Let me in my post first present what my be perceived biases. 1) I am a former full-time pastor and am now a Mechanical Design Engineer. Part of the reason I left full-time ministry was so I could pay the bills for education and living support that were incurred in order to be a full-time pastor. 2) I pastored a 400 member church with 200+ in average attendance and never made more than $40,000/year. 3)For the number of people managed by a pastor even in an average church is comparable to administrators in many businesses and there is no salary comparison. Due a great deal I think in the false believe that Pastors have to be poor to be legit.
With that said I don't think we can put all the highest paid preachers/pastors in the category of Prosperity Gospel preachers. They are spread over the spectrum of theological focuses, and some of them deal with their finances differently and have made their money in ways outside of just preaching.
For example Rich Warren is on of those listed in the link from the OP. He didn't make his wealth from preaching at Saddleback. He made it from the success of the "Purpose Driven Life" book and all the extras that created. He also was making income from other books he has written. The royalties created from book sales are more the result of the publisher and marketing than the author. Also Rick Warren lives off a small percentage of what he earns and gives the vast majority to charity. BTW I am not a Rick Warren fan, he's done great work and reached a lot of people for Christ. He is Calvanist though and I am Weslyan.
We also cannot discount what Paul says in 1 Timothy 5:17,18. "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor especially those who labor in preaching and teaching; for the scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves to be paid.” Even in Old Testament times God's plan was for the people of God to provide for the ministers of God. Unfortunately for the norm is to make the Pastor and their family to live in conditions that are almost or are slum conditions. On top of that to not pay enough to support their family, pay for the education they are required to take, let alone have enough to put away for retirement or to cover basic medical health insurance and expenses.
With that said when a bishop in a mainline denominational church has a set salary of six figures then I say, the discussion and worry should not be who is and is not preaching for profit. But who is sinning by not properly and fairly providing for those God sends to us to share the gospel.
The majority of preachers in my area don't get paid. They work a job and preach on Sunday. Wednesday if they can... there is usually an elder or two that helps out, fills in. (I went church and denomination shopping after I was saved.)
Those are small churches. The money people pitch in goes toward the building and charity.
There is a handful of larger churches (various denominations) which pay their pastors. The Pastor at my church makes what my husband and I do plus has a house provided. If they needed more his wife could get a part-time job somewhere but she doesn't.. they are okay I suppose. They make more than many in this area (especially figuring in the house), but less than others, a lot less than some (doctors etc).
I don't think it's bad what we are able as a church to provide him, and I don't think it's wrong to give him money for being a full time preacher, it's what the church wanted and it's a big enough church.
If he had a different job would he make more? Yes.. of course. (It wouldn't be in this area though.. lol) Heck, if he lived in a city he'd make more.. but he took this job offer, so i guess he was fine with what was offered.
What people are speaking of mainly is who makes huge sums of money off elderly watching TV and buying some line of lies.. (buy this holy water and be healed.. lol)
Charles Stanley has a ministry and makes (takes home) 300,000 per year.. which to me is enough to make me choke, lol, but he lives in a big city where cost of living is higher and such, so i dont suppose I can criticize that.. if I had millions at my disposal that's likely what I'd choose for that area to take home.
It really is the people living in multi million dollar compounds selling lies that people have difficulty with. Not usually your average Pastor.
I do think if we took the money away, preaching isn't what those people would choose. Being a Pastor isn't a career choice, it's a calling. like an artist, writer, or teacher, you don't do it to get rich..you do it because its in your heart to do.
