{"id":385,"date":"2011-08-17T19:20:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-17T19:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heavenslight.org\/?p=385"},"modified":"2011-08-17T19:20:00","modified_gmt":"2011-08-17T19:20:00","slug":"heavens-light-8-17-11-dont-make-your-pastor-a-statistic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavenslight.org\/index.php\/2011\/08\/17\/heavens-light-8-17-11-dont-make-your-pastor-a-statistic\/","title":{"rendered":"Heavens Light 8-17-11 Don’t Make Your Pastor a Statistic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dear Heavens Light folks,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

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I thought this would be a good guest post for Heavens Light…. May you make your pastor’s work a joy and not a grief!<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

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Don’t Make Your Pastor a Statistic?<\/a><\/o:p><\/h1>\n

By Thabiti Anyabwile<\/a><\/span><\/cite> | 5.25.2011<\/i><\/span>Print<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>\n

This past Lord’s Day, I had the privilege of preaching 1 Timothy 5:17-20<\/a>. "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’ Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning."<\/em><\/o:p><\/p>\n

It was an honor to preach this passage to a congregation that has been full of love, support, and encouragement to me and my family these past five years. There was great liberty in unfolding text without fear of being misunderstood, without need of rebuking the people, and withut having to fight against an impulse to complain or to pander because we’ve been treated with "double honor" since arriving. What a blessing!<\/o:p><\/p>\n

But if I am to believe some of the survey statistics published on pastors and their view towards the ministry, the vast majority of my fellow pastors do not feel this way and are not receiving proper care from their people. Consider these figures compiled by the Schaeffer Institute<\/a>:<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Hours and Pay<\/o:p><\/p>\n