Crossroads At the Way and Churchianity

by Jesse Steele

why…”

  Hank: I can see that. But I always thought that reading about ministry and Bible were a constructive benefit to my mind.

  Don: The greatest benefit to your mind is reading Bible. God Himself wrote that. I prefer the best authors. And He is a kind of leader who helps us learn as we go, not just parrot what we’ve been told by others. Parroting is what most people learn from a large classroom setting where no one has enough time to ask their own questions. One-on-one, like this, is really great. Twelve people is ideal because we can also learn while watching people close to us navigate through their own challenges.

  Hank: So, reading ministry journals isn’t always best?

  Don: Get the information if you need it, but don’t assume that it’s good just because it has “Ministry” stamped on the cover. Consider its use in your life… Does it help you to think or does it just jump to the conclusion and tell you what to parrot? Steer clear of teachers who give the right conclusions for the wrong reasons. There are a lot of G-rated movies that brainwash children. I’d keep your family away from those.

  Hank: So, how do I help my board do the right thing?

  Don: Honestly, it looks like the best thing you can do for them is abandon them. If they won’t listen to you then call it what it is. That’s what God does… and many people wonder why they can’t hear His Voice in their hearts. That’s also what I do with people. If someone’s not going to at least try what I suggest, then talking is a waste of time for both of us, regardless of who’s right.

  Hank: But I can’t just leave. I have a family.

  Don: That’s what Satan wants you to think.

  Hank: But it’s more than that. I’ve poured my heart into this church.

  Don: Satan likes to get us doing so many good things that we don’t have time for what God called us to.

  Hank: But what church will I work at? I can’t just go to another church that easily.

  Don: Who ever said you should go to lead another church?

  Hank: Well, that’s why my experience is in.

  Don: Two things. First, you created this problem by getting a job that has a conflict of interest. It would be a lot easier to lead a board of elders if you were a business man who gives money wherever God so directs you.

  Hank: But then I’m making the threats. It’s like saying, “If you don’t listen to me, I’ll stop donating.” I don’t want to be like that.

  Don: No. I mean, as a business man, I have a local fellowship I’m a part of. I give money regularly. They ask me for advice. When they don’t listen, I take a break from talking to them, but I still keep giving. That allows them to think about the way they do things. Maybe they need time to sort things out. But, as a full-time pastor, you can’t give them the silent treatment because you let them hold a paycheck over your head. They own you. In other words, you let them do to you what you just said you don’t want to do to them.

  Hank: It’s not like that, though. They are honest people. They don’t threaten to take my paycheck. I’m just concerned about it, so I’m diplomatic. That’s all.

  Don: But you’re still concerned about it. And they know it. Pastor, you need to consider who’s truly running the show. It ain’t you—it can’t be with your current system. The problem is the system, not the people in it.

  Hank: But this is the system we have in the Body of Christ. It isn’t perfect, but it’s what we have.

  Don: Where would we be if Steve Jobs had said that?

  Hank: I’m not Steve!

  Don: No. You’re Hank. And the world is waiting for you to be more dedicated to your own calling than to repeating someone else’s history.

  Hank: What can I do?

  Don: How about doing what the Apostle Paul did. Ever hear of a “Paulos” tent?

  Hank: Here we go. He mentioned that.

  Don: They were top notch. He did everything with excellence. Why else do you think he was able to travel all over Europe?

  Hank: It seems like you’re an opportunist.

  Don: An opportunist tries to make money where he’s not needed. But I’m talking opportunity.

  Hank: There’s a difference?

  Don: People everywhere in the world have needs. Two thousand years ago they needed tents. Paul wasn’t afraid to help them with that. And they didn’t mind paying him.

  Hank: But I don’t just want to think about money all the time.

  Don: You’re already thinking about money most of the time. It is what has you afraid of doing the right thing. You’re just so lost in this world of “non-profit” ministry as your source of “income” that you are afraid to admit that people want to give money to people who sell good stuff. That’s business and it funds your paycheck already.

