As a pastor in Clark County, I have appreciated the conversation on churches receiving PPP loans. Our church applied for a PPP loan. Our one part-time employee and our two contract employees received modest assistance equivalent to what we would have paid them over 2 1/2 months, around $6,000 in total. I am the only full-time employee, and I did not receive any PPP. All four of us pay appropriate taxes on our income.
Honestly, I never want to rely on the government for my sustenance. I am extraordinarily grateful for the wise management and generosity of my church that allows me to remain employed at this time. At the same time, I expect the government to be the final guarantor when unexpected tragedy strikes. Isn’t that what’s going on here? Do we want a government saying “You can suffer because of your employment?” Would you rather we lay off our employees and hand an even greater unemployment bill to the taxpayers? Should someone be blocked from a fund that they pay into through their taxes? Upon further review, the issue is more complex than the current conversation admits.
