Theocapitalism?
Today I had a discussion with a few colleagues regarding the "bottom line." We are worried about the financial situation of our ministries. We talked regarding how we are often more concerned with the bottom line than we are people. Theocapitalism is worshiping the god of the bottom line.
I learned this term while reading Brian McLaren's new book "Everything Must Change." I understand the need for us to be concerned with good stewardship. Yet, at the same time we as the church in the West, I believe, have bought into the idea that what is good for the bottom line is what must drive our decisions. This means even personnel decisions. Those at the top, don't begin to take into account their own heavy cost for salary etc. Often, what happens is that those on the lower level of management are cut in hours or let go, when none of the leaders offer to give up some of their benefits.
It happens in business all of the time in the business world. It is estimated by some studies that the salary ratio for most Fortune 500 executives is 312:1 compared to the average worker. Wow. While this is not the case in the Church as far as salaries go, by and large, many of us live very comfortably, sometimes at very high standards. It is obvious that we often don't treat some of our employees with benefits that we would have as leaders. The money we pay is often not quite a living wage. In many ways, we do have a catch 22 situation. We want to fund the ministry, but sometimes I am afraid at the expense of people. We just don't have the funding to pay people.
I know that it could be argued that those who are not in leadership positions are not as important to the mission or do not carry as much responsibility as those who are leaders. I tend to disagree. I think that in the Kingdom's values even the most menial tasks are important. Like Brother Andrew, I believe, whatever is done by the disciple of Jesus is done unto Jesus. Paul even echoed that. He exhorts us to do whatever we do "unto the glory of God."
I am not sure the bottom line affects us when it comes to giving more benefits days. I am not sure why people who work so hard for us only get two weeks vacation. Again, some would argue that is the way the world does it. So, why does that matter? I also look at the application of FMLA laws in our land and the distribution of health benefits in many church organization, which often favor the corporation (church) more than the worker.
In many respects, it goes back to our idea of salvation. Maybe we don't only need personal salvation, but also salvation from the worship of the bottom line. In my position, I am trying to make a difference. But the culture into which I believe the Church in general has bought is this idea of expanding our budget and our mission often at the cost of those who help build our mission. It is incredibly hard to change culture in the short term.
I am not for abandoning rules or accountability. I am for a more worker friendly, team approach, which flattens the organizational chart.
Do you believe we are driven in the Church, much the way the world is when it comes not only these decisions, but to many others like service to people and building ministries?
Maybe I am wrong. I wonder though if the Church in the West is driven by theocapitalism.
What do you think?
I learned this term while reading Brian McLaren's new book "Everything Must Change." I understand the need for us to be concerned with good stewardship. Yet, at the same time we as the church in the West, I believe, have bought into the idea that what is good for the bottom line is what must drive our decisions. This means even personnel decisions. Those at the top, don't begin to take into account their own heavy cost for salary etc. Often, what happens is that those on the lower level of management are cut in hours or let go, when none of the leaders offer to give up some of their benefits.
It happens in business all of the time in the business world. It is estimated by some studies that the salary ratio for most Fortune 500 executives is 312:1 compared to the average worker. Wow. While this is not the case in the Church as far as salaries go, by and large, many of us live very comfortably, sometimes at very high standards. It is obvious that we often don't treat some of our employees with benefits that we would have as leaders. The money we pay is often not quite a living wage. In many ways, we do have a catch 22 situation. We want to fund the ministry, but sometimes I am afraid at the expense of people. We just don't have the funding to pay people.
I know that it could be argued that those who are not in leadership positions are not as important to the mission or do not carry as much responsibility as those who are leaders. I tend to disagree. I think that in the Kingdom's values even the most menial tasks are important. Like Brother Andrew, I believe, whatever is done by the disciple of Jesus is done unto Jesus. Paul even echoed that. He exhorts us to do whatever we do "unto the glory of God."
I am not sure the bottom line affects us when it comes to giving more benefits days. I am not sure why people who work so hard for us only get two weeks vacation. Again, some would argue that is the way the world does it. So, why does that matter? I also look at the application of FMLA laws in our land and the distribution of health benefits in many church organization, which often favor the corporation (church) more than the worker.
In many respects, it goes back to our idea of salvation. Maybe we don't only need personal salvation, but also salvation from the worship of the bottom line. In my position, I am trying to make a difference. But the culture into which I believe the Church in general has bought is this idea of expanding our budget and our mission often at the cost of those who help build our mission. It is incredibly hard to change culture in the short term.
I am not for abandoning rules or accountability. I am for a more worker friendly, team approach, which flattens the organizational chart.
Do you believe we are driven in the Church, much the way the world is when it comes not only these decisions, but to many others like service to people and building ministries?
Maybe I am wrong. I wonder though if the Church in the West is driven by theocapitalism.
