Pastor, how much money do you make?
Photo Credit: Westernrecorder.org
The question came right near the end of what was a streamlined, but productive church meeting. I mentally prepare for anything during these settings, but that’s one question that I hadn’t prepared for and given the upbeat nature of the meeting to that point, perhaps I let me guard down a bit and was readying myself for a smooth landing.
Interestingly enough, however, I’m not really bothered by the question. Though some have been jaded by the very public experiences of some clergy whose financial practices and salaries are overshadowed by suspicion; I am no where near that universe. The quick answer to the inquiry into my salary could have been “I make enough.” Again, the question itself doesn’t bother me, however, I do have some concern about the spirit in which that question is sometimes asked.
When asked in a cynical spirit, I doubt that there can be a right answer. Any dollar amount that is revealed will be “too much.” “Aww, he don’t need all that.” “That’s where all the money is going!” That inquirer can’t be satisfied. The motivation isn’t pure. They’re just looking for a toehold for criticism.
Now again – there have been some questionable (to say the least) practices over the years in regard to clergy salaries of which I have not been silent. I’ve probably been more vocal than many other ministers on this topic. However, being on this side of the pulpit now, I’ve developed a greater sensitivity to this issue and seen for myself that the vast majority of members of the clergy do not fall into a dishonest or questionable category. I’ve developed more balance in my disposition on this topic.
I’ve had to.
Just in this past year, I’ve gone out to preach at churches where the pastor had fallen out and had to be rushed to the hospital right before the service. The tendency of pastors to take care and promote the holistic health of congregants at their own expense is a sad reality. Beyond some clergy not taking care of their bodies and minds, many clergy don’t have healthcare. The church can’t afford it. So pastor could be suffering from an ailment or more serious condition and the people won’t know it until he or she drops dead in the pulpit.
Just in the past week, I went to preach for a church whose pastor had just lost his Dad the day before. His Dad died Saturday morning and feeling the pressure of the congregation because it was a special day in the life of the church; he shows up on Sunday morning for a full day of worship experiences. The man practically crumbled in my embrace. But because the congregants are “paying pastor’s salary” they feel they have some level of control over what pastor should be doing…even if it means showing up on the day after your Dad dies unexpectedly.
There is no dollar amount that can adequately address that. You can’t adequately put a price tag on showing up at the bedside of a dying member of the church. You can’t put a price tag on being there to help grieving families try to cope with the violent murder of their loved one. You can’t put a price tag on putting your neck on the line for the wayward relative of a church member who got caught up in the legal system.
Am I saying all pastor’s should be millionaires? Certainly not. But let’s provide more balance to the discussion. There needs to be more accountability in many of our churches and I’m thankful that God has sent some folks to my circle who knew me before I became a pastor. They help keep me grounded and support my mental health by giving me an outlet that has nothing to do with church. I’m looking to formalize this group a bit more and even to invite a higher level of intimacy and vulnerability so we can fully “be known” to each other on this journey. At the same time, let’s try to be a bit more understanding of this situation. People will balk at elected officials who are making exorbitant amounts of money and always have some level of suspicion toward them; but with clergy let’s be clear that all of us make honest mistakes sometimes, mess up on a sermon sometimes, or mishandle a delicate situation sometimes – but most times pastor is not making the type of money that many think. (Do you really think those $1 dollar bills add up that high?)
Just doing a casual search on the net, I’ve found this site to be about right when it comes to salaries for ministers.
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I will continue to check you out…..until you get a jet!! And if you ever got I jet, my first impluse would be that the jet would be full of supplies going to people who needed them.
Heb you had me at the first paragraph. Doing a great job as always.
If a congregation expects the pastor to 'put on a good face' and show up–even for a "special day"–immediately after losing his father, then the pastor may not have been doing a great job teaching the congregation during all the preceding times. Clearly the congregation has no concept of what it means to minister to one another or be a church community looking out for the good of one another. I can only presume the pastor has spent years taking care of his congregation like his children; and what is has gained from that is a group of children.
Sorry Bruce – good point, but that's not the case in that situation. The pastor has only been there 2 years and as we both know 2 years isn't a very long time at all when you're talking about shifting the mentality of a congregation.
Perhaps another way of thinking about this, from a completely different vantage point, is that parishioners who are able to give more fail to do so, because they do not see any value-ad in terms of the service that the minister provides? For example, the same parishioners who will pay $125 for one ticket to hear their favorite entertainment perform will only place $1 in the weekly offering pan, tray or basket.
While there are ministers who are truly worthy of their hire, I suspect that $1 in the weekly offering tray for some is a fair-exchange for what they provide, and $1 likely what they likely deserve!
Is there no shame to what people will do for money? Or is there no shame in what people who claim to be"family" will allow their loyal listeners to be subject to? There is an ad currently running on RADIO ONE about getting money that you never have to pay back. This is no different than Rev. Ike and others who target the ones who are most vunerable. You may have to group "shady business operations in the name of being black" along with shady dealings by some pastors. Wow. Vultures, vultures everywhere. In your vast scope of reporting Rev., I hope you will expose this type of scam which harms those who cannot afford it. (Iknow, I know…you are probably thinking, do I have to do everything?) It seems that Radio One feels that they can present anything to the community without question. How much do they make?
The Christian church has a very poor mentality. To many of us believe that money is the root of all evil, which is a lie. The word clearly states that the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil. Pastors should get paid greatly for the work they do. People don't seem to have problems when a doctor or laywer gets paid handsomely, but the man/woman who is doing surgery on your soul and that is pleading to a God on your behalf should get paid very little–huh? That's just crazy!
When asked in a cynical spirit, I doubt that there can be a right answer. Any dollar amount that is revealed will be “too much.” “Aww, he don’t need all that.” … It is at this point that I lift a picture of my wife and four kids, ask the cynic to look at the picture really closely, reconsider his or her question, and contemplate whether she or he really needs to ask! The reality is that most pastors are grossly underpaid. What other profession requires 24 hour, 365 day a year service, the involvement of the employees family, an annual evaluation by people with limited to no formalized training in the field, and an expectation to produce on the same level as Jesus the Christ with Joe the Plumber resources?!?! There was a time when I was amazingly critical of pastors' salaries; the next year, I became a pastor. And in the words of a highly respected hymnologist, "I once…was blind, but now I see!"
Right or wrong it probably is situations like this why people question a minister's finances. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fame2-200...