Confucianism – and the pastors’ stipend
1.The strange phenomenon of lowly paid pastors
There is a well recognised phenomenon of pastors not being paid terribly well in Chinese churches.
And it’s not as though on the whole Chinese people are unaware of money issues – quite the opposite in fact. Many church members would be acutely aware of their own remuneration and opportunities for career advancement. Many are very smart when it comes to earning and growing money.
However it is widely acknowledged that when it comes to providing for pastors, Chinese churches tend to maintain a steadfastly blind eye to the financial realities their pastors face. I myself have heard quite shocking stories of the remuneration that church leaders in our city have thought adequate.
But not only that, Chinese pastors are themselves strangely shy of raising the issue of the adequacy of their stipend, preferring instead to appear unworried by their finances.
There is much that could be said in terms of what could be fixed up. But today I thought I would instead shed some light on that strange phenomenon of, on the one hand churches that are slow to address the financial needs of pastors, and on the other hand pastors who are shy of asking for more money. Why is that the case?
2. The Confucian gentleman and money
In Confucianism the virtuous gentleman (junzi, 君子) is someone who exerts a transformative influence on society by developing their virtue and observing the rites. But in his description of the virtuous gentleman, Confucius interestingly portrayed him as being someone who does not give a thought for his material comfort.
Here are some quotes from the Analects of Confucius:
The Master said, “The gentleman seeks neither a full belly nor a comfortable home. He is quick in action but cautious in speech. He goes to men possessed of the Way to be put right. Such a man can be described as eager to learn.”
Analects 1.14
The Master said, “How admirable Hui is! Living in a mean dwelling on a bowlful of rice and a ladleful of water is a hardship most men would find intolerable, but Hui does not allow this to affect his joy. How admirable Hui is!”
Analects 6.11
The Master said: “A gentleman seeks the Way, he does not seek a living. Plough the fields and perchance you may still go hungry. Apply yourself to learning and perchance you may yet make a career. A gentleman worries whether he will find the Way, he does not worry that he may remain poor.”
Analects 15.32
There are other passages as well (Analects 7.16, 8.12, 15.38) but already you can see the theme of the virtuous man, content with humble things.
In fact it is more than that: this is actually portrayed as the ideal. Because by this you know that the gentleman pursues the Way with purity! Confucius taught that if a gentleman does show concern for his material comfort, he reveals himself to not be a true gentleman. Here again from the Analects:
The Master said, “There is no point in seeking the views of a Gentleman who, though he sets his heart on the Way, is ashamed of poor food and poor clothes.”
Analects 4.9
The Master said: ”a scholar who cares for his material comfort does not deserve to be called a scholar.”
Analects 14.2
This does not mean that the gentleman is completely shabby all the time. No, the virtuous man will actually ensure that his humble state will not cause others concern – but will still be dignified enough to perform the required rituals. Here again from the Analects:
The Master said, “With Yu I can find no fault. He ate and drank the meanest fare while making offerings to ancestral spirits and gods with the utmost devotion proper to a descendant. He wore coarse clothes while sparing no splendour in his robes and caps on sacrificial occasions. He lived in lowly dwellings while devoting all his energy to the building of irrigation canals. With Yu I can find no fault.”
Analects 8.21
And so you can see the kind of attitude that the Confucian gentleman has towards money: content with meagre things, not at all concerned for his material comfort, yet never compromising on his ability to perform the rites with all colour and dignity.
3. The Confucian gentleman and the Chinese pastor
But you can also begin to recognise what lies deep in the cultural background for many Chinese churchgoers and pastors when it comes to money. You can already see how it shapes what many people expect of pastors, and also what many pastors expect of themselves.
This may be why pastors are often shy about talking about their financial needs or expressing any concern with their stipend – they feel that to do so would undermine the very virtue that is crucial to their standing. It makes them unvirtuous, and disqualifies them from truly being that virtuous pastor which is their role.
And correspondingly, congregation members also want to see this. Unconsciously, this is their ideal for the virtuous leader among them. Someone who is completely devoted to the Way, and not at all troubled by their material comfort.
At this point the not-too-subtle influence of Confucianism is unlikely to be directly challenged. Because after all, Christianity also has a discomfort with greed! Confucianism and Christianity seem to speak with the same voice about those leaders who pursue financial gain (eg. 1 Timothy 3, 1 Timothy 6, Titus 1)!
But this is only true if we read the New Testament selectively. Because while Paul warns about those who pursue financial gain, he also talks quite unashamedly about money and his own financial needs (eg. Romans 15, 2 Corinthians 8-9, Philippians 4). These passages we read – and inwardly we cringe! To ask for money so openly – ugh!
But why do we cringe? Why do we find Paul so awkward in these chapters?
It may be that, unlike Paul, at this point we still have a worldview influenced more by Confucianism – than by the gospel.
i have heard teh following said at a church’s db (about supporting missionaries)
person A: ‘should we increase the support to this missionary?’
person B: ‘No. because being in need will keep this sister humble’
afterwards, everyone went on a very expensive lunch….
i thought that it was a complete joke when i heard it. but now, perhaps, there’s some cultural background that i did not understand.