[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

Ok, fair enough....but, it was still a business, wasn't it? I mean, they kept track of donations, used the finances to reach the lost, provide food for the hungry, etc.

And, I don't see anywhere in scripture where it was forbidden for them to place family members in positions of authority in the church.

That's my point. There are pastors who run the church like a personal income source, and that's wrong. No accountability creates a recipe for disaster.

However, having the church run as a business with overseers (deacons, board members, etc.) and stakeholders (tithepayers) holds pretty close to the Biblical model, as I see it.

That's where I was disagreeing. Running a church to make a profit and pass that down to your son is wrong.