> If you mean the church on the corner ... the clergy are often owning nicer homes and driving nicer cars than their patrons I expect this is common in US mega

> If you mean the church on the corner ... the clergy are often owning nicer homes and driving nicer cars than their patrons I expect this is common in US megachurches. It certainly isn't the case everywhere. For instance, in the Church of England here in the UK the person who runs the church on the corner is probably poorer than most of the congregation. (Their salaries are very, very low. There's one big thing that makes up for that, which is that the church provides them with a house, usually quite a nice one.) (Note: I am not any sort of apologist for the clergy; I am an outspoken atheist. But I have friends and family who work for churches, and I have a decent idea of how little they are paid.)