What Does Your Church Pay Your Pastor?

[elfdream]

(07-26-2011 07:12 AM)Darrell Wrote:  I think the number has to be balanced against things like

what's the cost of living for an average middle-class white collar worker in your area?

how big is the church?

what are his weekly responsibilities in terms of hours worked?

how many years of accredited education does he have?

And so on.

There are some pastors who live high on the hog while their people suffer.

But there are also pastors who have earned doctorates, live in urban settings, and work 80 hour weeks who deserve way more than the $40k a year they're being paid.

Charity in all things.

True. Our priests are rarely in their office because they are out in the community all day and sometimes all night. If you need one you have to call and schedule an appointment. They are always at the hospital or wherever working hard plus we have a Catholic school attached to our church and they have responsibilities with that. They are required to go on at least one religious retreat a year (not sure who pays for that-would seem like that would be paid for) but that is pretty much a 'working' retreat... but they are also given time to take a vacation each year.

[Mommy2Kids]

We live in a small area. Our church averages about 40 right now. As the church grows, pays off debt, and is able we'll increase his pay. For now it's $42,000. That's more than the average salary in our area, but he definitely is coming by faith.

[captain_solo]

(07-26-2011 07:12 AM)Darrell Wrote:  I think the number has to be balanced against things like

what's the cost of living for an average middle-class white collar worker in your area?

how big is the church?

what are his weekly responsibilities in terms of hours worked?

how many years of accredited education does he have?

And so on.

There are some pastors who live high on the hog while their people suffer.

But there are also pastors who have earned doctorates, live in urban settings, and work 80 hour weeks who deserve way more than the $40k a year they're being paid.

Charity in all things.

Yeah, this...

People who say "pastors are paid too much" are talking out of their A$$ - yes there are pastors who are paid too much, but many of them are paid way too little, and the church is proud of that fact.

Charity is not a primary fundy trait, either for the pastors who walk roughshod over their people and for the churches that run roughshod over their pastor. Both are common in fundy circles, charity? not so much.

[Kim G]

Our church is three years old, very small, and nearly all of the members are dirt poor. We have a general offering to take care of church necessities (rent, electric payment, etc.) and then give to our pastor as we have the ability. He has a job outside the church and lives by faith month to month. We want so badly to pay him more, but he encourages all our charity money to go to others in the church who need it as badly as he does. I have never met a more generous, faith-filled man in my life.

I will say, being part of a close-knit church like this, that we have all given and received blessings unlike anything we've imagined. When my husband and I had our first son, our pastor received some inheritance money and gave us a thousand dollars for baby expenses even though he could have used the money. A couple years later, we used our tax refund money to pay off an outstanding bill of another church family member who was struggling after unexpected medical bills. We all just take care of one another. When the Lord empties the pockets of one person in our church, he always gives a financial blessing to someone else in the church and gives them the opportunity to bless others by it.

[GraceThruFaith]

(07-25-2011 08:25 PM)bamabob1 Wrote:  To be honest I am guessing our pastor makes between $80,000-$85,000 a year. This could go higher depending on what the church gives him for his birthday and Christmas. Our church is around 200-225 members.

You must have a rich church.

I can only imagine what pastors like Chappell of Lancaster or Trieber of North Valley make with their 2000+ members. Then again, the cost of living is much higher in CA than the rest of the country. I would say that both of these pastors make around 80-100 grand.

[Robin]

I think ours is 50K. I think that is fair pay.

[notdrinkingthekoolaid]

I don't know the exact number, but I could find out if I asked nicely.

I know that in the annual budget meeting, ALL staff compensation is a single line item. Our church is probably 500-700 people total with 6 full time pastors (teaching, student, small group, children's, operational (managerial/business side of pastoring), and missions), a part time young adult pastor (also has a regular job outside the church) and a church secretary/office manager. We are in the middle of a building project (currently don't have a permanent building) so I suspect we will add an operations person. There is also a tech guy on staff, but I'm not sure if his position is paid or not as it isn't full time.

[EmilyKing]

My former pastor didn't actually take a salary from the church. He worked full time during the week.

Although I'm no longer fundy, he's a good man. He lives what he preaches. It was HAC and a dysfunctional family that tainted my opinion of IFBism, not hiim.

[Elijah Craig]

(07-26-2011 11:28 AM)GraceThruFaith Wrote:  

(07-25-2011 08:25 PM)bamabob1 Wrote:  To be honest I am guessing our pastor makes between $80,000-$85,000 a year. This could go higher depending on what the church gives him for his birthday and Christmas. Our church is around 200-225 members.

You must have a rich church.

I can only imagine what pastors like Chappell of Lancaster or Trieber of North Valley make with their 2000+ members. Then again, the cost of living is much higher in CA than the rest of the country. I would say that both of these pastors make around 80-100 grand.

$60k-$80k is probably the average pay package for a full-time pastor with an M.Div.

I mean a real M.Div.

[boymom]

Our pastor gets the surplus from everyone's vegetable gardens, the entertainment coupon book, and a 'love' offering at Christmas. Although we are thinking of skipping the love offering this Christmas cause the decorating committee wants to buy a new fake tree for the foyer, one with the lights already pre-strung.