Christian Leaders Need to Study Economics

I've discussed the economics of religion here often. In a pod cast recently a pastor in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod discussed how helpful his classes in economics have been for understanding what is going on today in Christianity.

For some years, surveys have shown that those who attend church regularly tend to be college educated and in the upper middle to higher income brackets. Those who can be seen entering church are the same people entering the golf Country Club and Tennis Club. Why is this and how did it come to be?

Often when I have discussed money and some of the faithful have angerly told me the faith is not about making money. There are those mega preachers, they say, who take in huge sums for themselves but that is not the neighborhood church where the pastor received a salary just adequate to support him/herself they tell me. I try to point out, unsuccessfully most of the time, the rich TV preacher and small church preacher are the same. Each has to be supported by money from those in the pews. Without money neither would exist. The small church relies of voluntary "tithes" or "love gifts", the Joel Osteens sell tickets. Both make these make religious events possible. Both would be impossible without the money.

Anyone who has attended a lot of church knows two things are said, One is "we need more money." The other is, "You are welcome here even if you cannot give money." The two statements result in a guilt feeling for people who have no money to give. This is fed by the sociological factor, people with no money and those with some have different friends and social circles. Those who are broke do not find their friends attending church. Those on their way up or who are doing well chat with friends there. 

Add to this the requirements in many parts of Christianity during the recent many decades that preachers are required to have considerable and expensive training before being ordained (licensed). This has raised to cost of tickets (tithes) to those in the pews. The higher the bar for education of preachers the fewer low-income people in the pews. It's not rocket science.   

Churches are a business not uulike any commercial business. It has to make sense financially before it can sell its goods.