What is the proper salary for a pastor?

[Willie-T]

OK, you can have higher apartment prices. You will have also more expensive hospital bills.

According to wiki, average salary in the USA is 60,154. I think its strange if a servant of God wants to have 10x more.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_average_wage

Our preacher gets about $45,000 a year... no house and no car. His wife has to work to keep them afloat.

 

[trofimus]

Did you know the Sphinx was build in pastoral land, that then became wet lands, before it was buried in the desert? When they found it again, there was algae on it that could only be found is swamps. And they found it under a ton of sand!

Of course there is no archaeological evidence. It was a wasteland, so who is building the structures that serve through this much time to be archaeological evidence?

Then again, there is historical evidence. Josephus was one of many who talked about Moses leading out a herd of people, and he wrote over a millennium later, (and got some of it wrong. lol) AND, the Bible most certainly counts as historical evidence.

The translation of the 9th AD Old Testament into 21st AD English is not a historical evidence of what happened 2000 BCE, IMHO.

It may or may not be exact.

 

[trofimus]

Our preacher gets about $45,000 a year... no house and no car. His wife has to work to keep them afloat.

Thats why I tried to write my post generally, not knowing your specific church.

 

[Willie-T]

If a church has many poor people who cannot even afford a family normal living and if this church also has a pastor who has more than average wage from the members, something is horribly wrong.

A good 1/4 of our congregation is homeless, and I doubt more than 6 people make much more than $70,000.

 

[trofimus]

A good 1/4 of our congregation is homeless, and I doubt more than 6 people make much more than $70,000.

Are you not a member of the Salvation Army?

 

[breno785au]

If a church has many poor people who cannot even afford a family normal living and if this church also has a pastor who has more than average wage from the members, something is horribly wrong.

In my experience, a lot of people who have less is because of poor decision making. Sure, there are many exceptions people lose their job etc. I've been there myself, unemployed for a lengthy period of time due to unseen circumstances. Never once did I look at my leaders and go, look at them basking in it. I was even supported by the church financially a little bit.

Wouldnt it be if there is a fair amount of 'poor people' in the church as you suggest and the pastor earns a wage from offerings that he would earn less anyway?

 

[Depleted]

"And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat." (Matthew 10: 7-10)

"What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:18)

"Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?" (2 Corinthians 11:7)

"Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." (1 Corinthians 10:33)

I'm obviously evangelistic and believe the provisions of a preacher should be met, but charging a congregation for the gospel seems contrary to what Christ and Paul taught.. When the Pastor is the richest man in the church, somethings wrong. "Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." (Matthew 19:21).

The first verse is about missionary trips, but got to say, I really like that the pastor shouldn't be the richest in the church. lol

 

[Willie-T]

Thats why I tried to write my post generally, not knowing your specific church.

My wife and have a combined income of about the same thing our pastor earns by himself. And we are somewhere around the middle income range for or congregation.

 

[breno785au]

Why can't we look upon our leaders, who do a great job and say, I'm glad they're blessed. (Even if more than yourself)

 

[Depleted]

If we want to be strictly biblical, then being rich is to have more than "every need covered and a little more for good works".

It will depend on the specific country what amount of money is what the verse says. Depends on the prices level. What is the basic salary you can live normally on in the USA? Then add some little more and you have it, the right amount to be satisfied with.

The closes to those words I found in the Bible are Philippians 4:19, which is what the Lord gives us, not anything about how much a pastor makes.

Phil 4:19 [FONT=&quot]And my God [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]will supply every need of yours [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.[/FONT]

 

[Willie-T]

If a church has many poor people who cannot even afford a family normal living and if this church also has a pastor who has more than average wage from the members, something is horribly wrong.

It is my experience that we could give the average poor person $50,000 a year, and their level of living would soon be just what it is now. Poor people are usually poor for a good reason.

 

[preacher4truth]

Of course money in the church is a sensitive issue. When we were in school we rented a nice home in the last year or so of schooling. After graduation and ordination we bought a house and stayed in the church and continued ministry there.

One woman in the church had a huge issue with us buying a house, we were "getting too big for our britches" she says, "awful fancy" "materialistic." Then I told her, guess what, the house we rented was more per month, and the money isn't going down the drain. She never whined when we rented the house, and it was a nicer and newer home than the one we bought.

People can be petty and easily offended, especially professing Christians.

