Many pastors face a common fear. Sometimes the fear strikes when looking at the annual budget. Sometimes it happens during the morning offering. Other times, it occurs when he looks at his own household budget. It’s a fear that everyone faces, not just pastors. Where is the money going to come from? What if we have to give up our building? Will I be able to provide for my family if my salary gets cut? Pastors tend to respond to the pressure in different ways.
Wrong Responses
The problem of sinking budgets [link] and lack of giving is very real. What are some common, yet wrong responses to this problem?
- Leaving the ministry. One of easiest responses is to simply leave the ministry. Pastors are among the most highly trained yet underpaid professionals. Why not find better compensation in some other line of work?
- Despairing. A pastor may not come to the point of leaving the ministry, but he may fall into despair. This is otherwise known as worry, fretting, stressing out, and being anxious. The Bible categorizes these attitudes as sin. They are not the right response.
- Nagging. As the title of this article suggests, some pastors turn into full-time tithing naggers. For this pastor, each week, he somehow slips in the subject of “tithing,” “offering,” “contribution,” or “cheerful giving.” It ends up as the application of every sermon, the prayer before the offering, and the subject of the announcements. Not good. Nagging is not considered to be one of the methods for growing your church. In fact, it will do the opposite. It alienates, infuriates, and agonizes everyone in your congregation.
Foundational Principles
It’s important to realize some foundational principles from the Bible that address this situation. No, these are not techniques for ramping up the giving or building a wealthy church. Rather, these are commands or promises from God’s Word that address the problem of a lack of giving.
- Man is not to be feared. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Prov. 29:25). Fearfulness is paralysis. It is damaging to fall into the trap of fearing men. This principle is so important because many pastors refuse to speak on the subject of giving because they fear that they will alienate their congregations. Rather than teach the biblical truth about giving, they instead choose to avoid the subject altogether. Often, this avoidance may be the fear of man.
- God will provide. “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-33). Be reminded of the providence of God. He will take care of you. He never has budget cuts or financial shortages, and He knows your situation.
- Pray. “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power” (James 5:16). God uses trials to push us closer to Him. He uses trials to increase our faith and improve our prayers. Be reminded that God wants you to pray to him in every situation you face.
Practical Advice
- Preach faithfully. The best antidote is faithful preaching of the Word. If the Bible says it, you should preach it. Do not shrink from the subject of giving, but carefully, lovingly, and occasionally inform them of what the Bible says. Done properly, this will not come across as nagging. It is important that the pastor proclaim to his people the truths of God’s Word.
- Bring in outside help. One way to extricate the pastor from the difficulty of always addressing tithing is to bring in outside help. It makes a difference when someone else reinforces the pastor’s preaching, or provides practical instruction on handling finances. Hosting financial seminars, small group studies, or special classes on the subject is a great place to start.
- Consider other options. In a recent post, we surveyed nine ways that you can increase the giving of your congregation. Check these out and see which ones you may be able to introduce into your church.
You don’t have to be a nagging pastor. You ought to be a faithful pastor. Rather than leave the ministry, nag your people, or despair you can bravely face the future trusting the God who is infinitely rich. He responds to prayer. He wants to be trusted.