Now I'm not a supporter of Osteen for a host of reasons, but the size of his paycheck isn't one of them. Are we dabbling in class-warfare arguments now? What's your threshold for when a pastor's/priest's salary is considered excessive or unjust?
That's up to the individual pastor or priest. But, clergymen who live like rock stars are hardly examples of Him who had nowhere to lay His Head.
hmmm....what would you say the average congregation size in a catholic church is?...if it's anything like the one we have in town...20 tops on a regular basis...the parish priest will be hard pressed to earn a good living. Joel Osteen's church is upward to 20,000 with multiple services each week. I am sure is in charge of many different ministries within his church. His congragation takes care of him. I am sure Osteen's church has an annual business meeting where his salary is negotiated. It is his church that blesses him out of their abundance. Smaller churches do not have that luxury.
I would love to be able to pay our Pastor what he is truly worth. He is on call 24/7 to help with the needs of our church. He makes more than our family brings in....but he also has put in more hours... Listens to more gripes, and ministers to the healing of marriages under attack....he takes time with our children and is lead laborer in any church building project...among many other things. He is on the go everyday with only 160 in the congregation...I can only imagine what pastors from larger churches must be doing.
My Pastor not only tithes to our church...he also tithes to the Ministry he was ordained in....not to mention missionary and other offerings. Joel Osteen is also an author...and I am sure if he is anything like my Pastor...he tithes on his earnings from that as well as his salary.. He sows into a ministry and he reaps from what he sows...that is God's economy.
In our town, the Catholic priest always drove a nice, new black Cadillac. The protestant pastors drove second hand cars. Of course, Catholic priests don't have wives and children to feed so that might account for it.