 

[Willie-T]

Are you not a member of the Salvation Army?

We do a lot of our shopping at the Salvation Army (and Goodwill).

 

[Depleted]

Couple of other points.

Most pastors don’t just work 9-5 Monday to Friday.
There is weekday meetings, Sunday services, evening meetings, home visits, hospital
visits. Meetings with people to discuss stuff, prep time for bible studies and services.

Then there are the bank holidays, and Christmas Easter when they work too.

Plus our pastors also do stuff like teen challenge, street angels, soup runs in middle
of the night. Teen weekend away, holiday clubs etc. They go way above and beyond
a 40 hour week.

Considering that many employers pay double time for weekend work or overtime,
would you expect your pastor to work at all hours for single rate.


And....pastors tithe too or give etc. I think people forget that.

I don't know most for obvious reasons. But our denomination has teaching elders who spend 35 hours a week preparing their teaching for that weekend. And, since we're so doggone rules-based (we created the rules that are now used as the rules of order for America's Congress, THAT rule-based lol), I'm sure they're stuck on weekly meetings. And then in their spare time do radio shows, or write books, or meet with other pastors to fine tune some wording to doctrine. BUT, they do not visit the sick, make home visits, counseling, definitely not Teen Challenge, or any of the flock needs stuff.

That's what we have ruling elders for.

I do get a lot of pastors get stuck trying to do everything. Those guys? They deserve millions because they're going to burn out quickly.

 

[trofimus]

Wouldnt it be if there is a fair amount of 'poor people' in the church as you suggest and the pastor earns a wage from offerings that he would earn less anyway?

If some church has 100 members, 25 are so poor that they give almost nothing, 50 are average, giving 10% of average salary and 25 are rich, giving for example 20% of average salary, then the pastor will get:

50*10% of average salary (= 50*$6,500 in the USA)
+
25*20% of average salary (=25*$13,000 in the USA)

= 325,000 + 325,000 = $650,000

So still, its very easy to be very rich in a small congregation with many poor people.

Such money should be rather used for a common good of all members than just for one. It would be really Christian, according to the book of Acts.

 

[Prov910]

Maybe ministers should ask for only a modest, yet comfortable salary. If they feel their talents and qualifications are such that they can make more in private industry, then perhaps that's their true calling.

Some of the worst problems with churches throughout the ages have occurred when those in power viewed the church more as a means of commerce than a means of worship. That's what was happening when Jesus overturned the moneychangers' tables in the temple. It's what indulgences have been all about for the last 1500 years. It's the driving force behind a lot of televangelists, perhaps most televangelists.

 

[Depleted]

But such thinking would make the position of a pastor a normal work for money.

He should do the work because he wants to do that. If you like swimming and go swimming, you do need to be paid for that, its your free time activity.

Similarly, the pastor does not have to be paid for the time he reads his bible or talk with people about God.

Let us assume you like your job. Does that mean you shouldn't be paid for it?

If it does, PM me and I'll be happy to take your paycheck. lol

(Audi! Might get that Audi after all. Actually, alas, I did not marry a guy who likes Audi, so even if we had oodles, I'm still not getting the Audi. lol)

 

[trofimus]

We do a lot of our shopping at the Salvation Army (and Goodwill).

Hm, in my country the Salvation Army is a church denominations, having many poor or homeless people, helping them etc. Thats why I asked, because you said you have many such people.

I have never heard that you can buy something itn the Salvation Army... probably cultural differences

 

[Depleted]

10% of that congregation’s collections, not to succeed the equivalent of full time minimum wage. The apostles tried not to be a financial burden on the church.

So 90% for bills and 10% for pastor? That would be tough considering most people don't tithe.

 

[Willie-T]

If some church has 100 members, 25 are so poor that they give almost nothing, 50 are average, giving 10% of average salary and 25 are rich, giving for example 20% of average salary, then the pastor will get:

50*10% of average salary (= 50*$6,500 in the USA)
+
25*20% of average salary (=25*$13,000 in the USA)

= 325,000 + 325,000 = $650,000

So still, its very easy to be very rich in a small congregation with many poor people.

Such money should be rather used for a common good of all members than just for one. It would be really Christian, according to the book of Acts.

You aren't real good with figures, are you? ☺ The money that comes into a church does FAR more than pay one man's salary.