Rich Preachers???

I sometimes wish I were in the position to walk away from money entirely. I'd rather go get my rice bowl and be begging with Ghandi, and maybe free up a few countries from their oppressors along the way, or better yet, hang out with Jesus and His disciples. Unfortunately, I was born 2,000 years too late for that particular gig, and I currently have four mostly disabled people living under my roof, dependent on a single pastor's salary. No complaints, here! There is a warmth when you've got one fire to cook on that isn't there when there's enough wood for everybody to stoke their own off in separate corners.

Fortunately, I have a wife who is our financial manager, which leaves my energies free to devote to ministry pursuits that don't involve $$$ signs. Those who post such things as this do make a point about the problem of a church that matches too nearly the values of its surrounding culture, rather than the gifting of the Spirit, in its man-made, church-style corporate ladders.

Some pastors worship golden calves still. Others are lucky to have a car at all, and currently have the same retirement plan as God provided for Moses and Aaron. I have a pastor friend in Africa who has 21 congregations, whom he often sees every week, by riding to them on his motor cycle. He's home two days a week with his new wife (his former wife died a few years back), and children.

I believe here in America we will have to learn and consciously adopt the ministry techniques of our fellow pastors in third world countries before we will be able to finish God's work here, too. Anybody interested in knowing more of how to actually achieve this, check the Facebook page "African and American Adventist Alliance", which the pastor I mentioned and I have been working to establish.

The basic idea is to link up pastors and districts from Africa with pastors and sister districts in America, and also principles and schools in Africa with pastors and sister schools in America, for the purpose of mutual prayer for each others work, the sharing of ministry ideas, cultural exchange, and such tangible assistance as either group can render to the other, as mediated through the pastor or principle involved.