National Association of Evangelicals launches $1M campaign to help churches bless financially strapped pastors

Calling Tyler

I’m in an odd situation. My State job pays well, so my small church salary is just fine. I feel strongly enough about dual elders that we just brought on another pastor and will pay him an identical small salary. I could have made a play to (1) combine both small salary, (2) and add significant savings from when we reduce the secretary’s hours next year, to (3) create a decent solo pastor salary that could have allowed me to quit my job and be a “fulltime” pastor.

But, I decided to bring on another elder because the current one is retiring.

I think the new elder and I represent what you’ll see in the future. We both have credentials to work outside the church and expect to do so during our entire ministries. He is about to do a quick MA to get a better teaching job in public schools, and I’ll soon do likewise for an MPA to further my government service.

Churches and pastors (most generally) have unrealistic expectations:

• Eg. Our church is without a pastor. We had a bi-vocational one and paid him about $ 20K a year.
• The pastor wanted more (to be able to quit his secular job) but it was a financial impossibility (unrealistic expectation #1)
• The pastor and his wife were making a combo of over $80K in secular jobs but were unsatisfied with there level of income (unrealistic expectation #2)
• The pastor undertook every task and failed to delegate. (unrealistic expectation #3)
• The congregation wanted more of his time (be able to contact him during the day) (unrealistic expectation #4)
• Now we are without a pastor and some think we can find a guy to work full time for $20K (unrealistic expectation #5)
• Seminarians think they will make sufficient from the ministry to not work a 2nd job (unrealistic expectation #6)

You should print and frame your comment. It’s very true!