Posted by Joe Baker on May 19, 2003 at 11:05:59:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: What ever happened to.... posted by Tom Mason on May 19, 2003 at 06:52:54:
I sense that you disagree with me, but I don't see where. My bottom line was that, while it is okay for a church to hire an orchestra it's also okay for the members to form one from within the membership -- and it's okay for the director of that group to work with or without pay, as long as no one is forced to do anything against their wishes.
I certainly agree that musicians who are not members of the church should be offered payment UNLESS the first words spoken to the musician when he is invited to play are "I'm sorry we cannot pay you, but..."; furthermore, if the musician being invited makes his living playing, it's my opinion he shouldn't even be asked unless the church intends to pay him (they wouldn't call a plumber and ask him to fix the pipes for free!).
As to paying ministers, I completely agree with you. Too many well-meaning but misinformed folks think that ministers should be kept dirt-poor. Actually, the typical minister has a lot in common with the typical symphony musician. He holds a graduate degree, he spends WAY more time weekly preparing himself than he spends actually in front of people, and if he makes one mistake, it's all anyone remembers (and, to our shame, we church-members can sometimes have very long memories where such things are concerned). He is expected to have all the right clothes and to always be inspired (and inspiring), and seldom gets a night or a weekend off. He is at the mercy of attendance and contributions, and if either falls off he could be on the street. And an increasing number of people would just as soon catch their religion on the tube -- or skip the whole thing! Of course the minister DOESN'T get an off-season or tenure.
But as important as the minister is, and as strongly as I agree that he should be taken care of financially, the work of the church is mostly volunteer. Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, sound people, youth workers, and in many cases cleanup and landscaping crews are church members who offer their services at no cost. They have other jobs from which they make a living, but offer some of their time as an offering. My only point is that musicians *CAN* be a part of that group. Probably the only difference you and I have is about taking pay from another church. I don't accept pay from any church because I consider my offering is to God, not to my church. I hasten to stipulate that this policy hasn't cost me very much money. I seldom am asked to play at any other church, and when I am asked I usually decline, because attendance and service in my own congregation is very important to me.
Joe Baker, who agrees that receiving pay doesn't mean one is only in it for the money.