My former classmate has served in the church for 15 years after studying theology and has travel subsidies every time when she goes to other churches to preach sermons. The church she belongs to subsidizes her at the end of each year, increasing from over RMB 1,000 to over RMB 3,000 now, but she never gets a salary for her ministry. Due to her previous ministry experiences, she cannot find a suitable job but only depends on her husband and parents. This year, she told me that she found a job of providing bathing, shampooing, nail cutting, and companionship for elderly people aged over 80 and she had free time to pastor the church. She serves each person for 75 minutes and charges RMB 15. After a few months, she got her first salary. She sent me a message, "I got my salary!" I thought it could be RMB 3,000, but it turned out to be only over 1,100.
There may be churches that cannot afford pastors in remote mountainous areas, but in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, which have strong economy, churches maybe have the ability to afford the wages, but no one cares to solve it. For example, some church leaders who have their own wages would not care for those who don't have, and some church leaders not lacking money would not be considerate enough to care for others who need to support their families. Further, some church leaders only talk the talk but never walk the walk.
Volunteers who graduated from seminaries cannot always ask the church to provide a salary. The church can not offer salary, but pastors have the willingness to provide their services, so they should have the ability to support themselves. A pastor said that Chinese theological students had better have the skill to support themselves and their families, so that they would not betray God or conscience because of survival problems.
It is not shameful for theological students to learn a skill, find a job, or earn money. It should be a matter of pride not to make money by faith, not to do illegal and criminal business, but to rely on labor and diligence for their own survival. My former classmate insistes on volunteer preaching for over ten years without complaining of no wage. She never gives up serving and trying to find a job, which is worthy of my admiration.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
同学读了神学回到教会已有15年，每次去其他教会讲道有路费。本教会年底有补贴，从1000多到现在3000多，但一直没有工资。因为教会的侍奉，也找不到合适的工作，一直是老公和父母养着。今年，她告诉我找到了一个时间自由的、合适的工作：为80岁以上居家老人提供洗澡、洗头、剪指甲、陪伴等服务，每一个老人服务75分钟，定时打卡，每单15元。几个月下来，终于发了一个月工资，她还发信息告诉我：“我发工资了！”我问她多少？我以为会有3000，结果只有1100多。
偏远山区的教会也许有养不起传道人的教会，而在经济发展比较好的江浙沪地区，根本不是不能解决，是没人想解决。比如：有些教会领袖自己已经有了工资就不管没有工资的人了，有的教会领袖不差钱也就想不到别人有吃饭养家的需要。有些教会领袖只有在开会的时候，象征性地提一嘴神学生的待遇问题而已，根本没有想办法，创造条件解决问题。
对于神学毕业的义工不能一味等教会来解决。教会没有工资，侍奉又不能放下，但自己至少得有养活自己的能力。有一位牧师说：中国的神学生最好有自己的一门手艺，能养活自己和家人。不会因为吃饭问题而背叛信仰、违背良心。
神学生学手艺，找工作，挣钱并不丢脸。不利用信仰谋财，不做违法犯罪的营生，而是靠劳动，手勤饭饱，应该是自豪的事情。我同学坚持十几年义工传道，不抱怨神，不抱怨教会，自己从未放弃侍奉，也从未放弃努力找工作，值得敬佩。
教会义工服侍15年的同学告诉我她发工资了
My former classmate has served in the church for 15 years after studying theology and has travel subsidies every time when she goes to other churches to preach sermons. The church she belongs to subsidizes her at the end of each year, increasing from over RMB 1,000 to over RMB 3,000 now, but she never gets a salary for her ministry. Due to her previous ministry experiences, she cannot find a suitable job but only depends on her husband and parents. This year, she told me that she found a job of providing bathing, shampooing, nail cutting, and companionship for elderly people aged over 80 and she had free time to pastor the church. She serves each person for 75 minutes and charges RMB 15. After a few months, she got her first salary. She sent me a message, "I got my salary!" I thought it could be RMB 3,000, but it turned out to be only over 1,100.
There may be churches that cannot afford pastors in remote mountainous areas, but in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, which have strong economy, churches maybe have the ability to afford the wages, but no one cares to solve it. For example, some church leaders who have their own wages would not care for those who don't have, and some church leaders not lacking money would not be considerate enough to care for others who need to support their families. Further, some church leaders only talk the talk but never walk the walk.
Volunteers who graduated from seminaries cannot always ask the church to provide a salary. The church can not offer salary, but pastors have the willingness to provide their services, so they should have the ability to support themselves. A pastor said that Chinese theological students had better have the skill to support themselves and their families, so that they would not betray God or conscience because of survival problems.
It is not shameful for theological students to learn a skill, find a job, or earn money. It should be a matter of pride not to make money by faith, not to do illegal and criminal business, but to rely on labor and diligence for their own survival. My former classmate insistes on volunteer preaching for over ten years without complaining of no wage. She never gives up serving and trying to find a job, which is worthy of my admiration.
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
Theological Classmate Paid Outside Church
