David,

It is obvious that Paul the apostle would agree with what you have written. My early years in church was with some wonderful folks whose leaders did receive a salary. More recently I supported a network of churches which went into millions of dollars in dept. The one we attended closed its doors and the people moved on to several different institutional churches.

We tried to get another house church started but I guess the timing was not right. Instead, we visited a small congregation that was started by a couple from Taiwan. No one in this congregation is paid. The ministry of teaching is shared by about 3 people. One very sweet young couple is soon moving to Japan as missionaries.

The important thing is the spiritual vitality and love for Jesus. There are younger people, married couples and older ones like us. Every Sunday there is a pot-luck lunch and time for fellowship. It has been an encouraging few months for us and we thank God for leading us here!