Pastor's Salary

[4everHis]

A pastor should be paid a "living wage". He should be able to afford a decent home, a decent car and to feed and clothe his family with the salary offered by the church. He should also be able to receive money enough to set some aside for retirement and his kids college funds. That said, sometimes a church is not financially positioned to do so. However, they should strive to get as close to that as they can.

I know my pastor will work for free and has at different times. That is not the point. The point is that he SHOULD be renumerated in such a manner that the cares of this world do not interfere with his capacity to attend to the spiritual matters of the flock and the community.

Kitagrl knows that the ha ha after her comment (it's not the church's position to make sure the pastor lives by faith) needs to be put there because some places people want to make certain that the pastor doesn't get ahead in life. To be dedicated to God's service requires sacrifices beyond monetary ones. That said, you shouldn't want to make your pastor sacrifice monetarily as well.

Bet you wish I'd get an opinion on this topic.

[Pastorj]

Chev,

If your church were running 45, you'd be receiving something more than gas money.

[JerryNumbers]

Well, all the money given in our little church goes to pay the church's bills, mostly utilities. We're not very big at all, still plugging along. And the pastor (me) doesn't get any salary. Maybe I'm getting what I'm worth?

So many want to make everything about money, when rightly we all should have our goal ought to be building spiritual blessing in heavenly places.

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Chevy, seems your doing just that, faith will be rewarded, but not necessarily in this life. These are blessing money will not buy, those who receive them will live by faith in this life.

2 Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Its very easy to live by sight when you've got a pocket book full of money and a big payday coming each week, not near as easy to live by faith when you have not those things.

Ga 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Chevy, I believe there will be many surprises in that day.

2Ti 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may OBtain.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Fight the good fight, keep running the race, we know its worth while.

[trc123]

In my opinion you can't pay a Pastor enough for everything they do and for all the responsibilities they carry on their shoulders; that is why God must call them and they must have the burning in their soul for the ministry.

With that said, the local church should take care of the Pastor and his family as well as they possibly can.

Also, the school that I attended taught me that you only need 10 x 10% to equal 100%. I know it must be that crazy new math but it would seem that 10 families tithing ought to be able to support one Pastor at the average wage level of those 10 families. A church with 40 families should be a no brainer!

[Pastorj]

Jerry,

I agree with you that being a pastor is not about the money. I didn't get paid a whole lot in Ct and the my salary in Michigan was comparable to the median income so I can't complain and wouldn't. God has always taken care of us with other employment.

I am now on the other side. I am now a member of a church and I am constantly encouraging the deacons to do more for our pastor. His salary is good, but how about a gift card for him and his wife to go out to dinner. A church won't know how to take care of their pastor unless they are taught and unfortunately most pastors don't feel it is their place to teach it.

[Anon]

I think retirement is a prOBlem....we do not have retirement yet and it will be awhile before we will have enough to do something like that. We have also never owned a home. While we are fine with this right now...it is definitely something churches should think about...so that if something happens, the pastor (or his family, if he dies) is not left on the streets.

We do have life insurance on my hub (which we pay for), which is good...since we live in a parsonage I really WOULD be on the streets if something happened to my husband.

Again...churches do what they can do. Our church right now is struggling because of some lost jOBs and etc...so its not like we (as a church) have money in the bank. My husband does teach that churches should not leave money in the bank for the antichrist to use after the rapture. haha. Of course personally we should save for our children and for the future...but churches should use the money coming in for the Lord, rather than hoard it up.

[Invicta]

Also, the school that I attended taught me that you only need 10 x 10% to equal 100%. I know it must be that crazy new math but it would seem that 10 families tithing ought to be able to support one Pastor at the average wage level of those 10 families. A church with 40 families should be a no brainer!

It is not as simple as that, is it. There are a number of irreducible costs which have to be met before any other outgoings are considered, including pastors pay. The most OBvious are Gas, Electricity, Water. maintenance on the church buildings and maintenance of the manse.

At present we do not have a pastor (we are seeking one) and we have tenants in the manse (you may call it a parsonage) and the rent has enabled us to do some much needed maintenance, including toilets and access for the disabled, fire alarms, emergency lighting. All of which we have been required to do by government legislation. We now have to have our car park resurfaced as it is getting dangerous. Before that we have to have the underground drains repaired.

