The Shiny New Van
It pulled up next to the vehicle I was driving. At first, I did not notice how shiny it was. I did not notice for a minute how new it looked.
What caught my attention originally were the letters on the side of the van. Those letters spelled out the name of a congregation of the Lord’s people in our area. As I looked inside the van, I saw that one of the preachers for that congregation was driving and that the other preacher was in the passenger seat.
It is not unusual for people in the community in which these two men live to spend some time in one of the two hospitals in the community in which I live. That fact led me to assume that these two young men were in our community to visit one or more of their members who might have been in the hospital.
I was glad to see them. I was also pleased to see them in what I at least perceived was their role of ministering to some of the needs of the people with whom they worship and serve. Any man who spends any time in ministry will spend a significant amount of time “on the road” in an attempt to know and serve people.
As the shiny new van made its way to the next destination that these young men had in mind and I made my way to my next destination, my mind went back a few years. It went back to a phone call I received from a friend of mine asking me to go with him to look at a vehicle he was thinking about buying.
There were some factors that influenced my positive response to his request. Most importantly, this experience gave me an opportunity to be with my friend. Because of the busy schedules that both of us had at the time, that didn’t happen very often.
It is sad to me that we do not get to see each other now as often as we did then. That is due to the fact that he and his wife moved out of our area a couple of years or so ago.
You see, my friend used to be the preacher for the congregation that now has its name on the side of a shiny new van. For reasons unknown to me and are none of my business, it was apparently felt that a change was needed. The need for change meant that my friend and his wife needed to relocate.
Along with the change in the “ministry staff” of the congregation where my friend used to preach, there must have also been a change in attitude. At least that is what I thought when I saw that shiny new van.
The vehicle I went with my friend to look at was a used vehicle. Used vehicles were the only kind of vehicles I have ever known about him and his wife having. Used, personal vehicles were all he used during his approximately twenty years with that congregation. There was no shiny new van provided for him to drive.
I have no problem with the congregation allowing their new ministers to have a nice vehicle to use. I just wish that this had been the case for my friend.
Please read the next couple of paragraphs before you read anything else.
The fact that I noticed the “new wheels” provided for the new preachers may be indicative of a lot of things. If I know my heart at all, though, that fact does not indicate that I am an old, bitter preacher who feels that he has been mistreated during his ministry. While it is definitely true that I am no longer young, it is not true that I am bitter and/or that I feel that I spent my life being mistreated by my brethren. I have been blessed in so many ways by my Lord and by my brethren.
The fact that I am commenting on what I saw also does not indicate that I think that the church is going to the dogs because younger men are now preaching where older men used to preach. I am thankful for those who are younger who will faithfully “carry the torch” long after some of us older ones are gone.
This is not about me in any sense. Since I no longer preach full-time, as the saying goes, I no longer have a dog in that hunt.
What I am thinking about are preacher-congregation relationships in general. Specifically, I am thinking about men who have spent a number of years with one particular congregation. It seems that it is almost inevitable that his replacement will receive more financial support, encouragement for new programs, “perks,” etc. than he has had.
How many times has the following scenario played itself out?
- A preacher is told something like, “We are sorry, but we just can’t afford to provide any more financial support for you.”
- The preacher leaves for either financial or personal reasons (or both).
- The leadership experiences “sticker shock” when they find out what the current “going rate” is for preachers.
- “Mysteriously,” additional funds are found in the budget for increased financial support, equipment, etc. for “the new guy.”
May I ask my friends who are in leadership positions in congregations to consider something? May I ask all of the members of those congregations to consider the same thing?
If you have a man who is sound in the faith and dedicated to the Lord and your congregation, please do your best to show your appreciation for him and to him – and his family. If you are going to stretch the budget, why not do so for a man you know who has given you years of service instead of a man you are just getting to know and are just hoping will be helpful for the congregation?
In the corporate/business/educational world, it is a fairly common practice for older, experienced personnel to be dismissed in order to hire younger, less experienced people. Usually, the rationale is that the younger people can be employed for less money than is being paid to those who are older. As I understand it, there is sometimes an expensive “buyout” that is still better for the bottom line than would be the case if the older employees continued their employment.
Why is it the case that, in the church, just the opposite is often true? It seems that, in many cases among God’s people, the “logic” goes something like this:
“We don’t need to worry about increasing brother ________’s financial support. He seems to have been pleased when he came here and it seems like he still is. I expect at least a cost of living increase where I work, but I guess he does not expect that. He’s never said anything.”
Once the relationship no longer exists, the “logic” often changes to:
“Now, that brother ____________ is gone, we need to spend whatever it takes and do whatever we need to do to get this new man. We don’t really know him, but we’ve heard a lot of good things about him.”
It is my prayer that God will help all of us to include preachers and their support in the admonition to give “…honor to whom honor is owed” (Rom. 13:7, ESV) – regardless of age or length of service.
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
