Funeral Love Offerings - Fake Pastors - Max Bauer

Well said! Amen! God Almighty bless you.

Dear Max, Usually I wouldn't speak out on these things. However, there are some real issues here. The first is that most larger churches will have allocated a pastor's salary. Though this is often not really representative of the hours a pastor puts in, which is usually 80+ hours a week for His congregation. In the past, a pastor would be glad if a church provided a place for him to live, and enough food for he and his family to live on. For more than 30 years I was a church planter who raised enough money to go into an area to build congregations. There was no set salary, and often I gave money out of my own pocket to take care of issues the people in my church had. There were times I had to be bi-vocational to continue serving my congregation. It's very hard to characterize a pastor. You're right, there are charlatans out there, but there are also men who are broken hearted, faithful and godly as well. I never asked for a fee, or an offering to perform a wedding, or funeral, but if one came I praised God because this might have meant I could buy shoes for my children, or put food on our table the next day

Hi Max, I'm retired now, but over the thirty year period as an active pulpit pastor, founding fifteen different churches, not one of these churches was ever able to pay me a living wage. While building and strengthening these churches I was also mentoring, and I still am mentoring leadership to become deacons and evangelists, finding, or training pastors to take my place. I trained them one by one, schooling them at their own expense, preparing them for difficult circumstances, and after moving on, i would come back from time to time, or send someone to check on them, or call them together to make sure that they were doing well. Also,i made sure that they could keep in touch, if they needed me. In my area, the only mega church that you've described is a Calvary Chapel. The average church has between 100 to 200 people. Actually though, even a JP would expect an honorarium to perform a service. I think the going rate for them is up to $200 and there is no grief counseling, or hand holding, or management of the services. Pastors are expected to provide these things as a matter of course. For a wedding, you need to add in pre-marital counseling, and wedding practices as well. Though I never asked for honorariums, in such cases, we are there for the three AM calls from shattered and hurting people, or dealing with domestic problems after the wedding. Though I never asked for one, and gifts were gratefully received, I wouldn't fault the pastor for asking for an honorarium. He's worked for it and deserves it. He's not like the Justice of The Peace who comes, says a few words, perhaps signs his name on the dotted line and then leaves. After all, the laborer is worthy of his hire.

Max-This question you've asked is insane! Please explain? Max Bauer said

"Do you ask your children to pay you $200 to attend their funeral?"

I'm 76 years old Max. This is a new one on me.

Max wrote-
"Do you ask friends and family to pay $200 for you to attend their funeral? Or do you just do it out of respect?

Shouldn't a pastor do it out of respect for a lost brethren?"
Hi Max,
I don't think you've understood much of anything I've written. Since I entered the ministry I've never asked anyone to give me anything for services rendered as payment or a gift or honorarium. It's been my privilege to be of service. Christ came, not only to provide life and hope for us, to purchase our salvation, as the Servant of God and Man, but He also taught us to serve others in their need out of love for God and His Creation. God has led me to a Faith Life, and from time to time, He has laid it on the hearts of others to gift us with funding to survive and meet our needs.
If I've been able, I've gone anywhere to do what God has led people to ask me to help with. Sometimes I've had to tell them that funding was tight, whereupon they've volunteered to set up or provided transportation, housing and food so that I've been able to go, but I've never asked for anything. This happened the lady time I went to Korea. Not only did they provide everything we needed but have me $3000 to aid with our work here.
Once I went to Los Angeles for a conference. As I arrived there,I called Home, only to find out that one of my Foster Children's mother had been murdered. I immediately checked out of my hotel room, drove back to Salt Lake, to counsel the family for about four hours and then drive up to South Pass to rescue four people whose bus had broken down. By the time I arrived back in Salt Lake I'd driven more than 2400 miles almost non-stop, with the exception of the time spent counseling, pit stops, and three hours of cat naps. Tell me, who, but a dedicated pastor or intimately connected family member have done it expecting nothing in return but hoping for a thank you.
Actually, if I had thought you'd actually read and understood what I'd written earlier, I'd have been offended by your question. It is my hope that you've begun to feel the heart of a dedicated pastor here. Yes I know that there are fraud and crafts out there, but I sure you that I'm not one of them