The key words are "he that is a hireling". I do not think that the text there is referring to "anyone who is paid". We are also to be 'stewards', and servants', and these can also be paid positions. As I said, I have never sat under a pastor who did not give himself whole-heartedly to the people. The more common fault I heard expressed was pastors (and missionaries as well) who gave so much of themselves that they lost their own children. But that can happen to a lay-minister as well.Josh wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2024 9:43 pm If you change the thinking of conservative Anabaptists, they won’t be conservative anymore. For an obvious example of this, in the CMC/RNoC, congregations have transitioned to paying their pastors. It is a useful case study to learn the changes this brings about.
The term “hireling” comes from scripture:
“But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”
The process of hiring and and paying a pastor results in, well, a hireling. A church puts together a pastoral search committee. Candidates are selected and invited to come. They usually preach a sermon. Then the congregation or board votes on whom they like best, and a job offer with a salary is made.
I am not acquainted with the candidating procedures in other conferences or congregations, but in the MB setting, there is never any comparison being made between two or more potential pastors. One man is asked to come, then only if the congregation does not extend a call to him is another man contacted. Never any comparison. (Also, the church board, or a separately selected "pulpit committee" has already gone to visit the congregation where the possible candidate is currently pastor, and have heard him preach, and have generally also visited with him concerning his vision, etc., all before a request to come visit is extended.)
One solution I would, and have suggested, is to free the pastor of all responsibilities pertaining to the physical plant - the church building and decisions about the church school if there is one, the parking lot and the church sign, etc. They were chosen to do spiritual ministry, not be weighted down with trivial questions about the church house, rather to be concerned with the building that is the House of God, the CHURCH. And there IS actually some Scripture about that - the apostles were unwilling to take time away from the spiritual ministry laid on them by Jesus, to serve tables. That too is a noble and necessary task, and one that is also Christian service. Look at the requirements they listed for those 7 men.
