Self-supporting ministry from a Lutheran historical perspective: looking back to the time of Luther and looking ahead with Luther's example in mind

Abstract

Self-supporting ministry has been accepted by ELCSA (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa) and should, therefore, be seen as a ministry that, together with full-time ministry, can contribute to the welfare of the flock entrusted to ministers. In fact, it should not be distinguished from full-time ministry, since both are indispensible to the ministry. The distinction that makes one ministry inferior or superior to the other is foreign to Luther’s theology of vocation and the Lutheran confessions and traditions. It is also foreign to the New Testament, which accommodates diversity in ministry. The article looks back at the history of Luther and examines his career as a priest, a professor, an administrator (district vicar) and a parish pastor. His primary career, from which he earned a living, was as a professor. However, this did not preclude him from involvement in the parish ministry and in the administration of monasteries. Thus he was a self-supporting minister in more or less the same way that St Paul was a tentmaker.