For The Record

[jinjer]

Pitts,

The 200-300 Gerald was speaking of was his own local church in Louisville.

Jinjer

[Karen]

1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.



Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

[Karen]

It is a terrible shame that an organization as large as the COGOP apparently does not supply a basic necessity such as health care to it's ministers, and because of that, you have seemingly had no other choice but to find employment that does provide this need. In my opinion, by doing this, the COGOP does not follow God's plan for the care of his ministers and they will give an account to God for this one day. They are bringing shame to his name.

I'd really be interested in knowing if your organization provides medical insurance for all of its ministers. Retirement?

Pastor Gary and Pastor P,
The answer to your question is YES to health insurance and retirement.

[Pastor Gary]

Pastor Gary and Pastor P,
The answer to your question is YES to health insurance and retirement.

WONDERFUL! My church pays my medical insurance, too, to the tune of $1,200 a month. May I ask how many ministers in your organization receive such benefit and how it is funded?

[Karen]

Pastor Gary and Pastor P,
The answer to your question is YES to health insurance and retirement.

WONDERFUL! My church pays my medical insurance, too, to the tune of $1,200 a month. May I ask how many ministers in your organization receive such benefit and how it is funded?

Well! That is TRUELY WONDERFUL! I am VERY glad to hear that at least your local congregation is doing this for you! Evidently, it is not typical throughout the organization as it should be or Pastor Sam would not be in the position he is in.

I honestly can not say exactly how many ministers there are in total internationally, but they all have health insurance and retirement no matter how large or small the congregation is and it is not dependent upon the local congregation to supply. A part of all tithe monies goes toward obtaining lower group rates for all.

[Pastor Gary]

I honestly can not say exactly how many ministers there are in total internationally, but they all have health insurance and retirement no matter how large or small the congregation is and it is not dependent upon the local congregation to supply. A part of all tithe monies goes toward obtaining lower group rates for all.

Can you give me a good ball-park guess? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of Thousands? In the U.S. only or internationally?

[Karen]

I honestly can not say exactly how many ministers there are in total internationally, but they all have health insurance and retirement no matter how large or small the congregation is and it is not dependent upon the local congregation to supply. A part of all tithe monies goes toward obtaining lower group rates for all.

Can you give me a good ball-park guess? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of Thousands? In the U.S. only or internationally?

I can only make a guess.........U.S. and Internationally.

Approx. 1000+

I know that this figure is surely much smaller than that of the COGOP. If they can do it, surely the COGOP could do it too.

[one love]

Pastor Sam and Jennifer,

I first would like to say that i am praying for you that the Lord will heal you completely.
I have had to resign as a pastor this past year and could not do it until I felt the Lord release me, so I understand. Funny thing is I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me. I soon moved to another state and I am now ministering at a state level and I love it.
Some times the Lord closes one door and opens another.
I pray that you and your family will be blesssed.


Karen I dont know for sure but I cant imagine how much the cost would be to cover all pastors with insuance on the dime of the international offices. I dont see how they could do it.
Then what about different ministers that are not pastors?
I think PG has a good way let the local congregation do it or have the organization find a plan that would be cheaper because more would be a part of it and offer it to the local church to decide....just my .02
I have a buisness and it is EXPENSIVE to insure people

[Karen]

Pastor Sam and Jennifer,

I first would like to say that i am praying for you that the Lord will heal you completely.
I have had to resign as a pastor this past year and could not do it until I felt the Lord release me, so I understand. Funny thing is I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me. I soon moved to another state and I am now ministering at a state level and I love it.
Some times the Lord closes one door and opens another.
I pray that you and your family will be blesssed.


Karen I dont know for sure but I cant imagine how much the cost would be to cover all pastors with insuance on the dime of the international offices. I dont see how they could do it.
Then what about different ministers that are not pastors?
I think PG has a good way let the local congregation do it or have the organization find a plan that would be cheaper because more would be a part of it and offer it to the local church to decide....just my .02
I have a buisness and it is EXPENSIVE to insure people

One Love,
All I really know is that it is God's way, his plan and intention for those who give their live in service to him to be supplied every human need and necessity from the tithe, gifts and offerings of the people who they serve because they had no inheritance in the land.
Correct me if I am wrong. Doesn't the COGOP require that all tithe of the people as well as the tithe of the minister be sent to headquarters and then they give the minister a portion "salary" back to the minister and the salary is so low that many have to try to work a second job just to make ends meet?
Have there not been abuses of the monies at different periods of time in the history of the organization and arn't some paid very high salaries?
God set out exactly how it was all supposed to work. As long as man will jump through the hoops of "whatever" organizations, controlling them with fear saying that if they don't belong to this or that organization they won't get into heaven, the organizations will continue to fleece the flock.
Our father owns the cattle of a thousand hills and he has said that he would supply all of our needs according to his riches. We must be obedient to his ways, instructions, plan, design and methodology. Organizations can tend to become tempted by greed and not follow God's plans and designs and tend to wrap it all up in a religious package so that it appears to be correct in the eyes of man but it is not God's way.
God did not intend for his priests to be in need or lack........beggars, depending of the "worlds" provision.
This is inherient in many organizations. I am not just dumping on the COGOP. This is a clarient call to go back to God's ways.
The apostle Paul did work and minister at the same time. Paul said that he had a right to these things but he waived that right to prove a point to the people that he ministered to. But still, God's original plan and design still stood for those who ministered in his service.

[Jennifer Smith]

Pastor Sam and Jennifer,

I first would like to say that i am praying for you that the Lord will heal you completely.
I have had to resign as a pastor this past year and could not do it until I felt the Lord release me, so I understand. Funny thing is I had no idea what the Lord had in store for me. I soon moved to another state and I am now ministering at a state level and I love it.
Some times the Lord closes one door and opens another.
I pray that you and your family will be blesssed.

Thank-you, I appreciate that.

[darylscook]

I too would like to know. Things have not always been great in the COGOP, but I love where I am, I love where I pastor. I am not far from retirement age and like so many others, I have no retirement, except SS, no home to move too either. I was told at a young age that God would provide. Although my situation is mirrored many times over, I will not allow my soul's enemy to cause me to become bitter and vindictive.

Pastor
I think it was over 10 years ago that the CoGoP implemented a WONDERFUL retirement program. IO does not contribute to it, but it is available for every minister. It provides for you to designate so much of your salary to the plan pretax and additionally the local church to be able to match (or not as in my case) and after you retire you can desigate so much of your retirment income as Parsonage allowance (so you would never pay federal taxes on it). Start now ....

If anyone wnat to criticize the COGOP when they are not a faithful supporting member, they should realize how hypocritical they are in so doing..

As far as PastorSam goes, I fully understand how you must be hurting. I am blessed to have Health Insurance, although a very high cost to me personally. I don't know if I will be able to keep it if the premiums continue to increase, as I am sure they will. Brother, I can't say that I would never make the same decision that you have made. God bless you and keep you. We have never met personally, but remember you are loved and this ole' man knows how you feel.

Pastor Sam I want you to know that you are in our prayers as well.

Bro. Paul
PM me if you want information on ther retirement plan

God bless You
Daryl