One of the strange things about Christianity is the place of leaders. According to Jesus, anyone who wants to be a leader must be the servant of all. This conflicts with the traditional view of leadership in which the leader gets the highest pay, the corner office, the fancy car and the right to order everyone else around. But does this mean that Christian leaders do not get looked after at all? Paul’s view of the question is revealed in chapter 5 of his first letter to Timothy:
Leaders who lead well should be considered deserving of double honour, especially those who work at preaching and teaching. The Scripture says, “You must not muzzle the ox while it is threshing grain.” And, “The worker deserves to be paid.” Do not listen to an accusation made against a leader, unless supported by two or three witnesses.
Paul does say that the worker deserves to be paid, but he does not say that the leader should be paid more than everybody else. He says that leaders deserve double honour, but he does not say that they should get fancy cars and the corner office. If someone chooses to be a leader in the church, that is not a decision to pursue wealth and fame and power; it is a decision to pursue a life of service, often accompanied by difficulties and disappointments.