What is an acceptable salary for a Pastor?

[triumphant1]

Originally Posted by revrandy

It's called Ministry... and the rewards go far beyond monetary value...

I recall the Words of the Good Samaritan to the "InnKeeper"...

"Whatsoever thou spend...When I come again I will repay thee"....

Many times I have remembered this scripture...

Randy...we do it for the ministry...but his post was in response to Sam's post....Sam seems to think that we preachers really suppliment our income at the altar marrying and burying......and it ain't so.

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by triumphant1

Randy...we do it for the ministry...but his post was in response to Sam's post....Sam seems to think that we preachers really suppliment our income at the altar marrying and burying......and it ain't so.

I wasn't criticizing IAM at ALL.... I was merely stating that all he had done wasn't for financial gain...

[commonsense]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rkentsmith View Post
A pastor should be able to live as good as the folks in his church....

Not too far above them....

Definitely not beneath them....
I can agree with this!
------------------------------------------------------

This is the basic concept Bro Norris taught. If the church is blessed financially so should the pastor. But if it's a small struggling group the pastor should not be living way above them.
Obviously I've seen it all in my vast background of attending churches in several states. Knew of a pastor in one state that couldn't find a single house in the city that suited his needs so he had a home built...a very nice home. Brick, 2 story colonial, on a well traveled road so everyone could see it.

Two issues here...one the man's family had a business and he still received some income from this but on the other side of the coin...the house was far above anything this church had ever seen. No one lived in so fine a home, not even the few families who had good jobs. The church folks were intimidated, resentful and didn't dare think of visiting the pastor. The pastor should be taken care of and have respect,,,but he's not royalty!

[triumphant1]

Originally Posted by revrandy

I wasn't criticizing IAM at ALL.... I was merely stating that all he had done wasn't for financial gain...

I do believe that we both know that--and it's good to be reminded of it also. But it would seem that there are some very misinformed people concerning the compensation of ministers at such events and IAM and I obviously wanted to set that straight.

Maybe Sam can explain himself....or even reveal whether or not his post about weddings/funerals and how we preachers are getting compensated for them was TIC.....

Truth is, I do not have a fee for either...if the family or couple asks me how much I charge I say, "I have no set fee, If you'd like to give me an honorarium then you may, but I do not require it nor do I set it." The only fee we have set for our church at weddings is for the sound man....I do not like to ask him to volunteer his time for these events...

[triumphant1]

Originally Posted by commonsense

Quote:
Originally Posted by rkentsmith View Post
A pastor should be able to live as good as the folks in his church....

Not too far above them....

Definitely not beneath them....
I can agree with this!
------------------------------------------------------

This is the basic concept Bro Norris taught. If the church is blessed financially so should the pastor. But if it's a small struggling group the pastor should not be living way above them.
Obviously I've seen it all in my vast background of attending churches in several states. Knew of a pastor in one state that couldn't find a single house in the city that suited his needs so he had a home built...a very nice home. Brick, 2 story colonial, on a well traveled road so everyone could see it.

Two issues here...one the man's family had a business and he still received some income from this but on the other side of the coin...the house was far above anything this church had ever seen. No one lived in so fine a home, not even the few families who had good jobs. The church folks were intimidated, resentful and didn't dare think of visiting the pastor. The pastor should be taken care of and have respect,,,but he's not royalty!

Or the people could stop being jealous and be thankful for the blessing of the Lord in their pastor's life....these folks that always nitpick those who have it better might just try having some initiative to get out there and do something with their talents and such, instead of gripping and complaining about what everybody else has.

This really bugs the soup out of me....all this talk about keeping the pastor poor and his wife barefoot and pregnant....sickoes....the pastor has the right to be rich too so get over it!

Too many church folks have the "poor is me, the other side of the tracks, just give me a cabin in the corner of gloryland" mentality and it is rooted in a culture that keeps it's kids from going to college and becoming the doctors and lawyers and wealthy business owners in town....shoot everyone knows that all the kids need is two or three years of non-accredited bible school to get deeply indoctrinated and to find a bed partner.....then come home, with a worthless diploma and work at walmart, live in a trailer, and join us in gripping about the pastor's new boat....

Usually the one doing the gripping about what the pastor drives, lives in, and what the pastor wears...have much deeper issues of insubordination and jealosy and control...usually have no more drive than to sit around gripping and complaining about everything they can gossip about....instead of using that same energy to better themselves....

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by Joseph Miller

I agree with that. I do say that the pastor should have control of 100% of the tithe. It is not Biblical for the church to put him on a salary. The pastor is not the employee of the church.

As far as the evangelist, I would say that $200 a night should be the minimum. I don't "charge" or have a "fee" even though I have been asked what my fee is. I go and accept whatever they give me. God always takes care of my needs.

