Monday, February 25, 2008

Financial accountability for pastors.

Alright, there was an article in today's paper relating to an ongoing inquiry into the financial records of several high profile wealthy pastors(churches).Many claim that this is a violation of so-called church-state separation.I definitely believe that the government has no business messing with church policy.However, since they usually claim a tax exemption(non-profit?) it does bring up a few questions.Should some/all churches pay taxes.?why or why not?If a church was to pay taxes then how money was spent would be nobodies business but those who gave the $ in the first place.At what point is a pastor making too much $$.For myself I figure the pastor should be somewhere in the average range of the congregations income. To me if the pastor is the wealthiest person in the church than something is definitely wrong.Growing up in the North where all of the pastors I knew of had another paying full-time to job to supplement there income.
As a Christian I am told to not let my good be evil spoken of-and also to be above reproach.In this case that would tell me to be open with my finances esp. to the people who are paying me(so to speak) to be their pastor.(I may add more to this depending on responses I get)....

2 comments:

Adie said...

I agree. It's not the state's business. Interesting how our government uses "Separation of Church and State", which, by the way, is NOT in the Constitution, to it's own advantage. When the Election Boards need large places to hold elections, what do they use? Churches. When public schools need large, indoor places to hold graduations, what do they use? Churches. When new churches need a place to meet, do public schools let them use their auditoriums? Often not.

By the way, I read your profile. I see one of your fav movies is "Into the Wild". I haven't seen it yet, but one of my favorite people is in it (sound only, his face ended up on the cutting room floor). Listen to the pipes...

DataLore said...

My parents attend a very large church that you are familiar with and 1 of the local high schools wanted to use their sanctuary for graduation.Thay wanted the cross up on the wall behind the pulpit covered up.The church said all or nothing.we are a church.
Are you saying thios person provided some music for the movie?I have to go rewatch it and listen for it..