Posted by Joe Baker on April 17, 2001 at 13:49:47:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Easter Gig Stories? posted by Joe S. on April 16, 2001 at 18:54:26:
Yup. Provocative.
You provoke me to agree with durn near everything you say! I'm like Tom, I'd never take money for doing a church service, but that's MY choice, because I believe that my talent, such as it is, belongs to God (and I am able to make a nice living without compensation from my church -- that is a relevant fact). I'd not presume, nor do I necessarily think Tom was presuming, to tell others that they should do the same. Our church pays staff because they are engaging in their profession; however, they generally receive pay that is below average for their education level. They accept this because they feel called to do so. To ASSUME others should make the same sacrifice is wrong. It's okay to ask a person to work for a reduced fee (or no fee, in some cases), but it's also okay when that person declines.
But there is one thing I'll have to disagree with you about. Much of the office work, janitoring, and traffic directing in my church is done by folks like me, with expertise to offer and a desire to serve, and without compensation.
A fact that charges this issue emotionally is the AMOUNT of money involved. I'd daresay that, when part-time outsiders or full-time staff ARE hired to do those other jobs (Easter sunday or not), none of them get $500 for a morning's work. I have no complaints about the deal you've made, because it was mutually agreeable to you and the church that hired you. THAT deal is none of my business WHAT-SO-EVER. But if *MY* church were spending that kind of money, given by *ME*, on an orchestra to entertain the Christmas-&-Easter-only crowd, instead of helping the poor or spreading the gospel, I'd be looking for another church, and saving my offerings up until I found one.
Joe "No stones to throw at consenting adults" Baker