Ordinary male seminarians in rural churches have many difficulties after their theological studies, so I hope that more believers can see this and think of better ways to improve their living state in the church, and the church can inspire young people to devote themselves, rather than hindering their devotion.
The church is a place of love, but there is still a gap in reality. “Free” seminarians who are expected to be unpaid in the church are perceived by believers to be more confident and unsophisticated than full-time, salaried ones. However, they forget that seminarians also need daily supplies to survive, and also have the necessary expenditure of worldly wisdom.
It is said that urban church members not only understand that pastors should get paid but also expect them to live decently, whereas in rural churches this is not the case. When they hear that seminary students don’t get paid, or when they get paid 1,000 or 2,000 yuan a month, rural church members would say, “It’s a blessing for you to serve the Lord at such a young age. Thank God!". But when they hear that the seminarians are getting more than three thousand yuan, they would say, “Huh? How much they get paid! What do they do all day? Don’t they just preach sermons? Is it being dedicated to God? So it’s all about the money.”
Now, with the rapid economic development, the church has a rich and poor gap between believers, and between pastors. In addition, prosperity theology has affected the church for many years, and poor pastors are despised even by poor believers. If a pastor is poor for a long time and no believers are willing to help him, it seems that he has no gift and is not God’s chosen person, so believers will not take him seriously. Some believers also bully pastors who have no money or power.
Some may not like it when a young believer in a rural church goes back to the church to serve after studying theology. If he is too excellent, jealousy may appear. If idle for a long time, the gifted would then also become ordinary. If he studies theology and his gift is not obvious, he may be said to be a hired hand, and people would say that the church keeps idle people.
The situation would be much better with the second generation of pastors, as they are brilliant and their parents are pastors or church leaders. Even when they had ordinary gifts, they could be properly arranged with many opportunities to practice. But for ordinary seminarians, I am afraid that they would suffer for a long time.
Seminarians of rural churches who go out of work to study theology and preach often have a debt to their parents and children. I have seen many children of financially disadvantaged pastors, who do not live a life of physical abundance, without enough company from their parents. Not good at studying, their vision is not big when they grow up, because they were always short of something in their childhood. What a debt to the children! Some pastors are able to continue to serve in rural churches only with the help of their parents and the support of their spouses.
Are rural church pastors poor after they study theology? Are there no exceptions? Yes, but that’s very rare. For example, there are very few people who are gifted, who are recognized by leaders, and loved by believers. They are the only ones who have a good income.
In the 21st century which is the era of talents, local governments and enterprises offer quite favorable conditions to attract persons with ability. But the church is still debating questions such as: "should the divinity students be paid", "how much should they get paid", "should the church pay social security for the pastor", "are seminarians motivated by greed for money", or "could seminarians be hired hands?" If the church is to take root in this era of rapid development, develop healthily, and influence society, it must have a reserve of young talents.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a pastor in Jiangsu Province.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
今天我从农村教会普通家庭弟兄的角度来说说他们读神学的难处。希望更多弟兄姊妹看到，能想到更好的办法，一起改善教会传道人的生存生态，使教会有一个可以激励年轻人起来奉献的环境，而不是因为教会环境阻碍年轻人奉献的心。
教会是有爱的地方，应然有爱，实然还有差距。相比全职拿工资的神学生，信徒会认为“免费”的神学生更有信心，心更单纯。然而，他们忘记了神学生也有柴米油盐酱醋茶的生存需要，也有人情世故的必要支出。
听说城市教会信徒不但理解牧者拿工资，还希望牧者生活体面，然而在农村教会不是如此。农村教会信徒听说神学生不拿工资或者一个月拿一两千元工资时会说，你们年纪轻轻服侍主真不容易，太感谢神了！但当他们听说神学生拿三千元以上的工资时，他们会说，啊？他们拿这么多工资啊？他们一天到晚做什么了？不就讲讲道吗？说什么奉献给神？全是为了钱。
现在经济快速发展，教会里信徒经济有了贫富悬殊，传道人和传道人也有了贫富悬殊，加上成功神学在教会搅合多年，穷传道们的侍奉连贫穷的信徒都瞧不起。如果一个传道人长期贫穷，没有信徒愿意帮助他，说明他没有恩赐，不是神所拣选的人，信徒会另眼相看。有些信徒还会欺负没钱没权的传道人。
农村教会年轻弟兄读了神学，回到教会服侍，可能有人喜欢，有人不喜欢。如太优秀，风头太盛，可能遭来嫉妒打压，闲置久了，卓越也变平凡。如果读了神学，恩赐不明显，表现平平，那可能被说成是雇工，教会养了闲人。
