Hi Nairalanders,
This topic is borne out of the burden I felt over the issue of what is normal and what is right. Most times, the frequency at which we do some things may actually impair our judgement of normality and rightness. I am not really the "brother" type but more of a moralist who cannot but be amused by the level in which churches are being run especially in this part of the world.

A very close pal visited me today and continuously ranted about how the church where he plays bass guitar "bleeped up" by not paying his October salary. I wasn't really surprised since this wouldn't really have been the first time of hearing of such payments. I had to question him on the necessity for such since he did it for GOD and that resulted in a long argument with him giving untold reasons.

My question is, Is it right for these churches to needlessly subject themselves to untold hardship trying to run the church and at the same time trying to pay salaries to the so called instrumentalists?

Your opinions will be appreciated.

it depends on administration, there are different administration. Personally, I'd rather not be paid for that.

It depends. Some do it voluntarily they dont have to be paid ,But you may not always be able to count on their availability for very meeting ,wedding etc.because of school,job, marriages,job transfer,business trips etc. so for that reason ,it won't be a bad idea to have some on payroll

Abi everything for church go be free?

Why won't they? When both the church and the instrumentalists are in business?

i remembered this topic appearing on the front page sometimes this year. I used to be a bit naive in thinking instrumentalists should not be paid since they are working for God. I now know better. The truth is THEY SHOULD BE PAID. We have two types of instrumentalists, proffesional and non proffesional. I am an instrumentalist in my church but i am not a proffesional so i don't expect to be paid. But if someone is a proffesional instrumentalist, that's where they are getting their daily bread so they should be paid. Moreso, we need to ask ourselves a question, is the pastor not getting paid? He is for doing God's work, so if the pastor is getting paid for working for God, why then should other church workers do it for free?

I have been awaiting this thread for like ever.... This thing is very popular in the common man RCCG churches across Nigeria and I wonder why they should be paid for playing guitar, piano, talking drum and sorts of.

To me it is senseless paying them... It is not by force to play instruments and even I can blame the church themselves... If they act like the likes of MFM, Apostolic Faith, Deeper Life Ministries and co that use their money to develop the young ones on how to be instrumentalists. Even if they will run away, believe you have done it for God developing someone's life and hand them over to God. Jesus continued doing the miracles even though only one of the ten came to say "Thanks Lord".

Instead of paying them, they should hold three months salary, buy three of that type of instruments and send three promising guys/ladies in the church for training and they will surely get the best out of it.

Many pastors will have issues when they get to heaven and the instrumentalists are not left behind because God will simply say you have taken your part when you were working in the church so nothing to weigh your work with... What a Shame!

How I wish the pastors are reading this

If dey can nt train a choir member(s) to bcome an instrumentalist,wat other option do dey ve?

If dos playing d instruments are actually members of the church den I think is crazy to pay dem

It depends on the structure within the church. If for any reason(s), there are not good instrumentalists among the choristers, the church can go to the extent of hiring professional instrumentalists and based on agreed terms, they are paid for their services. In that light, the church is putting food on the table for such people. On the contrary, there are professional instrumentalists that will offer their services for free in such occasions.
So depending on the scenario, the church will do as occasion serves right!!

shadrach77: i remembered this topic appearing on the front page sometimes this year. I used to a bit naive in thinking instrumentalists should not be paid since they are working for God. I now know better. The truth is THEY SHOULD BE PAID. We have two types of instrumentalists, professional and non professional. I am an instrumentalist in my church but i am not a professional so i don't expect to be paid. But if someone is a professional instrumentalist, that's where they are getting their daily bread so they should be paid. More so, we need to ask ourselves a question, is the pastor not getting paid? He is for doing God's work, so if the pastor is getting paid for working for God, why then should other church workers do it for free?

Yes You have said something like a profession and non professional instrumentalist. But why go out when you can develop the ones you have in-house and take the profit for it.

Sure it is the correct thing to do. Its biblical. They are known as LEVITES. Even solomon paid his choir and instrumentalists.

tpapi: If dos playing d instruments are actually members of the church den I think is crazy to pay dem

It's not crazy to pay them if that's their means of livelihood. You won't muzzle the ox that tread the corn..

crazygod: Sure it is the correct thing to do. Its biblical. They are known as LEVITES. Even solomon paid his choir and instrumentalists.