[Anon]

Invicta, that is very true....

[JerryNumbers]

Money sure does not go very far, especially when you don't have much of it to begin with.

[nikkim74]

Nikkim,

May I suggest you consider paying him more. 1 Tim. says that an elder (Pastor) who rules well is worthy of "double" honor. I pastored a church who couldn't afford to pay me a lot, but they paid me what they could.

Pastor J

Our pastor will not let us pay him more than the gas money. He says he has a very well paying jOB and that he is not preaching for the money, but for the glory of God. That's the way almost all the small churches around here does it.

[nikkim74]

I believe we actually give him around $500 a month (gas and car upkeep). Like I said, he will not accept more, we've tried. He has a very nice home, and him and his wife both drive brand new automOBiles. He definitely is not hurting for money.

[Anon]

Our pastor will not let us pay him more than the gas money. He says he has a very well paying jOB and that he is not preaching for the money, but for the glory of God. That's the way almost all the small churches around here does it.

Not a prOBlem with that!

Alot of pastors come right out of school with a theology degree and have nothing else to do BUT preach and rely on a church...but some men do have other degrees and good jOBs and then God calls them to be a pastor secondarily. Everyone is different.

[nikkim74]

Rev,

Very possible, but gas money. Let's be realistic. 1 hr = @60 miles or 3 gallons of gas. Round trip 6 gallons for a total of $18 at $3 a gallon.

Let's say they give him a $20. 45 people giving $1 each would be $45 at least. So what they are paying him is less than $.50 per person. Quite frankly that is pathetic.

Our members give much more than $1, our pastor just refuses to take more.

[JerryNumbers]

Our members give much more than $1, our pastor just refuses to take more.

I don't think some understand the small churches in rural America, me I've lived in rural America all of my life.

I recall a time back in the 50's, which I was young, born in 46, that we shared our pastor with another country church, neither church had the money to pay even a bi-vocational pastor and keep the church running. I know there were other country churches within a 100 mile radius that were experiencing the same thing. We had several members, but about all they were doing was surviving, and the only reason all of us was surviving was we all were raising our own food.

My father and mother owned a small country store, it had been feeding our family, father let people run charge accounts, but many of them had some big bills but yet had not the money to pay. I recall father talking to mother and saying, I'm going jOB hunting tomorrow. Mother told him to go collect from those who owe us. Father said, "Gunell, all of these people are good honest and hard working people, they do not have the money to pay their bills, nor do they have the money to feed their families. When they do they will pay these bills." Father was right, he did get a jOB. There for a few years all the store did was support itself. But in the early 60's it started picking up and the store made a little money.

Actually, I think most people were much happier back them than they are today I know that everyone was much friendlier back them and neighbors went out of their way to help one another. Now most are in a race to have more and more and hardly have time for anyone or anything but self.

I like what you said about your pastor, preaching for the glory of God, we need more of that, I believe if we had it many of the other things would fall into place.

[His by Grace]

Well, all the money given in our little church goes to pay the church's bills, mostly utilities. We're not very big at all, still plugging along. And the pastor (me) doesn't get any salary. Maybe I'm getting what I'm worth?

We helped start a mission church several years ago where the average person was living, in that area, on about $20,000 per year. This was a very difficult outreach but my husband was very serious that he was being called from our church (who was sending this Pastor out) to help him. My husband grew up in away that he could relate. He was from those streets....literally! Anyway, about pastor's salary, the men proposed 10% of tithes and offerings PLUS to pay his mortgage, his carpayment, cell phone and 2 week vacation...love offerings were given of course for Christmas, Anniversaries etc...It was so small in the beginning-the love offering amt- the men in charge prayed and felt just overwhelming conviction that the church should MATCH the love offerings. The men had really paid a great deal and they felt as the church grew his salary would grow. They were wanting to raise the percentage as the Lord made it possible to 20%. This decision was made understanding the Lord require's 10% and Pastor's to be due "double honour" now this was all a very new experience for us. I'm not saying this is the way to figure a pastor's salary! I'm only stating what the men in our situation were fully persuaded the Lord was telling them to do. Just Sharing and I know the Lord will bless you beyond belief... just keep in mind it's not alway's how we expect YET IT"S ALWAYS THE VERY BEST WAY!! in Christ, His by Grace