POPLAR BLUFF, MO — After reaching the end of another taxing Sunday pouring himself out to minister to his parishioners, a local pastor who gets paid $17,000 a year was shocked to hear from a disgruntled congregant that he's just in it for the money.

Reverend Mark Lambert, in his fifth year of serving as pastor of Grace Church, was surprised to find out he's in the ministry as a money-making enterprise despite the fact that he and his family live well below what is considered to be the poverty line.

"Wow, I'm only in this for the money? I never would've guessed that," Lambert said. "Keeping our electricity on at the house was a little touch-and-go there for a day or two, but we managed to make it work. None of that ever matters to us, honestly. We really just want the people of our church

See Full Page