What do you think?
posted by Larry at 5:31 PM
7 Comments:
Enjoyed reading and digesting some of your previous blogs and finished with todays. Thank you for asking the questions many of us have floating through our minds as we work for God within a church setting.
The Bible says a workman is worth his hire. Our employees deserve a living wage.In the area of ministry where I work, I see wide differences in pay to different employees, some are not paid enough to support a family. This is wrong but until you get more, how can you pay more? In my mind,part of the answer lies in your blog when I read about how we treat our employees. If we can't pay as much as they deserve, it's even more important for our Christianity to extend to our relationships with our people. The respect and love we show to them and our appreciation in day by day living needs to be there. What about the perks that come in leadership? Remember the words, "Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow thee"? We all need to remember this when preparing our budgets and ask honestly, Do I need this? What is the bottom line? The most important thing: living and loving the people in our world the way Jesus lived and loved. Treating people the way Jesus treated people. And being ready to share the message of love and grace and forgiveness which has set us free so others can enjoy the same freedom in Jesus.
I'll be looking forward to more of your blogs. Blessings.
The bottom line. Some people love it, some avoid it, some ignore it, some are energized by it.
You are right, nothing is lost $$ wise by extending generous benefit days, it is a benefit that is compassionate and wise at all levels.
When I began working for The Army as a DMD, I had more benefit days for sick/personal/vacation than both my mother and father after 20years of work experience with their respective jobs. My salary wasn't the highest, but the benefit days felt like a compensation which was valuable. My husband only had 1 week paid vacation and 4 sick days a year with his job as a plastics extruder. He got paid more money, but the benefit days were so few. All other time away was unpaid, and that is not unusual in this work force 2000+. How an employer straddles this issue is a sign of their values of leadership and productive vision.
An employer enstills confidence and value within their entrusted colleagues and staff when generously providing as best as can be done.
Theocapitalism is an occurance concentrated within the Western society, the desire for fiscal matters crossing over every boundary as a form of justification, authentication, distribution.
I hate money within the ministry.
maybe we could learn something from some of our European brothers.. A friend of mine recently landed a job with 38 days vacation...to start. This is a teaching job..for a year-round school.
Could we even begin to think like that here?
On one hand I think you’re getting side tracked here because, though wages and days off are big issues, they’re nowhere near our biggest. In fact, our personal director was having this very conversation with me today. Though London is the third most expensive city in the world to live in, our SA employees make exactly the same as those employees, holding the same posts, in Scotland or Ireland where living costs are dramatically less. As you’ve suggested, that only makes sense when you look at the bottom line. But, and as I shared with him, salaries aren’t the reason why we’re where we’re at. When my wife and I began working with the Army, just a little over nine years ago (hard to believe) we knew we were taking a serious pay cut. There was no question about it. But we believed in the mission and still do.
That said, feeling valued can go a long, long way and, as somebody has already suggested, it would be a huge investment in our bottom line to make sure that all our missionaries, leaders and workers alike, feel valued. Vacation days are an easy way to do that. My wife and I have said, on many occasions, that we wouldn’t give up our five weeks of vacation (living in Europe is awesome!) for anything less than £10,000 more in pay.
Larry, I hope you make it to where God wants you. And you find yourself one day in a place to actually implement change. I could never understand how a mother who works so diligently as a lay employee of the Army would not receive the same benefit of orthodontia for her children as her Officer employers. How can prison ministries be cut due to lack of resources in some divisions when the Army is so wealthy in property? One quarters could fund a program or two couldn't it? It's perplexing to me. Am I being naive?
Keep at it Larry.
As an international employee, I have to say that the 10 days (or 15 in my case due to working 5+ years) tends to go nowhere, especially when you have to go to England at some point to visit the family. I think a lot of the time in mininstry as a whole, we tend to expect the best, we want the qualified personnel, but don't have the adequate finances to back it up. We expect that the employee take the shortfall, as it is "God's work" and it is the mission that is important and not the pay. I get that, it is about the mission, but it is also about being able to live, to pay regular bills, and to be comfortable in the surroundings we have. I think that if you want the most qualified person for the job, which often we do, we should be able to offer a competitive salary, or provide benefit days to compensate.
I left a very well paid teaching position, so had plenty of vacation. Standard in the UK is 28 days. There are no sick days accumulated. If you are sick, you're sick, you stay home and get paid. I saw friends that have had babies recently, they have 8 months off, (1/2 pay) but 8 months all the same. We get what 12 weeks unpaid!!! We have to look at priorities. I think that sometimes the priorities of this country are all wrong. It comes down to the mighty $$ and this then filters down to the "little man." My rant is now over!
I would add, after reading these last two posts, that we sometimes over look the mission that is right in front of us. I wonder why we so often miss our employees as being a part of our mission???
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