I had only been their pastor for a few weeks when I asked for a raise in my weekly pay — but I had a plan.
The people were gracious and doing the best they could. The church had been through a split and attendance was down to 20 or 30 worshippers on Sunday mornings. That meant finances were tight.
At the time I was in seminary and working a second job. The conversation was simple. I shared with the church leaders that if they increased my pay by $50 a week, I could quit my other job and devote more time visiting on the church field in hopes of growing the church. I really believed that church could grow If I could give more attention to meeting our neighbors and sharing Jesus with them. They agreed to the plan as long as our finances held up.
Finances did hold up. In fact, attendance grew to well over 100 and the church was able to call and support a full-time pastor after I left to accept a call to another church.
Asking for a pay raise is never an easy conversation. But in many cases, it is an important one.
In 2015, a Lifeway study focused on pastoral attrition — 1,500 pastors were interviewed. The results revealed that 53 percent of pastors surveyed were often concerned about their family’s financial security. Your pastor cannot do his best work if he is concerned with his family’s financial well-being.
While many churches are doing the best they can, there are some that could do better to assure that their pastor and his family are being cared for financially as they care so faithfully for the congregation.
When that is the case, what can be done to help your pastor financially? Here are some considerations:
1. Understand the biblical obligation to financially support your pastor. Paul told the Corinthian church that those who preach the gospel should make their living by the gospel — 1 Corinthians 9:14. The pastor is expected to do his very best to lead, feed and care for the flock. The church must strive to do its best to care financially for its pastor and his family.
2. Determine the cost of living. What does it cost to live in your area? Many church members have lived in the same community, or even the same home, for 30, 40, even 50 years. They can live on much less than a young family. Determine what it will cost for a family to relocate to your community, purchase a home and live in your town or county. This information will be helpful in deciding if the church is able to fully fund its pastor or if it needs to consider a pastor who is co-vocational (holding another paying job along with pastoring the church).
3. Be informed about pastors’ taxes. Don Spencer, financial benefits consultant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, reminds us that a pastor’s tax status is different from the average church member. A pastor is considered self-employed when it comes to Social Security, but is considered an employee of the church for income tax purposes. The bottom line is that your pastor may pay more taxes than other church members and that information should be taken into consideration when determining his pay package.
4. Take the lead in determining fair pay. The role of a local church pastor is a significant one in terms of skill set and responsibility. It requires that a man be able to study the Bible, prepare and preach biblical sermons, oversee the business affairs of the church, handle a wide variety of relational issues along with pastoral care responsibilities and much more. The men who do this work do not do it for the income, but they deserve a fair pay for their work. It is also important to consider benefits such as health insurance and retirement when building the pay package, as those can significantly cut into one’s take-home pay if not included. Consider other professional positions in your community or county when determining what is a fair pay package — pay and benefits — for your pastor.
5. Do the best you can to care well financially for your pastor and his family. Each church I served made it a priority to take care of my family financially. Each had the mindset that as the church grew and giving increased, they would make sure I was paid a living wage. I am grateful for those leaders who cared for us.
Making sure that your pastor earns a sustaining income is not the only way that you can care for him and his family, but it is one of the most significant ways. When a pastor is concerned for providing for his family, it will be difficult for him to focus on the needs of the church.
Dr. Todd Gray 