Pastoral Compensation

Map data “comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They have been tracking the median salary of clergy for at least the last 25 years and they make that data publicly available for download.” - Ryan Burge

“There’s an important asymmetry here. Paul exhorts churches to support their elders, but he exhorts all Christians to emulate him in serving free of charge.” - TGC

“it may be nearly impossible for churches to raise the salary of their pastors to account for growing expenses caused by inflation. If so, then congregations should realize that pastors have less spending power than they had a year prior.” - Wyatt Graham

Church, Nonprofit and Ministry Salaries – It’s Time We Start Paying For Better Leadership: Phil Cooke

“A study conducted by Lifeway Research along with GuideStone and Baptist state conventions found compensation for full-time Southern Baptist senior pastors has remained flat over the past four years, while the total pay package has decreased.” - BPNews

”’…a report has been floating around online for some time that John makes more than half a million dollars annually from GTY. Totally false,’ Phil Johnson, GTY executive director and an elder at MacArthur’s Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, said in a statement.’” - C.Post

Brian Houston: ““We are particularly grieved that, in many cases, inaccurate accounts in these stories have been reported as if they are true. Hillsong Church strongly refutes that our culture casually allows for such gross misuse of church funds.” - CPost

“I see solid, educated, selfless, dedicated pastors around me who are full time clergy in churches of 40 to 60 in attendance. Is giving by a group this size enough to support a full time pastor adequately? Do members give per capita sufficient to cover a $50,000 or more salary cost by their minister?

“First, a Christian should absolutely feel freedom to ask for a raise. …Consider the following examples. In Luke 10, Jesus sends out the 72 and encourages them to willingly receive hospitality from their hosts, ‘for the laborer deserves his wages.’” - TGC

“The recognition of universal struggles, however, doesn’t negate the existence of some unique financial constraints on ministry families. Every vocation has its own set of ‘occupational hazards.’ Let me highlight two that operate unconsciously in the social architecture of a local congregation.” - TGC