Clergy Minister
The Interfaith and Independent Ordained Minister - a Grass Roots MovementTraditionally, potential ministers, pastors, priests and rabbi obtain education either through their respective religious institutions, or by the study of theology at an accredited university. They are then appointed by the church as a church leader and are given the authority to publicize their religion by heading religious foundations and leading congregations. However, as the world shrinks and cultures and races merge, the traditionalisti representative of the church, mosque or synagogue may find it difficult to accommodate the needs of a altering population. Bound by dogma and religious law, they are ofttimes prohibited to minister to those in need of interracial, interfaith or intercultural services. In evolutionary terms, this leaves a void and brings about a need for an interfaith or independent approach to religion and spirituality. The need for independent, interfaith and nondenominational ministers is getting more and more evident as established churches proceed to loose a huge number of their members. An example may be found in the Protestant religion. In April and May of 2007, LifeWay Research performed a survey of 1,023 Protestants and found that 70% of Protestants amongst the ages of 23 to 30 dropped out of Church (margin of error is plus or minus 3 share points). Among other reasons, dropouts claimed they left the church because they necessitated a break, did not feel connected, found church members judgmental or hypocritical, were too busy with college, work or other friends outside of the church or disagreed with the political agenda of the church. Various methods carry on to construct in attempts to fill the need for interfaith and independent spiritual services. Its not surprising that the online ordained minister has become popular. Becoming an interfaith or independent minister may be accomplished by performing a simple Google search. Numerous organizations and churches now offer online and instant ordinations. Some offer education, training and study in the comparative religions with a residency requirement and a formal ordination upon completion. Some offer instant ordination with support, training and education available to those who choose to use it. These ordained ministers cater to the needs of the non-churchgoers who still get married, have children, become sick, loose loved ones through death and need spiritual counseling on a potpourri of life issues. The definition of “minister” is evolving. No longer bound by dogma or creed, the independent and interfaith ministerial motion is growing and appears to profess a mutual belief—a nonjudgmental approach to ministering to those of dissimilar faiths, cultures and creeds by ministering according to the Golden Rule. Interestingly, the word “nonjudgmental” may be threatening to the devout religious believer in spite of the fact that each outstanding spiritual text teaches unconditional love and non-judgment as share of it is major components. The Golden Rule, for example, may be found in the texts of all the world’s great religions: “One ought to always treat others as they themselves wish to be treated.” Hinduism, from the Hitopadesa (3200 BC) “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Judaism, Leviticus 19:18 (1300 BC) “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.” Buddhism, Udanavarga (560BC) “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” Confucianism, Analects (557 BC) “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.” Islam, Koran (620AD) “Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain and your neighbor’s loss as your loss.” Taoist, Tai-shang, Kang-ying P’ien (500 BC) “Whatsoever ye would that others ought to do to you, do ye even so to them.” Christianity, 7:12 – King James Version (30 AD) An important question to consider regarding interfaith and independent ministers is, are they legitimate? According to dictionary.com, lawful means: 1. according to law; lawful If we look at the wording of the basi amendment, (“Congress shall make no law respecting an institution of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”) it may be determined that any ordained minister, independent or traditional, must be legitimate. Yet, a lot of states place limitations upon what legitimizes a minister, as when it comes to solemnizing marriages. Take the state of Virginia for example. To register, you will have to appear in person in Arlington County and show your Certificate of Ordination, a picture ID, and remunerate a $16.00 fee. You will be asked a lot of questions which may include asking if your institution is in alignment with the definition of a church as given by the IRS (namely, an traditionalisti 501(c)3). But there is no law calling for a church or spiritual establishment to be tax-exempt. The IRS definition only applies to those organizations that are seeking a tax-exempt status. Does that mean that all other spiritual and religious organizations that compensate taxes are not legitimate? Or, has the initial amendment been overlooked in this instance? Concerns when it comes to the integrity and legitimacy of clerics seem valid. Clergy, as a whole, receive respect and wonderment by the very nature of their calling and are ofttimes viewed as trusted mentors, teachers, role models and faithful leaders. Can the grass roots interfaith and independent ministry motion stand up to such expectations? Can they be trusted? Yet, the question begs—can traditionally ordained clergy be trusted as well. When an internet search for interfaith minister and abuse is performed, the searcher finds the introductory page filled with links to websites that assert to care for the maltreated or to help those abusing drugs, etc. When a internet search for Catholic priest and abuse is performed, the entire introductory page is filled with links to pages regarding the recent scandal where priests sexually maltreated children. It thence seems reasonable to conclude that a cleric as a fellow member of an traditionalisti world religion does not, by itself, demonstrate trustworthiness. Similarly, interfaith and independent ministries have little history upon which to base a qualified answer to these important questions. Religions, by their very nature, profess a right/wrong system of belief through creed and dogma. Yet, sacred texts, creed and dogma are open to interpretation as to what constitutes right and wrong. Disagreements on interpretations abound. Indeed, current events attest to the tragic world events rooted in religious disagreements (September 11, the Arab-Israeli conflicts, and our current state of affairs). “When Religion Turns Evil” by Baptist Minister Dr. Charles Kimball, (2003) defines five signs of corruption in religions. They are: sheer truth claims, blind obedience, establishing the “ideal” time, the end justifies any means, and state emphatically and authoritatively holy war.” These traits may be found in the Nazis, the Crusades and in the cults of Jim Jones and David Koresh. Self-righteousness is a mutual trait found in the actions of the Nazis, the Crusaders and both the Jones and Koresh cults. The Golden Rule espoused by all the great religions was forgotten in each case. The world would gain if all spiritual and religious organizations would take heed of the warning offered in Matthew 23:27-28: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look pretty on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” In conclusion, it appears that the major qualifications necessary for an individual to become a lawful cleric (either an independent clergy or a cleric with a major religion) and minister to the spiritual needs of others would be twofold: a deep desire to live a life free from self-righteous tendencies, and a life devoted to the exercise of the Golden Rule. The basic conception of love that is found in all of the outstanding texts would then be practiced, encouraging tolerance, understanding, compassionateness and peace.
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How much cash is too much for a minister to make? Should clergy have salary caps? A good rule of thumb is that a minister must make a salary when working full time that is a little above the intermediate of the working members of his congregation. The Bible says that the servant of the Lord deserves double wages... But in reality it is not necessary today. He needs to meet the needs of his family just like every one else. He needs medical coverage, a pension etc. Because most pastors are self employed, when they loose their position as a pastor, they can not gather unemployment. If a cap was put on the salaries of pastors, then the salaries of all not for net profit self used people ought to also be capped. Pastors of exceedingly huge churches and ministries work very hard, many times much more than a doctor or CEO... often times working 60-80 hours a week or more...and on call 24/7 besides. It is a highly aroused and stressful occupation that affects the whole family. They earn what they get. Most do not make enough...in spite of the fact they are expected to have BA and MA degrees... they are often times salaried like high school graduates. |