Who made them LEVITES? This ur point has got not stand jor

See jamb question,church suppose pay since pastors de buy jets

shadrach77: i remembered this topic appearing on the front page sometimes this year. I used to be a bit naive in thinking instrumentalists should not be paid since they are working for God. I now know better. The truth is THEY SHOULD BE PAID. We have two types of instrumentalists, proffesional and non proffesional. I am an instrumentalist in my church but i am not a proffesional so i don't expect to be paid. But if someone is a proffesional instrumentalist, that's where they are getting their daily bread so they should be paid. Moreso, we need to ask ourselves a question, is the pastor not getting paid? He is for doing God's work, so if the pastor is getting paid for working for God, why then should other church workers do it for free?

Good point you raised. However, why are the Ushers that stand all morning, traffic controllers, prayer warriors, counsellors, child minders and even back choir girls NOT PAID?

Truth is, No one should be paid to do the work of God including the GO. He should go and get a day job!

My candid view is that the service to God in His Vineyard should be free of charge. The present decadence we experienced in the church today is as a result of the fact that the truth of the word of God has been replaced with human policies and world administration system. The church now copied the world system of administration to rule the church; we now have Personal Assistant, Board of Trustee/Directors, Organogram to show level of seniority, minutes of meetings, elections for General Overseers etc. We cannot rule the church like the world,we are in the world but not of the world. People now see church as a place to cut their own national cake. An instumentalist, who may be a womaniser or a liar can easily come into the church to play and makes his money without any serious repentance. Pastors now fight seriously for positions and recognitions. Everyboy wants to be the ruler and GOs. This is not the church that Jesus is planning to meet; He is coming for a church without spots or wrinkles. I know that he will surely purge this present church before His arrival.

ledafaze: I have been awaiting this thread for like ever.... This thing is very popular in the common man RCCG churches across Nigeria and I wonder why they should be paid for playing guitar, piano, talking drum and sorts of.

To me it is senseless paying them... It is not by force to play instruments and even I can blame the church themselves... If they act like the likes of MFM, Apostolic Faith, Deeper Life Ministries and co that use their money to develop the young ones on how to be instrumentalists. Even if they will run away, believe you have done it for God developing someone's life and hand them over to God. Jesus continued doing the miracles even though only one of the ten came to say "Thanks Lord".

Instead of paying them, they should hold three months salary, buy three of that type of instruments and send three promising guys/ladies in the church for training and they will surely get the best out of it.
V

Many pastors will have issues when they get to heaven and the instrumentalists are not left behind because God will simply say you have taken your part when you were working in the church so nothing to weigh your work with... What a Shame!

How I wish the pastors are reading this

brother, you got it all wrong. The bible said "the gift of a man maketh way for him and put food on his table(paraphrasing" if a footballer should be paid for showcasing his talent, why should a talented musician not be paid? If a pastor is paid or even showered blessings, why won't instrumentalist that make the music be paid? Mind you that the music and word makes the church, and if the members waters the pastor and ignores the music wing,it will die off and people will leave the church. This is biz.(He that watereth shall be watered)
You wonder why likes of r.kelly,donjazzy,duncan mighty that started in church left. Not that they don't wana work for God but the people are not recognising his services. That is his talent and he is blessing souls by making music. Good music is money, buy good instrument and take care of the instrumentalist, not necessarily allowance(if the person if ok financially)
If you don't pay a jobless upcoming instrumentalist, he lives the church to better churches that can pay well. Same God!
Go to good churches with outstanding musical levels and confirm, its either they are given token or the pastor takes care of their needs to an extent and even helping them with job to make money or the have good job and doing it freely.its the thing of the mind

Everybody may have idea about music, but it takes extensive study and training to bring out the best in you and these studies/training does not come free. How do you expect me to play for a church for free when it cost me many thousands of NAIRA to even get MUSON Grade 6 certificate. If intrumentalist are to play for free in churches, then the church should be ready to bear the financial cost of their training. Instrumentalist spend money to purchase their instruments, the church collects money through offering, tithe and other means, pockets the money and all you get to hear from the Pastor is God Bless you.

My Brothers it doesnt work that way.... go to Orpheus bookshop at Awolowo Road, Ikoyi or Ilupeju, The Saints Music Store and Emycil both at Ojuelegba and ask how much a music manuscript cost... Music is a profession and i dont think any professional works for free.

