Pastors’ pay

In response to the letter in the Feb. 9 issue from Thom Morgan concerning “Pastors’ Salaries.” 

I noticed that nearly every time Mr. Morgan referred to those doing God’s work, he called them “preachers” instead of “pastors.” I remind Mr. Morgan that there is a huge difference between a “preacher” and a “pastor” in any church. Maybe his father was a preacher even though that was the only reference to “pastor” in his letter. I also noticed that Mr. Morgan, like so many others, thinks that preaching and pastoring is not really work on a person’s part. After all, according to their view, he only works two to three hours a week and is certainly overpaid for such short hours of work. 

Preaching is not a vocation but pastoring is a vocation. Preaching is only the public part of a pastor’s life and service to his Lord and church. As far as pastors having another job besides preaching, may I remind Mr. Morgan that the vast majority of pastors in Alabama are bivocational pastors, which means they have two jobs that very often require more time than most people work in a week. 

Pastoring is not an eight-hour day nor a 40-hour week but is a 24/7 calling. While Mr. Morgan is kicked back in his home relaxing, chances are his pastor is busy doing those things that few know about or else seeking the Lord’s message for the coming church services. Mr. Morgan states that many preachers are doing this because “they are too sorry to work,” but actually most are doing this because they cannot do anything else. When God calls one to the ministry, they cannot be satisfied until they are doing what God wants them to do. Most preachers preach what God leads them to preach regardless of what their church family thinks about their message. This is true whether they are paid $100,000 a year or $1,000 a year.

Alan D. Hurst
Wedowee, Ala.