Focused Study over Salary Issue of Seminary Students/Preachers in China Church

I know a brother who just graduated and came back from the bible school to serve his home church He has been entrusted with a heavy load of tasks to serve the church needs due to his academic background. Surely, this brother said yes to all the commitments ranging from preaching, leading bike study, hosting fellowship and the youth ministry to leading the worship ministry as he is capable of doing many tasks. When I asked about his salary in church, he was shaking his head inferring that he receives no pay from the church. I continued to question him," so are you just volunteering in church?" This brother just responded with a polite smile wit a trace of helplessness. In fact, this brother needs to support his wife and daughter at home, yet unable to receive any salary from the church.

I also know a sister who also just graduated from a Bible school and went back to serve her hometown church. I asked her on WeChat about whether her church gives her salary. But she replied that the church was in a financially difficult situation, therefore not able to provide salary for her. Then I questioned that how she could earn a living and she replied that ," I'm doing my part-time job now. But if the church needs me for any big or small matter, I'll make myself available as soon as possible." She also feels the pressure to do more work ranging from preaching, leading bible study, sharing session, prayer session and worship session as she's the role model in church. Sometimes she is even complaint by other church members as doing "too little" just because of his title as a bible school student graduate. She expressed that," my church only permits me to work, not to be fed." I was utterly speechless and shocked upon hearing her sharing.

A few days ago, I asked the following 3 questions to all my friends who have graduated from bible schools.

1. Has your church paid you salary for your ministry work?

Answer: Some say "No", while the rest who say "Yes" receive salary between 300-500 RMB/month.

2. If yes, is the salary sufficient to cover your daily needs?

Answer: Some say "No", while the rest who say "Yes" receive salary between 800- 1200 RMB.

3. Who has first brought up the topic of salary, you or your church?

Answer: either church brings up the topic or both parties have never brought up the topic before.

I also follow up with a question asking them about their church's financial situation. Shockingly, only 1 sister expresses her church's financially difficult situation. Therefore, I'm wondering why other churches still do not pay their full time workers despite its stable financial situation.

I then begin to wonder what exactly the church financial situation comes into light. My findings below surprise me utterly for a good 2-hour period.

Upon compiling the date, I begin to reflect upon the 10% tithe in church:

How many revenue streams does the church have?

1. Government subsidies (though I've only heard of government's support to certain religious tourist destination. In fact, the government has never subsidized or support church expenses or bible school students' school fees).

2. Donation from individual believers/companies.

3. Sub-church's tithe offering (e.g. a church of village level needs to hand over its tithe collected in church to its parent church in its county).

4. Church's extra income (e.g. church-run company, school, factory, souvenir shop, bookstore or clothing store).

Then what are the channels that church diverts its expenses to?

1. Church Re-building Plan. (Some churches kick of the re-building plan purely by faith without considering the financial viability of its plan. Thus, they may even assume that labours ought to build the church for them for free. As some leaders chase after the grand accomplishment of building the church to demonstrate its leadership achievement. As a result, many churches are heavily in-debt, spreading negative influence to the region nearby.

2. Upon the completion of the church buildings, one more issue arises as churches are unwilling to cater sufficient space and venues for training and disciplining centres due to cost consideration. Teachers' salaries become another source of headache that churches tend to avoid. As such, there has been lack of centralized resources in the churches that gather capable teachers to disciple more believers.

3. Utilities cost will not take up more than 5% of the church's income.

4. Church staff's welfare is compromised especially after the completion of rebuilding project that squeezes almost all of church's financial resources.

From the above charts, we realize that the reality of church worker's pay is far below the idealistic expectation of 10% of church's tithe collection. A county church cannot even sustain one bible school student as it provides 500-800 RMB to its church worker. A city church also only provides 1200-1500 RMB. Faced with this situation, church workers normally struggle with voicing out their desperate needs as this topic may lead others to believe that they are not spiritual. Though these workers have to look for a part-time job elsewhere to fill up the void, others will still judge them as "seeking the pleasure of the world."How difficult is the situation for the church workers!

When church is faced with the decision of picking one out of the choices of re-building its church or supporting its workers, it will more likely choose the re-building project as it never feels that workers will be lacking. Though a bible school graduate has left the church due to salary reason, there would be still other replacement for the post. However, this mindset would weaken the work standard in church in the long run. Once the church stops to safeguard the standard of its leaders and shepherds, the impact of leaders' service would be compromised for sure. Consequences such as unwise teaching leading to the spread of cult groups, believers' spiritual stagnancy, ministry's backsliding etc. In fact, bible school graduates are more trained in tackling these problems. They are the solid foundations of the church growth. If we allow these foundations to be taken away, the church would suffer from disastrous consequences as well. Thus, I sincerely plead with all churches that,"

Please take good care of these 'foundations of church" for the sake of our church body."

(The author of this article is  a believer from Lianzhuang Village, Henan Province)