Financial and Stewardship Reasons

I guess I'd better apply for Todd's job (I'd link it here, but apparently it has diapppeared from the Reporter's website), since I'm not going to get paid for my own job. (I can hear the wheedling voice now saying, "My dear, sarcasm does not become you.")

No, this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that any church in the LC-MS hasn't been able to pay their church workers on time--this is the first time it's happened to me. I know that you can't use money that's not there, nor would it be a good idea to borrow what can't be paid back, but why balance the budget on the backs of the servants? Sure, the electric company needs to be paid, as well as the gas and such, but just as the church needs to pay their bills, so do the workers. Gas prices aren't going down, and the teachers still need to get to work.

In these economic times, sure, things will be tough. I know that gas and food prices are up, and the dollar is weak. I know that people aren't putting into the offering plate enough to fund all things that need to be funded; of course, we are paying $25,000 in Ablaze! funds to underwrite a congregation so that they can have enough money for offensive billboards. . . (Bean counters and nit-pickers, please take note: I did NOT say that the money was spent for the billboards--I was merely pointing out that Ablaze! funds went to the congregation so that they would have enough money from their other funds for the billboard ad campaign. We need to free up advertising funds, you know.) Meanwhile, struggling congregations can't pay salaries because they aren't thinking up schlock to sucker the people into giving up their time and money for Satan signs and sex sermon series.

Seems to me that our money can be better spent elsewhere--like giving our servants a liveable wage--not $5,000 and a side of beef.