如果牧二代，情况会好很多。他们优秀，亲爹妈是牧师，是教会负责人，他们恩赐平凡，那也有合适的安排，有操练的机会。如果是普通弟兄，恐怕要熬很久，等到熬出头。
农村教会弟兄脱产读神学做传道，他们对老人和孩子常常是带着亏欠的。我看过很多穷传道的孩子，孩子既没有充分的陪伴，又没有丰富的物质，读不好书，因为小时候总是缺乏，长大了格局也不大。这真是对孩子的亏欠！有些弟兄能够在农村教会持续服侍靠的是父母的接济，妻子的支持。
农村教会弟兄读神学都会穷吗？难道没有例外吗？有，不过那是凤毛麟角。比如极少数天赋异禀，恩赐突出，领导说行的人，信徒喜爱的人，生活滋润的也有。
在二十一世纪是人才的时代，各地政府、企业为了吸引人才，开出相当优渥的条件。而教会还在讨论神学生要不要发工资？发多少工资？要不要交社保？神学生读神学是不是因为贪财？会不会是雇工？教会若要在这个高速发展的时代中扎根，教会得以健康发展，并影响社会，没有年轻人储备，一切的愿景都只是画大饼。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系江苏一名牧师。
农村教会神学生弟兄的难处
Ordinary male seminarians in rural churches have many difficulties after their theological studies, so I hope that more believers can see this and think of better ways to improve their living state in the church, and the church can inspire young people to devote themselves, rather than hindering their devotion.
The church is a place of love, but there is still a gap in reality. “Free” seminarians who are expected to be unpaid in the church are perceived by believers to be more confident and unsophisticated than full-time, salaried ones. However, they forget that seminarians also need daily supplies to survive, and also have the necessary expenditure of worldly wisdom.
It is said that urban church members not only understand that pastors should get paid but also expect them to live decently, whereas in rural churches this is not the case. When they hear that seminary students don’t get paid, or when they get paid 1,000 or 2,000 yuan a month, rural church members would say, “It’s a blessing for you to serve the Lord at such a young age. Thank God!". But when they hear that the seminarians are getting more than three thousand yuan, they would say, “Huh? How much they get paid! What do they do all day? Don’t they just preach sermons? Is it being dedicated to God? So it’s all about the money.”
Now, with the rapid economic development, the church has a rich and poor gap between believers, and between pastors. In addition, prosperity theology has affected the church for many years, and poor pastors are despised even by poor believers. If a pastor is poor for a long time and no believers are willing to help him, it seems that he has no gift and is not God’s chosen person, so believers will not take him seriously. Some believers also bully pastors who have no money or power.
Some may not like it when a young believer in a rural church goes back to the church to serve after studying theology. If he is too excellent, jealousy may appear. If idle for a long time, the gifted would then also become ordinary. If he studies theology and his gift is not obvious, he may be said to be a hired hand, and people would say that the church keeps idle people.
The situation would be much better with the second generation of pastors, as they are brilliant and their parents are pastors or church leaders. Even when they had ordinary gifts, they could be properly arranged with many opportunities to practice. But for ordinary seminarians, I am afraid that they would suffer for a long time.
Seminarians of rural churches who go out of work to study theology and preach often have a debt to their parents and children. I have seen many children of financially disadvantaged pastors, who do not live a life of physical abundance, without enough company from their parents. Not good at studying, their vision is not big when they grow up, because they were always short of something in their childhood. What a debt to the children! Some pastors are able to continue to serve in rural churches only with the help of their parents and the support of their spouses.
Are rural church pastors poor after they study theology? Are there no exceptions? Yes, but that’s very rare. For example, there are very few people who are gifted, who are recognized by leaders, and loved by believers. They are the only ones who have a good income.
In the 21st century which is the era of talents, local governments and enterprises offer quite favorable conditions to attract persons with ability. But the church is still debating questions such as: "should the divinity students be paid", "how much should they get paid", "should the church pay social security for the pastor", "are seminarians motivated by greed for money", or "could seminarians be hired hands?" If the church is to take root in this era of rapid development, develop healthily, and influence society, it must have a reserve of young talents.
(The article is originally published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a pastor in Jiangsu Province.)
- Translated by Nicolas Cao
The Difficulties of Young Male Seminarians in Rural Church
