Tim Ten Clay - Comments

Carol Kinney comments on Dan Brown's Impending Novel about the RCA

Carol Kinney — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:23:21 +0000

I think that this is a great plot. Our church is in Herkimer, NY and will be 300 years old in 13 or 14 years. Maybe we can be featured in the book so we can use it to celebrate our tricentennial. We even have a graveyard around the church. When they put the new parking lot and dug out the new cellar for the fellowship hall, they unearthed bodies. Maybe the scene could be reconstructed and one of the bodies could be clutching one of the secrets! It would be really funny to do a spoof and do this. Are there any drama/theatrical majors out there?!

Liz Groen comments on Dan Brown's Impending Novel about the RCA

Liz Groen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:05:10 +0000

Ha! Ha! Quite possibly the funniest thing I've seen all day.

Although, as a GSC staff member, I can only hope that I'm not the corpse of the unidentified staff member.

Mary Strawsma comments on Dan Brown's Impending Novel about the RCA

Mary Strawsma — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:23:15 +0000

Clever! If there are mysterious funds to be hidden could we bring them down here to the middle of Indiana, because we are very far from Gr. Rapids and New York in more ways than mileage. We could certainly protect the funds and the valuables and make good use of them.
Mary of Lafayette

Scott Nichols comments on Dan Brown's Impending Novel about the RCA

Scott Nichols — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:22:21 +0000

Duh, maybe I should have reread the post that clearly stated such. Never mind...

Scott Nichols comments on Dan Brown's Impending Novel about the RCA

Scott Nichols — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:20:13 +0000

I am assuming that you used the Dan Brown Novel generator found at Slate.com to create this?

Tim TenClay comments on Dan Brown's Impending Novel about the RCA

Tim TenClay — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:51:34 +0000

The darkness and deceit of their betrayal is, even as we speak, overcoming my house...

Oh... yeah... I live in SW Michigan.. that's probably just fog... with no doom or unnatural gloom involved, huh :-)

Grace and Peace,
`tim

Justin Meyers comments on Dan Brown's Impending Novel about the RCA

Justin Meyers — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:25:41 +0000

Tim,

You realize they will come after you for sharing their secrets right....

There is nothing I can do to protect you......

Justin

Joanna Tipple comments on Wealth or Debt are Not Qualifications for Ministry

Joanna Tipple — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:12:26 +0000

Have we given up? Is this too "hot" a topic to continue with.
Perhaps it doesn't seem necessary but I think it will be for our
future (if we have any) pastors.

Joanna Tipple comments on Wealth or Debt are Not Qualifications for Ministry

Joanna Tipple — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:40:10 +0000

I suspect that there are some who are comfortable but I've seen a number of pastors who at age 70+ continue to preach, not just because it's what they love, but it is supplemental income. )With no accruable benefits since they are retired, not able to add to the funds). I wonder if those who are doing well financially are those who
a) live in areas where income isn't a major problem (should say lack of income) for parishioners and b) didn't go into ministry in the latter part of life. Since I didn't begin seminary until I was 35, then took a break and then returned, my debt wasn't accumulated until then. It will be some time before that amount is paid off. And on the other end - my pension fund will not have accumulated as much as it would had I started in the ministry earlier.
And I have no pension/retirement fund from a previous position since my work history didn't include those kind of jobs. Except the 8 months I was a police officer, in NJ. But I only have SS from that. (Thank goodness for my husband who did have a retirement fund from his "previous, pre-clergy life). ;)

Tim TenClay comments on Wealth or Debt are Not Qualifications for Ministry

Tim TenClay — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:22:09 +0000

Mike... You make an interesting point; my grandfather was a minister in the RCA and, I agree, my grandparents (although older than the mid-50s you're referring to) seem to have had (and in the case of my Grandma, still have) a pretty comfortable retirement. I'm not an expert on such things, but the current pension plan is essentially the same kind of thing that many people have. It's a 403b (I think that's what it's called) which is essentially the same thing as a 401k.

Put bluntly, I will be paying for my education for longer than the first decade of ministry and I don't expect to have nearly as comfortable of a retirement as many who are currently retired from RCA ministry.

I've said before, ministers in the RCA (in general) are better paid than in many denominations. That's great. The truth is, the fact that any changes made in the way we pay for the education of ministers won't help me. I am where I am. My key concerns are that others not be forced into debt merely because they're called to ministry (or even worse, that only the rich be welcomed!) and that cost of seminary be eliminated as an argument against expecting pastors to be well-educated.

Great conversation!

Grace and Peace,
`tim