Born in a county town in northern Jiangsu, Chen Xun, followed his parents in believing in the Lord from a young age and became a pastor at the age of 17. Having been serving in a grassroots church for ten years, he shared his evolving views on supporting pastors and preaching on money, including tithing.
When Chen first started going to church, he was very young, agreeing with the common mindset at that time in the church that it was unspiritual to receive money for working for God. On one hand, he was once studying and working in society and deeply felt that he couldn’t find inner fulfillment. Back then, he believed that things like money, fame, and status were worldly matters that Christians shouldn’t pursue. Another reason was that he was living with his parents, who supported him in serving God, so he hadn’t experienced the hardships in life. His thoughts were still somewhat naive and idealistic.
As he became more involved in ministry, he changed his mind, and he started to understand and empathize with the situations of other pastors. "Not every minister has parental support. Let's not even mention the young people who have to care for both elderly parents and young children. Some young people dedicate their lives to serving God without support from their families because their family members may not share their faith. In some cases, the parents may not believe in the Lord at all and even oppose them. In such situations, if the church doesn’t support their basic needs, they won’t be able to focus on studying or serving with peace of mind."
Additionally, for Brother Chen himself, because the church didn’t provide a stable income, after years of serving and studying, apart from doing odd jobs, he often relied on his parents for support. This put a significant strain on his parents, both mentally and financially. Although his parents continue to support his ministry, the help they can offer is now limited. During this process, Chen has seen many of his classmates from the seminary leave the church due to financial difficulties. Nowadays, compared to when he first joined the church, fewer young people are staying, but the church seems to have become numb to this…
Chen reflected, saying that sometimes, within a group, people’s ideas or traditions can give rise to a set of theories. But these theories don’t always align with reality or the truth. Therefore, we must frequently return to the Bible to reflect and discern. In the past, he didn’t dare preach about tithing, let alone about supporting pastors, but he gradually broke through those barriers. Through these experiences, and witnessing the church’s continual decline, he came to realize that "a church that doesn’t dare to preach the truth is bound to decline—this is inevitable."
Now, when he is invited to preach, he is willing to accept some travel expense subsidies. And when he communicates with other ministers and believers, he also begins to talk about how to practice biblical teachings in everyday life. For instance, "the worker deserves his wages." He said, "We should return to the Bible and let the truth of Scripture guide our lives and ministry."
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
陈寻弟兄出生于苏北一个县城，从小随父母信主，17岁领受呼召成为一名传道人。如今他已在基层教会服侍十年之久，他谈到了自己从开始到现在对于金钱包括十一奉献和供应传道人在观念上的变化。
陈弟兄刚开始去教会的时候非常年轻，当时教会整体的一种观念就是为神做工拿钱是不属灵的，当时陈弟兄对此是认同的。一方面他当时在社会上学习工作，很深的感受是得不到心灵上的满足。当时的他认为，什么金钱名誉地位，这些都是世俗化的东西，不是基督徒应该追求的。另一个原因是他当时是跟着父母生活，父母也支持他奉献自己侍奉神，所以没有对真实生活艰难的体会，想法还是比较天真理想。
随着参与服侍，他的想法开始转变，开始体谅认识到其他传道人的处境。“不是说每个传道人都是有父母支持的，先不说那些上有老下有小的年轻人。还有一些年轻人是他奉献服侍神，得不到家里支持。因为并不一定家里人有信仰背景，可能他的父母都不信主，都是反对他的。在这种情况下，如果教会不对他的生活进行供应，他就没法安心学习，也没法安心服侍。”
此外，对于陈弟兄本人来说，由于教会没有稳定工资；十几年下来的服侍和学习，除了自己打零工，很多时候依靠父母支持。父母也被耗得够呛，不管精神还是经济都承受很多。现在父母也支持他服侍，但能提供的帮助就很有限了。这个过程中，陈弟兄也看到很多和他一起读神学的同学因为生计问题离开教会。如今，和他刚来教会的那个时候相比，年轻人已经愈来愈少，但教会好似已经麻木……
陈弟兄感慨道，有时候在一个团体当中，可能因为人的意念或者传统产生出一套理论出来。但这个理论不一定总是切合实际、符合真理的。所以还是要常常回到圣经里去反思甄别，包括以前讲道的时候也不敢讲十一奉献，更别说供应传道人，后来慢慢地也是有所突破。通过这些经历，包括看到教会不断的衰落。他逐渐认识到，“一个不敢讲真理的教会肯定是会衰落的，这个是必然的。”
现在有人邀请他去讲道，如果给他一些路费补贴，他开始乐意去接纳。而且在和其他传道人和信徒交流的时候，也开始会讲如何在生活中实践圣经教导。比如做工的得工价是应当的，“我们应该还是回到圣经，让圣经的真理指导我们的生活和服侍。”
一名基层传道人谈：教会是否要供应传道人，需要回归圣经去看
Born in a county town in northern Jiangsu, Chen Xun, followed his parents in believing in the Lord from a young age and became a pastor at the age of 17. Having been serving in a grassroots church for ten years, he shared his evolving views on supporting pastors and preaching on money, including tithing.
When Chen first started going to church, he was very young, agreeing with the common mindset at that time in the church that it was unspiritual to receive money for working for God. On one hand, he was once studying and working in society and deeply felt that he couldn’t find inner fulfillment. Back then, he believed that things like money, fame, and status were worldly matters that Christians shouldn’t pursue. Another reason was that he was living with his parents, who supported him in serving God, so he hadn’t experienced the hardships in life. His thoughts were still somewhat naive and idealistic.
As he became more involved in ministry, he changed his mind, and he started to understand and empathize with the situations of other pastors. "Not every minister has parental support. Let's not even mention the young people who have to care for both elderly parents and young children. Some young people dedicate their lives to serving God without support from their families because their family members may not share their faith. In some cases, the parents may not believe in the Lord at all and even oppose them. In such situations, if the church doesn’t support their basic needs, they won’t be able to focus on studying or serving with peace of mind."
Additionally, for Brother Chen himself, because the church didn’t provide a stable income, after years of serving and studying, apart from doing odd jobs, he often relied on his parents for support. This put a significant strain on his parents, both mentally and financially. Although his parents continue to support his ministry, the help they can offer is now limited. During this process, Chen has seen many of his classmates from the seminary leave the church due to financial difficulties. Nowadays, compared to when he first joined the church, fewer young people are staying, but the church seems to have become numb to this…
Chen reflected, saying that sometimes, within a group, people’s ideas or traditions can give rise to a set of theories. But these theories don’t always align with reality or the truth. Therefore, we must frequently return to the Bible to reflect and discern. In the past, he didn’t dare preach about tithing, let alone about supporting pastors, but he gradually broke through those barriers. Through these experiences, and witnessing the church’s continual decline, he came to realize that "a church that doesn’t dare to preach the truth is bound to decline—this is inevitable."
Now, when he is invited to preach, he is willing to accept some travel expense subsidies. And when he communicates with other ministers and believers, he also begins to talk about how to practice biblical teachings in everyday life. For instance, "the worker deserves his wages." He said, "We should return to the Bible and let the truth of Scripture guide our lives and ministry."
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
Pastor: Supporting Ministers Seen From the Bible