If you are the type that supports instrumentalist playing for free in churches, its not too late for you to go to a music school, use your salary to buy books, instrument and pay for tuition, then after your graduation.. go to churches and play for "MAY GOD REWARD YOUR EFFORT" words from the Pastor.

Ledafaze said 'This thing is very popular in the common man RCCG churches across Nigeria'




FO̲̣̥я̩̥̊ your information ℓ̊'m an RCCC instrumentalist and not paid to do it! Parishes ⌣̊┈̥-̶̯͡∂ǎ̜̣̍‡⌣̊┈̥-̶̯͡ have an urgent need of them can decide to pay their instrumentalists Or those ⌣̊┈̥-̶̯͡∂ǎ̜̣̍‡⌣̊┈̥-̶̯͡ want better performance frm them would encourage them with some money! It could also be because the instrumentalists stay far away so they are being paid to cover their Transportation!
NOTE: only SOME parishes pay their instrumentalists FO̲̣̥я̩̥̊ the reasons elucidated above!

;DIts not bad , if they don't ve someone who can play it in d church. Its nt bad ooo , cos a church is paying my paddy double digit

Super1759: brother, you got it all wrong. The bible said "the gift of a man maketh way for him and put food on his table(paraphrasing" if a footballer should be paid for showcasing his talent, why should a talented musician not be paid? If a pastor is paid or even showered blessings, why won't instrumentalist that make the music be paid? Mind you that the music and word makes the church, and if the members waters the pastor and ignores the music wing,it will die off and people will leave the church. This is biz.(He that watereth shall be watered)
You wonder why likes of r.kelly,donjazzy,duncan mighty that started in church left. Not that they don't wana work for God but the people are not recognising his services. That is his talent and he is blessing souls by making music. Good music is money, buy good instrument and take care of the instrumentalist, not necessarily allowance(if the person if ok financially)
If you don't pay a jobless upcoming instrumentalist, he lives the church to better churches that can pay well. Same God!
Go to good churches with outstanding musical levels and confirm, its either they are given token or the pastor takes care of their needs to an extent and even helping them with job to make money or the have good job and doing it freely.its the thing of the mind

Well.... It makes sense... But the churches should start thinking

Some Learnt the instruments from the church, anyway i'm indifferent about the topic.

me think it is right.

In my own opinion it should be free, mehn you are doing it for God and not for pastor or any other person and remember anything you give to God is never in vain because he will surely pay you the other way round, who knows what you would have been by now if you aren't charging for the services you render to God directly, you didn't pay for the life he gave you and u have the morale to collect money from him, am sorry for say this ur name is SORRY.

It's not proper God isn't man.
He knows the reason why he gave you the talent.

There are others ways you can mske money with what you have but it shouldn't be from God.

It will be better if the church train their members on how to play the instrumentals.

NOTE: This is just an opinion, haters keep off.

I remember one time a new church sprang up in my area. We had many hussling good muscians around. Some yet to get admission, some just finished and no job. The pastor called them all (even singers) and took them to lagos for training, after placed them on little allocation. He helped some to get work and others to secure admission. He kept sending them on training. Withing 6months, the church musical wing was over-populated with muscians. They formed very good band groups. If you go to the church,you wil forget your shoes while dancing..the church grew tremendiously.
The pastor knows what he is doing and he slammed other churches and collected their treasures and members

Youngzedd: In my own opinion it should be free, mehn you are doing it for God and not for pastor or any other person

What are you saying? are most pastors not on salary?

High Definition: See jamb question,church suppose pay since pastors de buy jets

Wts up with dis jet tin? :-s

.

i think they should be paid for their services, not everyone can play an instrument, u need training to be able to.
its just like telling the electrician that comes to repair the church electrical fault that he shouldnt be paid cos ' its for God' .
or a builder building the new church building that u wont pay him since he attends d same church and it Gods work.
if i render a service i expect to be paid!! irrespective of if its a church or a school

Do you know how determined you have to be before you master a musical instrument..? How much you would spend, cos' I spent almost 100k on tuition, materials and buying the instrument, you xpect me to eat "God bless you" at the end of the day..? I play the guitar as my major instrument in the church where I was born, but I also play the keyboard, drums, sing, backup, I do this cos' its my childhood church, anytime I go out to play the guitar in other churchies, I always get paid, I jst dnt want to look greedy, I would have joined churchies that have offered to place me on salary.

Yea,they ought to be paid