Celibacy is a discipline, not a dogma. The Eastern Catholic Churches, for example, allow married men to become priests. On the one hand, it resolves the issue of priestly shortage; on the other, it creates new problems. It is far easier to assign a celibate priest to a parish than one who is married. The celibate priest is flexible. The married priest follows the sequence of his vows. The first vow is to his wife; the second is to the priesthood. This places a greater financial burden on the parish to cover the expenses of a family vs a single individual. The bishop must take these factors into consideration when assigning a married priest to a parish. If, for whatever reason, problems develop, it is far more costly to move an entire family.
This bears out St. Paul’s basic concern that to be married is to be distracted from the spiritual:
The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman or girl is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about worldly affairs, how to please her husband (1 Cor. 7:32-34).
There are people called to remain celibate and devote themselves to serving God. That is fine. But their celibacy does not make them superior as marriage counselors. In fact, it raises some question about whether God accepts them for an office in the Church, since the list of qualifications DOES include marriage. I personally, using my own personal interpretation of scripture, believe they ARE allowed, although an exception to the rule. But it certainly is hard to argue that the exception to the rule has become the rule, and the rule has become the exception...
“Therefore an overseer [episkopes] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife...He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
“Let deacons [diakonous] each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.”
Galatians 5:12
As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Peter was married.
It didn’t disqualify him from being selected to be a disciple by Jesus Himself, nor did it disqualify him from holding a prominent position in the early church.
Scripture nowhere demands that men make vows to the church.
Money should not be a factor in determining whether a man should be a priest of not. Any church that lets financial considerations be a factor in determining that has its priorities wrong. They are trying to serve two masters and not trusting God to provide for the man that HE called to be with that congregation.
Paul's words had a context and it is certain that he was NOT advising every believer to remain unmarried, else there would soon be nothing but clergy and no families to raise in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Here's what Paul was talking about:
Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs — how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife - and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world — how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. (I Cor. 7:25-35)
Christians were being persecuted and killed, Paul said that because of this, it was better for a man to remain unmarried if he was called to be a traveling missionary preaching the gospel as having a family could impact his freedom to move. It really had NOTHING to do with preventing a person from being "spiritual" or doing what God has created him to do.
Celibacy was NOT a discipline of the early church but was brought into the Roman Catholic church to protect church assets from being passed down to families. No family, nobody to inherit property. And, as you said, less cost transferring a single man than him, his wife and children. It was not, however, a discipline the early church leaders practiced.