Lay Ministry my Arse

[_Kevin Graham]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/kiwimormon ... wn-wealth/

[_I have a question]

So here are some figures. There are around 225 units in New Zealand. Last year the New Zealand church’s local donations were $40,123,000. Yet of that $18,432,000 was paid to the LDS Trust Board employees (of which there 204 full-time staff members and 18 part-time). That puts the average salary for each employee of the church at $86,535.21. To put than into perspective the median New Zealand income is $45,000. Methinks that few church employees are getting $80K + in their take home pay, so some folks up in Auckland are sitting mighty pretty on the backs of the sacrifice of the New Zealand members. Perhaps the differential can be explained by how much is going toward the upkeep of the Area Presidency & co. (all Americans) who are housed in swanky multimillion dollar beach front apartments on 47 The Strand in Takapuna. There are also some US management imports who have been overseeing the property development project in Temple View and as it turns out Americans don’t come cheap.

It's both brazen and appalling.

[_SuperDell]

"as it turns out Americans don’t come cheap."

No, but the church is full of Cheap Americans.

[_cwald]

The claim that the LDS church has a lay ministry is one of the most easily disproved lies the church throws out there. It is blatant lying, obfuscation and dishonesty.

[_consiglieri]

The claim that the LDS church has a lay ministry is one of the most easily disproved lies the church throws out there. It is blatant lying, obfuscation and dishonesty.

And one of the 17-signs of the true church.

See number 5.

http://www.testimonies.20m.com/Seventee ... Church.htm

[_MsJack]

And one of the 17-signs of the true church.

See number 5.

http://www.testimonies.20m.com/Seventee ... Church.htm

The 17 Points of the True Church was stupider than every Jack Chick tract ever published, combined.

[_consiglieri]

The 17 Points of the True Church was stupider than every Jack Chick tract ever published, combined.

I hope I am not revealing too much by admitting at one time I found it quite faith promoting . . .

[_MsJack]

I hope I am not revealing too much by admitting at one time I found it quite faith promoting . . .

Admittedly, the one that you just linked to isn't quite as bad as the one I was given in high school. The one I was given in high school had "The true church must practice baptism for the dead" as one of its points. Because, if someone were going to compile and summarize the 17 most critical teachings in the Bible, baptism for the dead---which is mentioned once, vaguely and in passing---would totally make the list.

[_toon]

That puts the average salary for each employee of the church at $86,535.21. To put than into perspective the median New Zealand income is $45,000. Methinks that few church employees are getting $80K + in their take home pay, so some folks up in Auckland are sitting mighty pretty on the backs of the sacrifice of the New Zealand members.

$85k is not necessarily the average salary. More likely, that's the average costs of the church incurs by employing someone. The actual average salary is likely much lower. I have no idea what payroll taxes, costs of benefits, etc., in NZ is. But in California, the cost of paying an employee a salary of $50k per year can easily be in excess of $80k.

Also, I'm not sure about comparing the mean (the $85k number) to median (the $45k number).

[_cinepro]

Admittedly, the one that you just linked to isn't quite as bad as the one I was given in high school. The one I was given in high school had "The true church must practice baptism for the dead" as one of its points. Because, if someone were going to compile and summarize the 17 most critical teachings in the Bible, baptism for the dead---which is mentioned once, vaguely and in passing---would totally make the list.

And yet, somehow they totally missed the part where Jesus said "And these signs shall follow them that believe...They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/New Testament/mark/16.15?lang=eng&


It should have been the "19 Signs of the True Church", with "Serpent Handling" and "Poison Drinking" as #18 and #19.