by David Bragonier
The phone rings, and it's a church leader wanting to talk with me. After we exchange "Hello's," I hear, "The leaders of our church are evaluating the salaries for our pastors. Do you have any national figures on what to pay pastors of a church our size?"
How would you answer that question? Should church leaders use national figures for establishing salaries? Do you know what the Bible says about compensating pastors? How would you determine a proper salary and benefits package?
Should church leaders use national averages?
My personal opinion is "No." When it comes to salaries, pastors have been treated like many underpaid professions, especially in relationship to its importance, qualification factors, requirements and commitment.
My experience in counseling pastors over the past many years are that many are underpaid, sometimes by as much as 25% to 50%.
In addition, every church is different, and every pastor unique. What are the demographics, characteristics, personality, needs and financial condition of your church? What is your pastor's job description, and how much time and energy will it require doing the job successfully? What are your pastor’s education, experience, skills and family needs? What does it cost to live in your community?
All these factors and variables, along with the following Scriptural concepts direct me away from the idea that we should use national figures in establishing pastor salaries.
Key passages on provision and paying pastors
"You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob {him}. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning." (Lev. 19:13)
"It is written in the law of Moses, 'You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.' God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it is written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things to you, is it too much if we should reap material things from you? … So the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel" (I Cor. 9:9-14)
"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever." (1 Tim. 5:8)
"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." (1 Tim. 5:17). If a church wants to use national averages for paying pastors, I suggest they go out into the community and find out what other professionals (like doctors, psychiatrists, CEOs, etc) are making; then double that amount!
(Other passages include Jeremiah 22:13, I Corintians 9:7, 1 Tim. 5:18 and James 5:4)
Decisions before the interviewing process
A. By the pastor and his family
What is God's call on their life and family? What are their priorities regarding time, family, schooling, activities, etc? What are their financial needs to ensure the husband is adequately providing, without the use of consumer debt? This requires a written budget that includes basic living expenses and car repairs, entertainment, vacation, gifts, education, retirement, etc.
They also need to set limits regarding time spent on the job, whether or not the spouse should work, the spouse's limits to congregational accessibility, etc. They should also agree to discuss any job offers and not make any decisions on the spot.
Today we have pastor's wives all across this country, and abroad, who are suffering emotional stress because their husbands' life is out of balance doing "good works" for the Lord!
B. By the church leadership
How much can the church budget afford? If the budget does not allow for paying the pastor "double honor," then we should ask “why not?” What are reasonable work hours and job expectations? The leaders should have a job description and a realistic grasp of the cost of living in the area, including appropriate housing.
Before any offers are made, the leadership should require a complete financial statement from the candidate to determine if the pastor can live on the salary being offered. If he can't, then no offer should be made, nor should the pastor accept the job.
Pastor's benefits package
Because we have abdicated the father's role as spiritual leader and given a large portion of the responsibility to our pastors, and because we have switched from meeting in small groups to large church buildings, we must also give our leaders the financial backing to do pastoring as a vocation.
Following are some "benefits" considerations: salary, appropriate housing costs, compensation for the spouse's time, continuing education, travel, business expenses, insurance (life, health, disability, umbrella, etc.) and retirement.
Because pastoring involves continual spiritual warfare, it is also wise to include provision for a periodic sabbatical for the entire family.
The annual review
Once a year the pastor and spouse should get away and review their short-term and long-term goals and their financial needs. A small, confidential committee should also review these figures to make sure they are realistic and won't create any hidden financial struggles.
Think about it, if we can't trust our pastor to honestly bring forth his family's financial needs, how can we possibly trust him with the Word of God? Then, if the needs are genuine, we should provide that amount.
Obviously, salaries and benefits are a very sensitive and personal matter. However, we must address it scripturally, prayerfully and with honesty and boldness. Otherwise, bitterness can creep in and tear a marriage, family or church apart. May God give each of us the grace to be obedient to His Word in all matters, including the paying of our pastor(s).