Are you a “high capacity giver” at Rock Bridge Community Church? If so, the pastoral staff there takes a special interest in you. How do I know this? It’s one of the listed job responsibilities of a Rock Bridge Campus Pastor as posted at justchurchjobs.com:
Meet with 2 high-capacity givers monthly to seek feedback and cast vision.
https://justchurchjobs.com/job/2389/dalton-campus-pastor-rock-bridge-community-church
If you’ll peruse the entire job posting you’ll find an an alusion to a scripture about being above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2) but you won’t find a single biblical citation. So, let me provide one:
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:1-13
Showing partially to someone because of how much money he can give is a sin. Rock Bridge has codified this sinful activity as a part of its pastoral job responsibilities. This is plainly wicked. This isn’t encouraging cheerful giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), it’s making sure big spenders get their money’s worth. This isn’t shepherding the flock of God; it’s customer relationship management. This isn’t church, it’s business.
This “campus pastor” job description is a lot more reminiscent of a “VP of Sales” job description. “Casting Vision” is another way of saying, “Get people to see our goal and buy into it.” It’s best not to waste time doing this with little fish. It’s the whales who drive the bottom line.
At Rock Bridge, you are a whale.
Wouldn’t you rather just be a sheep in the flock of the Lord Jesus Christ?
And don’t you think that low-capacity givers could have valuable feedback, too? Don’t they deserve pastoral attention just as much as the wealthy? Doesn’t the Holy Spirit gift them just as generously? Doesn’t Jesus love them just the same?
Rock Bridge loves your money. If this appeals to you, you’re right where you belong because you probably love having influence, being seen, and a having seat at the head of the table (Matthew 23:6). If you want something different, please reach out to me. Let me take you to lunch or coffee and tell you what you could be doing in God’s Kingdom at a biblical church.
I don’t want anything from you but to get you and your family into a biblical church. And hey, if you’re reading this and you’re a low-capacity giver, I’d love to meet with you just the same.