Why people are classified as full-time and part-time ministers?

Full Question:

Why do people in a church are classified as full-time and part-time ministers? What is the difference between them? Which one among this is greater?

Answer:

Your question is a simple and interesting question. Its answer also is simple, if it is answered directly to the point. But on answering this question, I need to mention certain important points which are some mistakes from this. I do believe that it may help at least some of you to realize such misinterpretation and to remove such misunderstanding.

First of all let me come to the direct answer. Churches in this days classified the category of people in a basis of time. Those who are dedicated to God and working for God without any other business or job are called full-time ministers of God. All the rest of people in a church without such a commitment are called part-time workers of God. The difference between them is classified on the basis of their working time for God.

I don't know how this type of a classification developed in churches. There are many factors that developed this classification. Some of them are the concept to get a high reward for full-time workers, God's special love towards full-time workers, God's quickness and care in answering the full-time ministers prayers and so on. Whatever it may be I'm totally against this classification for that this type of a classification is not biblical and was not created by God. This classification has got a lot of disadvantages, which is also a factor that affects the growth of the church. I'm dedicating my answers to all people who are called and separated as a part-time ministers of God. You should understand the biblical facts very clearly and should break the barriers around you by clear understanding about the word of God.

We can go to a part of the bible which will help us to reveal many truths based on this time based classification. In Matthew 20:, we can see Jesus telling a story to his disciples. It says, "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' Because no one has hired us,' they answered. He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

In the above parable said by Jesus we can see very clearly that God is the landowner and the workers are his ministers. Here the landowner agreed to pay a denarius for his workers, which means God agreed a reward for his ministers. The important thing to notice here is about the time. We can see, the land owner went early in the morning, third hour, sixth hour, ninth hour, eleventh hour to hire men to work for his vineyard, until evening. As the workers are called at different times, we can see that the difference between them is based on the duration of time they worked. This workers can be compared with the classification of full-time and part-time ministers of God. Those who started working from the early morning worked for a long time compared to others. We can see that such workers are also proud of what they have done and they also are expecting something great from God, for they are working for a long time. But when God called his workers to pay their wages, he is not even thinking about such a classification. He is giving the same reward for all the part-time workers and also it is clear that God's attitude and care towards both of them are same.

Hope you understand that there is no classification made by God, to the church on the basis of time. You should also realize that there is no special favor in the eyes of God for full-time workers. All part time workers and full time workers are equally important in the eyes of God. Then why do human beings have this classification. There is only one God placed classification in the church and it is written in the bible very clearly. It is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28 which says, "And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues." This is a good classification and we all know that this classification will help in the growth of church. And if God or the apostles found it important and beneficial to make a time based classification, surely they will also classify the people in the first time church as full time and part time ministers.

I think I should also mention some of the important disadvantages of such a time based classification. Almost in all churches around the world, majority of its members are people with some job or some kind of business. If a church separate this group of people as a group who are not able to work for God the whole day, it is a kind of discouragement. By this discouragement, the church will lose a great contribution from the majority. A good church should not keep this type of classification within them and they should consider each of its members as equally important in the vineyard of God, which is the mission field. The church should encourage every members to work for God, as much as they can. They should teach them to be connected with the heaven always and to be an available tool for God whenever He needs you, which is an important thing.

All people who are separated as part-time workers of God, please come to the understanding that you are equally important to Jesus. Some of you may think that God will hear only those dedicated full time ministers prayers and He can work only through them. It is a just a misunderstanding and answering of prayer is just a matter of faith. You must clearly understand, you are precious for Jesus. God is love and he loves everyone equally. He paid his life as a price for me, you and all. He do not have any special considerations for certain people.

All people who called themselves as full-time ministers of God, this message is not to discourage you. But in this end-times, God need more workers for His field and this type of classifications are really a stumbling block for the growth of kingdom of God. Never continue with the attitude of vineyard workers, who worked from early morning. Remove this type of classification from your middle and encourage them equally. Never let God say to you, "Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?"

May God bless all of you with this answer and may many people starting working to God as much as they can, by breaking the human classified barriers around them, for the growth of kingdom of God.