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It is advisable that internal matters of the Church are discussed internally. However, considering the plurality of churches around the world, it is reasonable that some of these matters are communicated, using the mass media and social media.
One such Church issue, which is the focus of this article, is the neglect of the greater majority of associate pastors in various churches to suffer poverty. This situation is common in Penteco-Charismatic churches in Africa.
General Overseers in these churches ensure that they are properly taken care of and adequately resourced for comfortable living. Usually, magnificent houses are built or rented for them, durable vehicles are purchased for them and fat salaries are paid them monthly. There is nothing wrong with senior pastors possessing these things.
However, a problem arises when associate pastors are completely neglected. Many are only paid meager monthly allowances, leading them to suffer economic hardships. The situation appears to be cyclic as most General Overseers themselves suffered the same fate when they served as associate or junior pastors.
Often, senior pastors, who tolerate this culture in church leadership, justify it based on the erroneous interpretation of the words of Paul in his letter to Timothy. Paul exhorts ministers to prepare to share in suffering, bearing in mind that they serve as soldiers of Jesus Christ.
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:3).
You see, Paul told Timothy to share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ in order to please the Lord. Many lead pastors have, over the decades, been misinterpreting this verse to inflict hardship on junior pastors.
The apostle was not talking about a deliberate denial of help for associate ministers who diligently and faithfully serve the church. Paul was rather talking about real situations where church leaders have to suffer persecution, arrest, imprisonment, flogging and hunger.
Understand that Paul wrote to Timothy while being held in prison, awaiting execution for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He knew that Timothy might suffer the same ordeal in his ministry. He, therefore, wisely encouraged his son in the Lord to prepare himself for the challenges ahead.
Clearly, the context in which Paul wrote his letter is different from the situation in most Penteco-Charismatic churches where senior pastors live a life of comfort while their associate pastors wallow in abject poverty. This is one of the reasons many young pastors leave churches to establish their own churches.
It must be understood that true Christian leaders do not make life difficult for their followers. They make it easier. Senior pastors must disregard the idea that junior pastors must suffer the same way they suffered.
We should place our suffering side by side the suffering of Christ Jesus on the cross. If He does not allow us to suffer the same way He suffered, lead pastors too should not allow their associate pastors to suffer the same ordeal they suffered when they served as junior pastors. This is love.
It is hoped that this teaching will help influence General Overseers to give up on “I suffered, so you too must suffer mentality that is undermining ministry effectiveness in Africa and other parts of the world.
By James Quansah