I disagree too. I know a pastor that takes all the tithe and the church still pays all the bills. His descretionary income every years is well over 150k and the church runs about 150. His income has taken a hit. There were several affluent members that left over a situation. So his income went down. So for several weeks he and the associate preached on tithe and offering. They say it was planned long before hand. But it seemed to fit that they were preaching to try and make more income. I told one of them that they should have put off teaching on it that it made them look bad/greedy. I was on staff there and they said they could not afford to put me on staff. But is they were on a salary then it would not have been a big deal. I have known churches to put the pastors and others on a salary and give them a bonus for membership increases.

I do not think it is biblical for a pastor to get all the tithe. It says bring it to the store house not the pastors house. IMO. If you are not for a salary then set up a % they take from the tithe i.s. 80% and the extra goes to missions or cost of running the church.

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by commonsense

Quote:
Originally Posted by rkentsmith View Post
A pastor should be able to live as good as the folks in his church....

Not too far above them....

Definitely not beneath them....
I can agree with this!
------------------------------------------------------

This is the basic concept Bro Norris taught. If the church is blessed financially so should the pastor. But if it's a small struggling group the pastor should not be living way above them.
Obviously I've seen it all in my vast background of attending churches in several states. Knew of a pastor in one state that couldn't find a single house in the city that suited his needs so he had a home built...a very nice home. Brick, 2 story colonial, on a well traveled road so everyone could see it.

Two issues here...one the man's family had a business and he still received some income from this but on the other side of the coin...the house was far above anything this church had ever seen. No one lived in so fine a home, not even the few families who had good jobs. The church folks were intimidated, resentful and didn't dare think of visiting the pastor. The pastor should be taken care of and have respect,,,but he's not royalty!

But Norris also taught not to save. "The end is near don't save it" kinda thing. It is not a wise thing not to save. Sure you can not take it with you, but you can save it incase of emergencies here. Bro Norris was very wise, but not everything he chose to teach was thought out well.

[Pragmatist]

Originally Posted by triumphant1

Or the people could stop being jealous and be thankful for the blessing of the Lord in their pastor's life....these folks that always nitpick those who have it better might just try having some initiative to get out there and do something with their talents and such, instead of gripping and complaining about what everybody else has.

This really bugs the soup out of me....all this talk about keeping the pastor poor and his wife barefoot and pregnant....sickoes....the pastor has the right to be rich too so get over it!

Too many church folks have the "poor is me, the other side of the tracks, just give me a cabin in the corner of gloryland" mentality and it is rooted in a culture that keeps it's kids from going to college and becoming the doctors and lawyers and wealthy business owners in town....shoot everyone knows that all the kids need is two or three years of non-accredited bible school to get deeply indoctrinated and to find a bed partner.....then come home, with a worthless diploma and work at walmart, live in a trailer, and join us in gripping about the pastor's new boat....

Usually the one doing the gripping about what the pastor drives, lives in, and what the pastor wears...have much deeper issues of insubordination and jealosy and control...usually have no more drive than to sit around gripping and complaining about everything they can gossip about....instead of using that same energy to better themselves....

Well I disagree that a pastor should be "rich", depending upon what your definition is. If a man's goal is to be rich, he should find a vocation other than ministry.

I totally agree that the pastor should be blessed as the church is blessed, and should not live high above the congregation.

If he is financially blessed outside of church funds, it should not be flaunted. Why create issues for people unnecessarily?

[triumphant1]

Originally Posted by Pragmatist

Well I disagree that a pastor should be "rich", depending upon what your definition is. If a man's goal is to be rich, he should find a vocation other than ministry.

I totally agree that the pastor should be blessed as the church is blessed, and should not live high above the congregation.

If he is financially blessed outside of church funds, it should not be flaunted. Why create issues for people unnecessarily?

So if a pastor writes a book and it makes him a miilionaire he is disqualified from the ministry and should just be an author as his vocation...is that your logic?

I say it is no one's business if the pastor is financially blessed during his ministry and he should b eable to continue in ministry even if he finds himself blessed into the highest tax bracket....

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by triumphant1

So if a pastor writes a book and it makes him a miilionaire he is disqualified from the ministry and should just be an author as his vocation...is that your logic?

I say it is no one's business if the pastor is financially blessed during his ministry and he should b eable to continue in ministry even if he finds himself blessed into the highest tax bracket....

This would be the same if there were any other secular job the pastor worked. If he worked the drive thru ar Wendy's it would no be the churches business what he made there. I think that it is fair for the church to inquire about where the fund that are coming in are going to. I.E. open books for 1 month out of the year etc. That way the people know where their money is going. But I am not to keen on showing how much a pastor makes. IMO