Adelaide Chapter

Competing for the Christian dollar, by Dr Kevin Rogers, 10th October 2024

November 16, 2024

The apostle Paul encouraged believers to work with their hands so that they could give to those who are in need.

However, much of our giving supports church ministry, particularly paying the wages of full-time Christian workers. In addition, there are numerous para-church organizations who frequently appeal for money to support their ministry. There is a lot of competition for the Christian dollar. Is financial support for Christian ministry diverting funds away from the poor?

Paul says that gospel workers deserve financial support, but he did not exercise that right. Paul and his co-workers worked with their hands to supply for their own needs and offered the gospel free of charge. They did this to not be a burden on anyone and to be an example to others. And what was Jesus’ approach? This presentation also covers the historical development of church organisations from

• voluntary shared leadership from elders, to

• power and control centred on the bishop.

This was changed somewhat during the reformation, with emphasis on the priesthood of all believers, but do we have the balance right, and should unpaid lay Christians be more involved in church ministry rather than relying on the minister/pastor to do it on our behalf?

The presentation is pulish on YouTube.

Dr Kevin Rogers is the director of Reasonable Faith Adelaide. After a 40-year engineering career, he was a Research Fellow and lecturer with the University of South Australia but is now mainly retired.