In the August 7 issue of Truth Magazine, brother Mike Willis wrote an article "Honor to Whom Honor is Due." Brother Willis did an excellent job of showing how many gospel preachers are mistreated concerning the financial part of their work. I understand, and am aware of the types of situations brother Willis discussed, but I want to examine another reason why some brethren might be "tight" with the Lord's money.

A preacher came to hold a meeting in a small church. He brought his wife and asked the church to house them in a motel. The local preacher in the church that was having the meeting is isolated from other preaching brethren, and he was looking forward to being with another preacher during the week. He never saw him except at the evening meals and services. The visiting preacher accepted no invitations to lunch, where he might have visited with the brethren and the local preacher. He and his wife were sightseeing. On the last night of the meeting, one of the ladies planned a get together after services. The preacher and his wife stayed for ten minutes. When he was paid for the meeting expenses (the church also paid the hotel bill) and the meeting itself, he returned the check to the local preacher and said it wasn't enough. After the check was rewritten, the meeting cost was more than $2000, and that was in 1991.

Another small church had a meeting with a preacher who wished to stay in a hotel 15 miles from the building. Except for one afternoon, when he ate with one of the members and stayed 20 minutes after the meal, he took his meals at the hotel. He charged his dry cleaning on the hotel bill for which the church paid. During the meeting, he was asked to preach a special lesson because one member's wife, who wasn't a Christian, misunderstood the work of the Holy Spirit. Instead, he preached a series of lessons for the wife of a member of another church where he was going to hold a meeting three weeks later. He taught the same lesson on Thursday and Friday nights because a woman from another congregation was at that meeting. He praised the people at the other congregation and said little about the church where he was preaching. The church paid his air fare and hotel bill, and paid him for the meeting. The meeting's total cost was twice what it should have been.

Another gospel preacher flew into an airport that was two hours away from the place where he would hold the meeting. This required eight hours of driving (the trip there and back). He lived only four hours from the city where the meeting was being held. Why not rent a car and drive himself? Whatever happened to making it convenient for the folks who are having the meeting?

While brother Willis used fictional characters, I did not. These are well-known gospel preachers who held meetings in small churches. I'm personally acquainted with those involved, but out of personal courtesy, have not named them. I understand that a preacher is "worthy of his labor." (1 Corinthians 9:9-14) But, is this proper conduct for a gospel preacher? I know that those congregations will not have these preachers back and will not remember the truth preached, but the preacher's conduct.

Although each local congregation decides how much it wishes to invest in gospel meetings, we who are gospel preachers should remember that the money is not the congregation's, but the Lord's. Even if a church has ample funds, is it right for a gospel preacher to take advantage of the situation for personal gain? One person cannot judge another's motives, but we know that God can and does know our motives. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." {Hebrews 4:13}

What about a gospel preacher's activities during a meeting? Does he visit the sick, the shut in, and those in the hospitals? Does he visit members who are spiritually weak and in need of encouragement? I know of preachers who go to hold meetings and play golf four or five times during the meeting. Do we try to become better acquainted with the brethren and the needs of the local church? Do we offer to meet with members who are struggling to understand difficult subjects? Should a preacher be at the congregation's disposal during the week? Why not; he's being paid for a week of work.

A small local church called a well-known preacher because it needed a meeting. The preacher said he would come if the church could pay for hotel accommodations, furnish a rental car, pay his airfare, and reimburse him for the meeting. Otherwise, he would not. While I was the local preacher in Las Vegas, I was assigned the task of finding men to hold gospel meetings. I spoke with many different preachers. Some asked how much we were willing to pay and where they would be staying. When I told them the amount and where they would stay (with my family or one of the other members), they were not interested. Such men never received a second call.

I've been holding between four and six gospel meetings a year since 1987. Never have I asked what a church would pay me for the meeting. Rarely, do I look at the check until I get back to where I change my clothes, or I arrive home. Yes, I've held meetings where the church did not pay me, did not cover my expenses, and where I barely broke even. But for the most part, the churches have been generous. I fear that some gospel preachers may be looking to fatten their retirement accounts instead of preaching the gospel to convert the lost and edify the Lord's body. Small churches need meetings as much as, if not more than, large ones do. Why wouldn't a gospel preacher consider holding a meeting for a small church, if only to cover his airfare or driving expenses? I know we all have bills, families to support, and households to maintain. But my primary desire ought to be helping the lost and edifying the brethren.

Dear readers, there must be a balance. Brethren should be willing to pay meeting preachers fairly. And we who are gospel preachers should not be seeking to take advantage of churches that have more money. If driving is an option-drive. If you must fly, attempt to get a reasonably priced ticket. Whenever possible, stay with brethren, and make yourself available to the members during the week. Preachers who wish to stay in the hotel to keep up with the other work to which they're committed should remain at home and do that work. The local work should take priority in a preacher's life. A man cannot do justice to the local work when he's away for weeks on end holding meetings.

A few "bad apples" can cause the brethren to wonder if we are preaching for the love of souls or the love of money. Let's not lose sight of the fact that we will give account to the Lord for our attitudes, actions, and work (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:12; 1 Timothy 6:6-8).