Unpaid Pastors May Be 'Future Of The Church' For Protestant Congregations

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/unpaid-priests-protestants_n_3943828.html

Religion News Service | By Jeffrey Macdonald
Posted: 09/18/2013 6:19 am EDT



(RNS) The 50 members of All Saints Episcopal Church in Hitchcock, Texas, are looking forward to December, when Mark Marmon will be ordained their priest.

One reason for the excitement? They won’t have to pay him.

A 57-year-old fly fishing guide, Marmon, whose wife is a lawyer, says he doesn’t want or need a church salary. He belongs to a growing breed of mainline Protestant clergy who serve congregations in exchange for little or no compensation.

“We’re the frontline,” Marmon said. “If it weren’t for us, these churches would just roll up and die.”

more at link

[kwassa]

1. Many churches will roll up and die anyway.

Particularly the small churches in rural areas where many of the young people have simply left. The average age of parishioners is so high that the church will age out of existence in 20 years.

[cbayer]

2. I think they will adapt as they always have.

This is one of those trends. I think young people are leaving because their churches have not evolved, but they will start new ones and do things differently.

If I were a betting person, I would put significant money against your prediction that churches will be out of existence in 20 years.

[kwassa]

8. I don't think that the denominations will disappear.

I think specific church congregations will disappear, and the church buildings will be put to other uses. The major denominations will be greatly reduced in numbers. There are many church buildings in urban areas that have been either sold to different religious groups, or used for different purposes, as clubs, or residences, or simply abandoned in areas of great urban decay.

I do think there will be more alternative and newer forms of worship that might involve younger participants that have a completely different look that current worship.

Here are some interesting examples of re-purposed churches.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/29873/11-new-uses-old-churches

and here is a quote from another article:

Empty and decaying churches have long been a problem for the Church of England. Between 2001 and 2011 the proportion of people in England and Wales describing themselves as Christian fell from 72% to 59%, with an especially steep decline outside London. At St Germans, the average Sunday congregation hovers between 12 and 20 people. Since 1980 the Church of England has closed 1,074 churches, 7% of the current total. Most have been converted into flats, particularly in London and other big cities. Some have become carpet warehouses, restaurants or rehearsal venues. One was converted into a circus school, another into part of a library for an Oxford college.

http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21570715-there-growing-determination-keep-churches-use-if-only-one-day-week-fit-new

[hrmjustin]

3. We can't do this in my parish because living in NYC life is expensive.

[cbayer]

4. I don't think it is likely to happen in large congregations.

The workload is just too demanding.

But in smaller, more rural communities, I can see how it would be a relatively part time job and the minister could earn money another way.

I think it may also break down some of the hierarchy, which could be a good thing.

[hrmjustin]

5. I hope it keeps parishes alive longer.

[cbayer]

6. And I hope it helps them change with the times.

[hrmjustin]

7. Time will tell. It is a shame that many rural parishes carry the burden of dying parishes.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. Some churches want to exploit volunteers or others.

They don't want to pay professionally trained musicians either. They want it to be a donation when it is the musician's only income. I know someone with a B.Mus. and a M.Mus. who is an excellent organist, and is constantly fighting to earn enough money to pay the bills.

[cbayer]

10. If someone volunteers, that's not exactly exploitation.

Here's the bottom line. If the congregation wants services that they can only get for a fee, they have to pay for it by making donations.

Then people will say that the church is fleecing the congregants for money.

They can't win with some people Damned if they do and damned if they don't.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

11. For musicians, it is their profession.

My friend the church organist has fought against the "he should be donating his talents in the service of the Lord" mentality, when it's his profession and he has to pay bills like everyone else. Besides, he has a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree so he's spent years becoming an excellent musician.

He may have quit playing at churches completely, due to burnout. He usually plays Bach at the recessional and improvises just like a jazz musician, which is what a well trained classical organist should be able to do. He has another job as an announcer at a classical radio station.

I have never heard anyone complain about paying musicians or other staff. And I've been paid for playing violin at Christmas Eve and Easter services in churches.

I was once music director of a small Unitarian fellowship, and discovered that after I spent the money I was allowed to on sheet music, that the elderly woman who was the regular piano player was the real power, and I wasn't really allowed to do anything. Church politics.

I was told that "this congregation is not interested in choral music" and what did she do? She got them to spend several thousand dollars (probably $20K) on a nice grand piano. I had been playing on a not terribly good upright piano, and attempting to get a choir together, which was rejected by some board member. So much for trying to add beautiful sound and something positive to a Sunday service.

[cbayer]

12. For ministers it is generally their profession as well, but

the money has to come from somewhere if they are going to get paid.

Your friend can either choose to donate his time and talents, start a fundraising project to fund his work or go elsewhere, if there are not the funds to pay him.

Some churches have a big enough and financially stable enough congregation to pay their staff. Others do not.

And some churches place a very high value on the music, while others do not.

I will not argue that church politics do not play a role - they certainly do, as they do in most organizations.