I’m deeply grateful the churches I’ve pastored provided me a book allowance for further study (and, in fact, both helped me with education costs in general). I’ve been blessed, and I pray other young pastors are equally blessed. In my opinion, church lay-leaders need to read and heed these words from the famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon:
WHAT are those ministers to do who have a slender apparatus? By a slender apparatus I mean that they have few books, and little or no means wherewith to purchase more. This is a state of things which ought not to exist in any case; the churches ought to take care that it should be rendered impossible. Up to the highest measure of their ability they should furnish their minister, not only with the food which is needful to sustain the life of his body, but with mental nutriment, so that his soul may not be starved. A good library should be looked upon as an indispensable part of church furniture; and the deacons, whose business it is “to serve tables,” will be wise if, without neglecting the table of the Lord, or of the poor, and without diminishing the supplies of the minister’s dinner-table, they give an eye to his study-table, and keep it supplied with new works and standard books in fair abundance.*
Church members, I challenge you to help offer this kind of gift to your pastor!
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*Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures To My Students (p. 175). Fig. Kindle Edition.
