Preacher's Progress: Ministerial Moonlighting

Twenty-eight dollars a week, plus a monthly pittance rent and car allowance, was the total financial investment the church made in my wife and me when we began our ministry. I say our ministry, for a dedicated minister's wife is a true minis­ter in every sense of the word! Purchasing power of the penny during those World War II years was far greater than today, but the increase in salary and subsidies more than offset the devaluation trend. In other words, the preacher today is getting more financial help by any comparison than he did twenty-five years ago!

In spite of this, there seems to be a peculiar attitude on the part of some who constantly cry for more money. In fact; I think there is more time spent dwelling on the dollar than ever before. If we get to heaven, where the dollar dis­appears, there is going to be a considerable section of va­cant time that will need fill­ing in with something be­sides talk rela­tive to wages.

Deplorable as it is, some men follow worldly trends and are "moon­lighting," which is a rather exotic label for side lines. The variety of side lines is inter­esting. Permit me to mention a few. It was my questionable privilege to follow a min­ister in a certain district whose yard looked like a used-car lot. Cars were at a premium, and this fellow, one among many during those years, used his rank as clergyman to secure hard-to-get autos, and then sold them for a pretty profit. Every car dealer in town knew this preacher. Ingathering time re­vealed their disgust in more than one way. I came to the conclusion that the car deal­er's prayer for this poor fellow was the reversal of that for Abu Ben Adam, or—"May his tribe DECREASE!"

Of course, there were some in those days who thought it awful to make a quick dollar through automobiles, so they chose other methods. Strange how righteous in­dignation can scorn one form of moon­lighting but be blind to another!

Specializes in Weddings and Funerals

Take the man with the private printing press and mimeographing machine. Amaz­ing how some important sermon or Spirit of Prophecy compilation needs to get into the hands of the people—at a profit, of course! Then there is the record racket. We could go round and round on that subject. Sev­eral years ago I received a calling card from one min­ister advertis­ing his speciali­zation in fu­nerals and weddings! My guess is that he did more marrying and burying than he did baptizing. Oh, yes, those trips to Pales­tine—you must see Mt. Sinai or else you can't really understand the Ten Command­ments. So preachers and preachers' wives write letters to urge our poor sheep to sell some more wool in order to pay the ridicu­lously low sum of $1,195.00 for a ticket for a two-week jaunt through the Holy Land. En­thusiasm behind it all lies in the fact that if a certain number go, you get a free expense-paid trip. I have come to the conclusion that if we spent as much time, energy, and money recruiting people for a trip to heaven as we spend in recruiting people for earthly tours, our baptismal records would take a considerable jump.

We could mention other forms of moon­lighting, but why discuss the disgusting? Can you imagine Paul or Peter, James White or Uriah Smith, using their time and energy in any other way than spread­ing the gospel without thought of a profit?

Unqualified Disgrace

Some will read this and come to the er­roneous conclusion that what I have said is a wholesale condemnation of any and all these activities. In some cases it is, re­gardless of motivation. In other cases it isn't—motivation is the determining factor. For instance, a man may sell his mimeo­graphed sermons during a series of meet­ings. Equipment depreciation must be con­sidered. If a man plows his reasonable profits back into his work of soul winning and not into bank accounts, does he stand condemned? Even in these cases, brethren, be careful and stand free from possible mis­understanding. Some activities may be law­ful, but not expedient! The cause of public evangelism has been hurt by a few taking advantage of their unique position. But in ventures such as car sales, home building and selling, and related activities, the min­ister has absolutely no right to indulge. It is a positively unqualified disgrace for a man who has been called and ordained to the gospel ministry to get involved in side lines!

The truth of Paul's admonition to Tim­othy has not altered one single bit. Listen to it, "No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to sat­isfy the one who enlisted him" (2 Tim. 2:4, R.S.V.). Can you imagine a soldier in the front-line heat of battle turning from his fighting and selling real estate or cars to those around him? Is the soon-culminat­ing intense spiritual warfare of less impor­tance than a physical fight? Is it possible for ministers possessing a knowledge of prophetic truth to sell out for a measly mess of monetary pottage? Can the dedi­cation and energy of many men involved in secular pursuits of scientific and business advancement exceed that of ANY Seventh-day Adventist minister? Does our age forbid the duplication of dedication seen in men such as Joseph Bates, who invested his life and finances in God's cause? Is covet­ousness causing some of us to become bigger barn builders instead of coveting more souls for Christ? Do a few flecks of gold loom larger in our hearts than the unpar­alleled value of a soul won for the king­dom?

Brethren, let us fight any and all minis­terial moonlighting urges by surges of de­votion for the work God has called us to do —winning souls!

Next month we will discuss how to live on a minister's salary.