Are Pastors Overpaid?

Are pastors overpaid?  The question is self-explanatory isn’t it.  So let’s jump right into it.

Though I have been on two church staffs, I am not a pastor. When I attend church, I serve merely as a volunteer and Board member.  Therefore, I have no personal agenda.  I simply have observations that I feel very strongly about.

My thoughts are this – You can’t pay pastors enough!!!

I love pastors for the following reasons:

1. Pastors are the point people for telling me what God thinks about the issues of my life.
2. They provide me spiritual food each week.
3. They pray for me when I need it and even when I don’t.
4. They preside over the landmark issues of my life such as baby dedications, weddings, and funerals.
5. They comfort me during times of crisis and uncertainty.
6. They daily fight spiritual battles I know nothing about.
7. They encourage me.
8. They shepherd my soul.
9. They are my friend.

I will never suggest that our Lead/Senior Pastor take a pay cut.  Never.

Several times I have gone to battle with members of Finance and Stewardship Committees over the issues of staff raises and compensation packages.  Sadly, many times they have masked their own selfishness, greed, agendas, and disappointments in a veil of “protecting the church” and “good stewardship”.  Sometimes I’ve won. Other times, I did not.

We have all seen gross misbehavior in the area of greed by some well-known Christian leaders.  I’m not talking about those cases.  I’m talking about the average pastor in an average church.

As a church leader, I want my pastors to be “very comfortable financially” in relation to the people they serve. The objective of a comfortable lifestyle is the following:

1. I want my pastors living comfortably so they don’t have to worry about some of life’s basic issues.
2. I want my pastors freed up so they can focus solely on hearing from God.
3. I want them to prosper.
4. I want my pastors to be able to lead in generosity.
5. I want my pastors’ children to love Christians and the church so much they would think of doing nothing else but one day going into ministry themselves.  I don’t want them to think that the church is stingy and poor.
6. God shows favor to churches that bless their leaders.
7. Pastors are on call 24-7.
8. We need to hold pastors in high esteem.

Now a warning to people who think a specific pastor or pastors in general are overpaid – Never question how much a person makes until you first know how much that person gives away!!!  God blesses generous leaders.

Church leaders, love your pastors.  Bless them.  Pray for them.  Treat their families with dignity and honor.  And give them a raise!!!

“How much of a raise?” you ask.  The answer is “MORE!”

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