I am not attempting to bash anyone but let this serve as an example to us that whatever we don’t deal with privately will expose us publicly. It is not enough to pretend or wish these issues away or try to cover it up or pay off someone. It is proving far better to address the issue.
My concern stems from the recent developments surrounding the Bishop Eddie L. Long issue. For some time, I as a Christian believer, have struggled with the rationale of Christian leaders who tend to lead extravagant and lavish lifestyles which does not seem to be in keeping with the gospel message. I am not advocating poverty and denial of common everyday comforts. Neither am I advocating a life of self imposed restrictions on social interaction, or the purchase of cars. But my concern is this; how can you justify living in a multimillion dollar house while at the same time people in your church live in relative poverty. Bearing in mind that as a pastor or church leader your income is directly derived from, financial gifts and contributions from people who earn 20,00.00 per year or less and in some cases more.
As members of your church you exhort them that in order to stay in the Will of God they must tithe. (Giving 10% of their weekly, or monthly earnings) to the church. That same tithing contribution becomes the basis for the pastor’s salary and church expenses. In most cases I have known of the church or church member’s contributions is used to pay for the living expenses of the pastor.
This means if he lives in million dollar house he has a million dollar lifestyle, and has million dollar expenses to maintain. Is it any wonder in today’s age of access to information, many church members find themselves asking why does he/she have to live like that. The it factor is the church member who is paying for his/her lifestyle. While you are busy toiling around on your job earning minimum wage or barely above, in the hope that one day you will live in a mansion in the sky, right here on earth on your ten per cent contribution, someone else is living it out loud.
So to pastors and Christian leaders out there; it is time for a change. Let the Eddie Long debacle serve as a constant reminder to you that some degree of self examination and house cleaning is necessary to avoid the risk of public humiliation and censor.
It is time for some of the types of behavior I have seen displayed by men and women of Christian faith to stop. It is impossible to hardly find anyone resembling or coming as close to the model of Jesus Christ, I myself included. The message seems to be “do as I say not as I do”. Here are some ways to get started:
- Avoid negative associations and encounters with persons of same sex or the opposite sex while you are alone. Always keep in mind it is your word against theirs.
- Counseling should always be done in the presence of an additional person. That person(s) can vary. For integrity purposes I would rotate individuals on a rostrum basis.
- If you know that you have baby mothers and family (children separate and apart from your wife, clean it up. Confess it, admit it, ask for forgiveness, and remove yourself from your position of leadership. You are no longer capable of leading people who are expecting you to at least maintain a modicum of decency and faith integrity to at least uphold the values you teach.
- This means, all girlfriends, mistresses, baby mothers, lovers part time and full time, and boyfriends have to go.
- Lavish lifestyles must go. Come down off your pedestal, you are not the CEO of a fortune 500 company. Just as we hold them accountable for the excesses in their income, we are now extending you the same treatment. Get rid of the fancy cars, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, (like seriously, are you kidding?) Porsches, Ferraris, etc. Think MODEST LIVING.
- Let the phrase What Would Jesus Do be your guideline. If it doesn’t fit, don’t use it.
- Your finances have to be able to match public scrutiny. Do you really want your members to know you earn $3M per year? And the church pays all your expenses including your monthly household bills. The light, mortgage, the butler, housekeeper, telephone, food, heating/air-conditioning. So that $3m is purely yours alone. This does not smack of financial integrity. Not when people are giving from their modest income, come on we have to be more forthright than that.
- Live as if you are living in the public eye. I don’t mean the public relations image you maintain on the evening news or in your press bulletins, or when you are schlepping around town with a news camera logging your every deed. Replace your public persona with the one your members can identify with.
- Wives, hold your husbands accountable. Ask questions; make enquiries about activities your husband participates in without your presence. Question frequent and extensive trips planned for any given period of time. Ask them to explain absences. If you do not want to be publicly humiliated by the answers to questions you should have asked privately, then this is what you do. Marriage is a partnership. Just as you equally share the fruits of your labor and love, you share the public downfall. Engage your husband in one on one confidential sessions. Each of you should be each other’s confidante, and friend. You shouldn’t hide things from one another.
- Answer your gut instinct. If you feel something is wrong check it out.
- Don’t let the promise of a lavish lifestyle complete with Gucci and Prada and Versace as companions enslave you to a lie.
- Stop the bashing of public officials, homosexuals, and people who are different than the narrow confines of your world.
- Embrace everyone as Christ did. Preach the message of forgiveness and redemption. Explain what sin means within the biblical concept and offer ra way out . People will better relate to you as they know what you stand for and that you live a life in keeping with your message.
- Humble yourselves.
- Rid yourselves of arrogance and believe me people know the difference between your arrogance and your confidence.
- Tithing. Do not use it as a method of extortion to extract from people more money than you need to have.
- In everything, ask yourself What Would Jesus Do.
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