Pastors are not immune to financial struggles, and sometimes they seek help from others in their social circles. You may find a pastor who knows you coming to ask for money because he is not doing well financially. But when a pastor keeps coming to you for financial help, what should you do? Pastor Keeps Asking for Money?
Most all Preachers I know are not Preaching for money – The are doing it from their love of God’s Children – to Seek and save the lost
This is a question that many Christians are asking because they don’t want to feel like they are not supporting the man of God when he is in trouble. The only problem is that when the pastor keeps asking for money, this is an issue that you should address to prevent it from escalating and destroying your relationship with him.
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What Should you do if a Pastor Keeps Asking you for Money?
It is okay for the pastor to come to you one time to ask for financial help, but when he keeps coming all the time, you need to deal with the situation. The points below will shed light on what you can do when faced with this tricky situation.
Be Honest and Evaluate the Situation
- Compare his Salary to the Average Church member
- Evaluate the churches finance – can they afford to pay a minister
- Has emergency situations come up ( Hospital, College, Family emergencies, etc) That he may need help with
- Is this a Monthly Problem, or one-time crisis
- Is Church Finances dwindling and it is flowing downhill to the ministers pay
- Many Preachers are very meek and forgiving – are they suffering due to no fault of their own.
1. Pray for Wisdom
Prayer will always lead you in the right direction. God will give you the wisdom you need to know how to deal with the situation.
James 1:5 says that if you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who will give it to you.
God will guide you on what to say to your pastor and how to express yourself in a way that he will understand your point of view. Wisdom will go a long way in ensuring that you don’t burn bridges with your pastor because you will be running into him a lot. Acting wisely will save you from a lot of trouble with your pastor.
2. Book an appointment with your pastor
Once you have prayed and God has given you the wisdom you need, book an appointment with your pastor so that you can discuss the issue with him. You can let him know that you have a private matter to discuss and it will not take long. Look for a time when the pastor is not busy and the most appropriate place to hold the meeting. You will definitely want to address the matter when the two of you are not in a hurry.
Some Solutions
- Take a One Time Contribution
- Ask the Flock if they could increase their Contributions to cover his wages
- Ask other Congregations to help ( Missionary Spirit)
- See If Preacher could get a part/Time Job or possibly his spouse ( For a short Time until Flock grows to cover Salary.
- Ask Individual Members if they personally can help.
- If Pastor is needing help handling Money get him that training.
- Plowing forward, Jesus has promised to provide.
- Establish a Finance Ministry – with this gift – that they may handle and raise the funds if needed.
Matthew 6: 25 ff, 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Leadership Cast a Vision – People love to help, give, participate with leadership that knows where it is going
3. Explain How you Feel
Once you sit down to have your meeting with the pastor, let him know that you understand what he is going through, and you empathize with him. Explain that you are willing to help, but you are concerned that he keeps coming to you for money, and that you are no longer in a position to help. You can ask him to seek the help of the other pastors to sort out any financial problem he may be having.
Show your pastor that the best thing to do is to turn to his fellow pastors who can come up with a lasting solution to his problem. Choose your words carefully and be gentle with your responses.
Most Ministers Gifts lay in Teaching and Evangelism – not necessarily organization, handling money – They may need your help to come up beside them and help in this area. – Jesus had women that followed closely his work, it is thought that they were financially backing his and his disciple’s ministry
4. Offer to Stand with Your Pastor
Even though you are not able to give your pastor any more money, you can offer to be there for him in prayer. By praying for him, you will be asking God to intervene in the situation. When we are not able to help others with anything material in nature, we can pray for them so that God can meet their need. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray for the saints because God knows that each of us needs prayers especially when we cannot pray for ourselves.
1″8 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
5. What if the Situation Persists?
If you find that your pastor still comes to you for money despite having a candid conversation with him, it is time to take further action steps. You can talk to one of the other pastors in your church and explain your situation to them. They will be in a position to help you because they serve together with the pastor that has been asking you for money.
Depending on the Structure of your Church, you can meet with
- Meet with the Eldership
- Meet with the Finance Ministry
- Meet with the treasurer
- Meet with the Church
Follow their guidance on what you can do. If they summon you and the said pastor for a joint meeting, be sure to show up so that you can iron out any issues. The other pastors need to hear both sides of the story so that they can make an informed decision.
I have had some of the best godly solutions from brainstorming sessions and listening to God speaking through his children
Dave Ramsey Financial Class
Dave has put together financial programs to help individuals in getting a handle on their finances. He has written Books, “Financial Peace university” He also has a DVD series, Our Leadership bought the whole program and show it to our whole church. It was very beneficial to everyone in helping them to handle and understand money from a biblical perspective.
I also with Dave’s Permission used his finance program for one of our mission trips. We shoed one of his DVD’s esch night. the Church was packed. The average wage in our mission field there was approximately $20 per week.
6. Don’t Feel Guilty for Speaking Up
It may be hard to address such a sensitive matter with your pastor, but that should not leave you feeling guilty because of doing it. It is only a matter of time before you have to confront your pastor and iron out the issue. Your pastor is only human and is not perfect and by raising the issue with him, you have done nothing wrong. It is better than trying to avoid him when your paths cross.
Best to Deal with Things Quickly
Many times it is in our human nature to put things off. We Hope that the Issues will resolve themselves. Sometimes patience does prevail. I have usually found it is best, to be honest, and deal with issues quickly. They have a tendency to swell and get worse, it can flow into many of our flock.
7. Your Relationship with the Pastor May Change
Once you address the issue with your pastor, he may or may not take the issue well. He is only human at the end of the day. Not everyone responds well to being confronted with an issue they would rather not deal with. If your pastor takes your meeting with him the wrong way, he may not be enthusiastic about your friendship. Understand that your friendship with him will change and that is okay. It may even come to an end depending on your pastor’s personality. As long as you handled the issue the right way, you have nothing to fear. Things don’t always turn out the way we want.
It is always best to handle all things seasoned with love. I have seen many relationships that started in differences – become the strongest of relationships
Ephesians 4: 6, 6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.“
What Does the Bible Say About Preachers Asking for Money
! The topic of preachers and money can sometimes be a bit touchy, right? It’s something many people have strong feelings about, and the Bible has been a go-to source for insights on this issue. Let’s explore three Bible verses often cited when talking about what the Good Book says regarding preachers and finances:
1. 1 Timothy 5:17-18
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages.'”
This passage suggests that those who work hard at preaching and teaching should be financially supported for their efforts. It’s often cited to argue that it’s Biblical for preachers to receive financial compensation.
2. 2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
This verse emphasizes the attitude behind giving. While it’s not directly about preachers asking for money, it’s often used to stress the importance of the congregation giving willingly and cheerfully, without feeling pressured.
3. Matthew 10:7-10
“As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.”
In this passage, Jesus instructs his disciples to focus on their mission and trust that their needs will be met. The last part, “for the worker is worth his keep,” is often cited as a justification for financial support of preachers, albeit in a setting where the focus is clearly on the work of the ministry.
Each of these verses can shed light on the complex relationship between faith leaders and financial support. Like many topics, this one has layers, and these verses provide points to consider rather than straightforward answers. Still, they are a great starting point for a balanced discussion! 😊📖💰
Final Thoughts
It is not easy to address an issue with your pastor because you want to be sure that you are respecting him and the calling upon his life. Remember that God is there to guide your steps as you deal with the issue at hand. It is when you have a conversation with your pastor about him borrowing money from you that you will avoid harboring resentment toward him. It will keep your relationship with him healthy.