8/3/2019 How Effective is Our Teaching

1/2

How effective is our teaching!

At the last meeting of the Presbytery there was discussion that the Presbytery has registered as am

employer. The question that troubled me is how many employees does the Presbytery has to make

such a noise? Only two (2), the Administrator and the Secretary?.

I was totally traumatized when someone said the Presbytery employs ministers. No body challenged

that. One would assume that it was the correct understanding of the UPCSA. This is just an example

of the current misinformation being spread within our Presbytery. Lets seek the holy truth and not

sell it.

Our current situation is a real cause of concern for anyone who would like to invest life and time in

the Presbytery. Spiritual, valuable, constructive and wealthy discussions have been destroyed and

replaced by puffy and good for nothing issues. Honesty and faithfulness is so costly and scarce.

Maybe those that have gone before us hoarded it and externalised it.

We have dropped a lot of crucial matters in the presbytery. The issue of the Central fund, Medical

Fund, Multiplication of the Presbytery, Our Presbytery Priorities, The issues addressed by the Denver

summit, worshiping and communion together, among so many other issues.

The current state of our affairs challenges the nature and calibre of our teaching and most especially

the Teaching elders. How well are we teaching and praying with our ruling elders. We expect them

so much at Presbytery meetings when at congregational level there is no real transformation. We

expect them to make spiritual decision when there is no input from the Sessions themselves. How

are the congregations spiritually? Can the congregational spiritual vitality give us a vital Presbytery?

Let me lastly address the issue of employment of Ministers. Ministers are not employees of the

Congregations, Presbytery or General Assembly. They simply receive from the congregation they are

inducted. If a minister is not in a pastoral charge the Presbytery or the General Assembly does not

pay the stipend. I have even heard some ministers in the UPCSA say I am employed by the

Presbytery, that incorrect. Ministers are responsible to the Presbytery as they are MEMBERs not

Commissioners to the Presbytery.

6.69 The Presbytery inducts the Minister to the pastoral charge, and the Minister is responsible to

the Presbytery for the proper discharge of the duties of his/her office. The name of the

Minister is on the Roll of Members, but he/she is subject to the Presbytery, not the Session.

However, the Minister is obliged to abide by and act upon decisions of the Session and the

relevant financial authority that fall within their respective jurisdictions. Should a Minister

appear to neglect his/her duties or to encroach upon the function of the Session, that Court

may approach the Presbytery by petition to deal with the matter.

The manual now clearly states the distinction between the Minister and the ruling Elders.

Now that the Presbytery has made a claim that it is the employer of the ministers, it has

assumed an incorrect role. No minister can claim unpaid stipend to the Presbytery or

General Assembly. The role of Presbytery is as clear as it is below;

6.66 A Minister in a pastoral charge is not an employee of the Congregation but receives from the

Congregation his/her stipend and other emoluments. Neither Presbytery nor Synod nor

8/3/2019 How Effective is Our Teaching

2/2

General Assembly is legally bound to pay the stipend or part thereof or to provide the other

emoluments of a Minister in a pastoral charge. Presbyteries have a responsibility to ensure

that Congregations pay their Ministers as agreed. (Presbytery and/or Synod and/or General

Assembly, if they find it practicable and desirable, may assist a Congregation in this by means

of grants or loans.)

Who then employs the Minister?

The church never called anybody but God calls men and women because the harvest is

plenty. Those that work in the field eat from the field. The shepherds eat from the flock.

Sad to be a vegetarian when you are a herd boy (Mufudzi wemombe).

God is the employer. He owns all the haverst. Alleluyah.