be rich, at any rate and an immoderate love of the things of the world.

By James Quansah

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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.