An interesting article here on ministers and ethics raised these major issues:

• The tax break for ministers (also for military officers) is a privilege, not a right. Ministers should be grateful for this deduction and also understand the government that provided it, has the right to interpret and even remove it.
• The housing allowance originated when most churches owned parsonages. Ministers then would have difficulty, especially with their meager salaries, paying additional taxes on this church owned property.
• This tax law allows ministers to exclude what for most is about 25% of their taxable income; thus most ministers pay income taxes on the remaining 75%. The law was not intended to allow or encourage ministers to claim most of their income as non-taxable. (A certain well-known minister claimed 80% in 1995—100% earlier).
• Most significantly for Christian ministers, how can our lifestyle in affluent America reflect the example of Jesus. If I live in a luxurious home that only the upper 5% in America can afford, and I work to avoid paying taxes on my six figure salary, what does that say about my values? What does this also say to the majority of ministers who make less than adequate salaries and do pay their fair share of taxes?
• “You cannot serve God and wealth,” warned Jesus (Mt. 6:24). Paul added, “Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due” (13:7). Paul’s words included both sales tax and the hated tribute tax. Even to a pagan government the Christian citizen had a responsibility.

Although tempting, this isn’t a reaction to certain events in Arizona. Any connection made is your own idea, not mine. This is just some observations of various ministers throughout the US. Some I have seen directly, others I have not.

My old church in NC, the ministers lived in an exclusive neighborhood in big homes. One of the ministers was on track to no longer take a salary from the church, so I didn’t begrudge him. Some of the others, though, I wondered how they paid for it. At the time, I didn’t know that the minister and his wife both took salaries.

A nationally famous Texas minister drives an expensive car, lives a rich lifestyle, and wears gold chains. He doesn’t believe that it is wrong to be successful.

The aforementioned California minister that made 100K in 1995 and tried to claim almost 80K as housing allowance.

My present minister lives in a home assessed at 114K. My wife and I together make more than he does, much more. We have no children and he has two.

As far as me, I make 48K a year. (I work for a school, so it’s public record.) I have done some noble things like refuse help from the church to attend two ITS events. I also do not charge the church for their webspace. But I also own a 2001 Cadillac Catera. When I first arrived, most people said, “nice car”. I felt guilty sometimes having it around, but my more recent aggravation with it is not my appearance of wealth, but difficulty with expense and parts. I live in a fancy apartment on the rich side of town.

My first job after college paid $5.85/hr, but I left making almost $9 two years later. I began my career as a schoolteacher making $17,600 in 1997. I graduated up to $20,000 as a Jr. Tech writer a year later. Before I left that company to move to Nebraska 4.5 years later, I was making $45K as a DBA. I started here making 40K as Help Desk Specialist, now I’m an analyst making 48k.

My happiest days came when I got a huge raise to 30K. I had a good little Pontiac Grand Am that worked okay and I lived in a small house with two roomates. I could finally pay my bills and have left over money for savings and fun. Now, six years later, I make much more and I feel like I don’t make enough. When did I complicate my life so much?

I did it when I decided that $1100 for rent wasn’t bad. I did it when I decided that a $27,000 car was better than a $14,000 car. I did it when I decided that I could eat in resturants more often than cook at home. In short, I gave in to the temptation of materialism. I bought the lie that more is better and more expensive is better.

I would gladly give it all up to have a job I love and have my wife stay at home with our baby, but it’s hard. I went looking for apartments that would save us money and I discovered that I had become a snob along the way. I think that I cannot start my own business without a year’s salary in the bank (at present salary). I have to have a washer and dryer in the apartment. I have to have 1000 square feet. For what? Magazines I never read? Crates of books? I used to be able to fit all my earthly belongings into a Ford Escort, now I have trouble with a 10 foot U-Haul. When did I decide that I need all this stuff?

I have recently wanted to be a teaching minister, or at least a school teacher again. However, I think that I cannot because the salary would be a double digit cut. I regret that making a set amount of money has become more important. I mean, if my church offered to hire me tomorrow, would I refuse it because it would be a 30 – 40% paycut? My current minister has taken more than that and he hasn’t quit.

In any case, I say all this because I understand how it can happen.

I understand how buying a 300K home is justified because I would be heading that way if my wife wasn’t pregnant. I understand how 100K is no longer enough, even 200K. I recently figured that if I got a second place winning ticket in the Powerball, that I could spend the entire 100K on car payments, student loans (not mine), repair on my stuff and other misc things and still be little better off than I am now. I actually figured that I’d have to win the Powerball to be well-off, and not the 10 million minum prize, either. It had to be 40 million dollars minimum to be worth winning. What kind of warped thinking is that? When did the minimum price of financial independence become FORTY MILLION DOLLARS?

So believe me when I say that a minister with a million dollar home, or an upper class home with a chandelier, or two homes worth over a quarter-million each should be ashamed of themselves. I’m ashamed of where my thoughts have been leading. Why on earth would a minister that makes more than 95% of the people in their congregation feel the need to buy a bigger house? How can you minister to a church where some members are poor while you drive a Porsche?

I’ve seen many minister in the higher eschelons of the ICC live in luxury. Who pays for all their flights to monthly conferences on both coasts? I know of one minister that billed back airfare on trips taken for free on frequent flyer miles. I know of other ministers, ICC ministers, than spoke at conferences in vacation resorts, received an honorarium, and still billed the expenses, though they stayed for several days on vacation. There are elders and lead evangelists that get paid six figures, even under new salary structures, and yet this doesn’t seem to be enough. Peh! Jesus was homeless at times. Even when financed by rich women, he still did not live in luxury and comfort. I do not believe it is proper that those that set themselves up as leaders should be above the teacher. I don’t beleve in a vow of poverty, but I don’t believe in multiple homes, either. I don’t believe it proper for me, either.

Thoreau cried out, ‘simplify, simplify’ and I believe it is time that I did. More on this later. Feel free to ask me about it.