Ministry and state financial support!

[Ian Gentles]

This arises from my thread in prayer board.
In UK, and i learning fast, you can get many state benefits. However i know a few in ministry who wont claim as they believe God must supply their needs! I also know many pastors, in UK situation, survive on state benefits!
Simple question, should those in ministry look to state for support?

[Terri Knoll]

I think anyone that needs a little extra support from time to time should rely on state support. that is what is was set up for. God does work thru people you know, lol

ps note I said needs a LITTLE extra support

[Hans Deventer]

Simple question, should those in ministry look to state for support?

Yes. If they can get it, they should. A great way to see to it that government money is spent for a good cause, and we know that isn't always the case :basic05

[Barbara Moulton]

Because my dad was blind, he was able to get a government income wage subsidy when he was an active officer in The Salvation Army officer.

It helped our family.

[Hal Paul]

An old story, I've heard it several times in sermons and elsewhere, and I think it is relevant here:

During a long rain waters began to rise and fill a man's house. He had waited too long, and his small car was not able to get through the flood water, so he climbed up on the roof of his house prayed and asked God to provide for his safety. Pretty soon a National Guard truck rolled up and a young soldier asked the man if he needed help, the man replied "no thank you, I know the Lord will provide." So the soldier drove on.

The water continued to rise and filled the streets, again the man prayed and asked that the Lord provide him a means to safety. A short time later, a young man pulled up in a boat and asked the man if he needed help, the man again said "no thank you, I've prayed and I know the Lord will provide."

The flood continued, and by now the man was on the highest peak of the highest gable on his house, again he cried, this time in desperation, "Lord, please provide me deliverance from this flood!" Almost immediately, a helicopter appeared overhead, and a line was dropped to him. But the man waived it off shouting "no thank you, I have faith that the Lord will provide."

Finally, the house was completely submerged, the man was washed away, and he drowned. When he arrived in Heaven and met the Lord face-to-face, he said Lord, I asked three times that you deliver me from the flood, and I had faith that you would provide, why didn't you help? The Lord replied, "You prayed once, I sent you a truck, you prayed twice, I sent you a boat, and when you prayed the third time I sent you a helicopter. Why didn't you accept what I provided to bring you to safety?"I think this applies to state benefits. If they are available, and a need is present, they should be accepted graciously as the means through which God is meeting that need.

[Ian Gentles]

My own oppinon, and agree with Hans, is its OK. At least a ministry person is contributing to society so government has another person out there, at little cost to them, doing good for folks.

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

Dwayne's second pastorate was in the edge of Mississippi. He worked across the State line in Memphis, until we could buy a house there to live in in Tennessee, since he also worked for the state. So, he had to take what ever was open in order to transfer to Memphis, after he had been over a county for welfare, when we were at his first pastorate.
They had to hand deliver the checks during the month of February. You would be amazed at the addresses they had to check out, sometimes vacant buildings, and all kinds of addresses that had been given, to get checks there, fraudently.

I would get calls from people, that would say what they wanted to say to me about people that were getting checks, and hang up, before I could say a word.

There is a lot of fraud going on, but it is very hard to catch up with all of it.

I think, maybe, every state just gives checks to people with children, now, and the women have to get a job and go to work. But, the unwed mothers keep having children, so that would give them some time off.

Way back, in Tn. a man could not live in the house, if the woman got these checks.
Also, they were not supposed to have a car.

A retired, or disabled person can get SSI, to supplement their pay.

[Brian Blankenship]

Our daughter Kara gets Supplemental Security Income(SSI), and the money we get from that allows us to pastor the church without taking another job. While we do get assistance, God is still our source. It has allowed us to take care of our daughter while at the same time, take care of God's business, or build His kingdom.

[Ian Gentles]

We did have Adoption Allowances till kids were 18 and child support, in those days it helped an awful lot!