  Hank: I always thought business was a “necessary evil” and we pastors take money from business men and finally do something constructive with it.

  Don: It’s just the opposite. You’re thinking about companies that aren’t necessary, who leverage their power when no one needs them. That’s elitism and such are the kind of “rich people” the New Testament teaches against. But the Old Testament was filled with profitable businessmen and the Jews always believed profit was good, so long as it was based in meeting a need. That’s why Paul said, “All things are permissible, but not all things are profitable.” Maybe, if you thought like a businessman, you’d be able to help God’s people better.

  Hank: What’s the core of business then?

  Don: Innovation.

  Hank: Huh?

  Don: Don’t be afraid to talk with someone about creative business ideas. There are people all over the world who sell the strangest things that you never knew people need… but it’s true.

  Hank: One guy tried to talk about a business idea with me one time. I was afraid he was going to get me into a cult.

  Don: Don’t be. Open your mind. Enjoy those conversations. Don’t throw your money at just anything. But don’t avoid new ideas either.

  Hank: But people lose a lot of money when business doesn’t work out.

  Don: They can only lose money with any investment. But there are other types of business that don’t need an investment.

  Hank: Like what?

  Don: Try pre-ordering, for example. I started making widgets a few years ago as a hobby. Then, they got to a point where people wanted to buy them. Only after that did I buy an office and hire employees. But even then you can lose.

  Hank: How can you lose if you don’t invest anything?

  Don: I did invest, but it was my time I would have lost.

  Hank: They say time is our biggest asset.

  Don: Time is only an asset if you make it give back more than it takes. But with you can lose anything you invest. And that’s my point.

  Hank: Losing is your point?

  Don: Exactly. Even in those times when you pour in years or thousands or millions of dollars… and you lose, those are learning experiences. They teach you a lot. That’s your tuition and it’s pretty low, comparatively.

  Hank: You seek out those mistakes?

  Don: Of course not, they’ll find you. Do your homework. Don’t go into anything blind. And it’s best to make your first business venture a zero-money investment. If you can’t make money without an investment, you probably won’t know what to do when times get rough. Besides, a lot of people get scammed with “investment” opportunities.

  Hank: How do you know what business could work and what investment plans would likely fail?

  Don: Once you taste a banana, you’ll always recognize a banana when you taste it. Make something work from nothing, then you’ll know that it takes more than throwing money and pretty brochures at something to make it work.

  Hank: That seems Biblical. Jesus talked about rewarding people who were faithful in the small things by giving them more to be responsible with.

  Don: And make sure you keep discussing ideas with people. Don’t isolate yourself when you are learning.

  Hank: So, when someone has something tha
t might be marketable, I can just ask him, “So, what are you thinking? Could we make a business out of this? I want to help.”

  Don: Yeah. I always think that people must have had those kinds of conversations with Paul.

  Hank: Why would you think that? I mean, he never wrote on the subject of business.

  Don: That’s because he wrote letters to lead Christians. Business talk and new ideas reside in short conversations. You don’t write letters about those things. That was part of their culture—something they just assumed. People don’t write what they assume.

  Hank: But, without it written in the Bible, how do you know that about Paul?

  Don: I don’t know for sure, but I make a pretty good guess from how he wrote to Philemon. There’s a lot of businessman savvy he pulls out of his sleeve there. You don’t learn that from school. You learn it from sticking your hand out and saying, “So, what do you do?”

  Hank: When did he have time to actually make the tents? I mean, did he carry his supplies with him?

  Don: Well, I never asked him, but, if I were in the tent business back then, I’d just pay someone else to do it.

  Hank: To make the tents?

  Don: No. I mean inventory. He had the skill. He had the knowledge of materials. He could probably have explained to customers how tents work—what makes them strong or weak. Maybe he’d make custom designs. Every customer is different. Someone needs something, order the fabric locally. It’s an easy mobile business for a mobile businessman. Preach the gospel anywhere and always have a roof over your head. Maybe that’s not how it was, we don’t know. But business is really simple if you just understand that