Why is there the perception that pastors don't make alot of money?

Question

All of the Churchs I am familiar with pay the pastors between 40K-70K not including all of the tax breaks, perks, and "love" offerings. If pastors were truly focused on the "Work of the Lord" they would live a modest lifestyle and give the money to additonal ministries or to the poor. The Church has become a religious business with the pastor as CEO

Answer 1

sometimes in a large church with thousends of members they do make more but its still a church and they are trained to help people Most of them arent on TV

Answer 2

Most of the idea of poverty in ministry comes from the Catholic church where priests may take a vow of poverty. Then everyone expects all others to have the same attitude. That only works if the pastor has a church or denomination that takes care of all his basic needs. For most this is not the case. The average pastor has a BA degree and sometimes a M Div. degree and as such their education positions them to a higher salary. Yet in many cases, even though they have a good education, they still do not get a salary equivalent with others occupations for their educational level. My husband and I both have BA degrees. I work for nothing doing secretarial work in a small church we started. He works for what they can afford to give him. ...currently about $32 K per year. .... of that we give $5000 back to the church in tithes and offerings... We are not unusual. There and thousands just like us...

Answer 3

Exactly how many churches are you familiar with? The few that I've attended don't come anywhere near that. My current pastor has never been able to take his kids on a vacation. All of their clothes are either purchased by grandparents or are hand me downs. Considering you're one person, I'm doubting you have personal knowledge of more than even ten churches and probably most of those are the same denomination. Why make generalized statements about institutions that number in the hundreds of thousands? You couldn't possibly be familiar with them all.

Answer 4

I'm not familiar with pastors of large churches, and I'm sure there might be some who are paid the amounts you mentioned. Most of the pastors I know, shepherd small churches, and don't rely upon the small salary they are paid as their source of income. My pastor actually drives a school bus to supplement his income, and he has a masters degree. It has already been stated that it is more likely for a pastor to be underpaid as compared to re-numeration in a secular occupation.

Being a pastor is a 24/7 job, I hope your perception is not one of a pastor only working twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday. Small church pastors usually don't have any staff ( associate pastors, music ministers, etc.) so they conduct all the services at church, weddings, funerals, are in charge of visitation at hospitals, nursing homes, shut-ins, etc, head most if not all church committees, always represent the church at community functions, represent the church at association or denomination meetings , if applicable, and still find time to study for the next service.

All pastors that I'm acquainted with, tithe or offer far more than 10% of their income to their church, denomination, and missions.

For you to suggest that someone would preach the Gospel just for a salary is absurd. I'm sure that somewhere wolves in sheep's clothing do exist, I just haven't met them yet.

Grace and Peace

Answer 5

I'm certainly not a defender of big-business, conservative politically affiliated church, which I think has sometimes lost its way in terms of caring for people.

But even trying to take your comments seriously, I am still persuaded that you are over-generalizing from having viewed a few of the mega-churches where budgets are overflowing.

My experience at average churches has been entirely different.

The pastors at EVERY church I have attended since becoming an adult (i.e., churches I personally selected to attend) had ALL given up lucrative salaries in other lines of work to enter ministry. It was a big sacrifice, not a beneficial career move for them.

I also do not realistically know anyone who enters ministry with the idea of "making money." Considering how much money can be made elsewhere, with less responsibility, it's rather absurd.

A pastor does not work a 40-hour-week, he never gets to "go home" or say, "Sorry, I'll be back in on Monday, don't bother me right now" -- he's constantly at the beck and call of the people he's in charge of caring for and wondering if he has ever done enough for them. Maybe you have not have the good fortune of attending churches where the pastor actually involved himself in people's personal lives and gave endlessly. That's unfortunate.

As far as donations go, my current pastor had four daughters going through college over an eight-year period or so, and only got a modest salary. In order to build our facility for community service, he donated a large chunk of his salary over a few years -- more than anyone else in the church, and even though it really cut back on their standard of living -- because he felt as leader he needed to set the tone and example and couldn't ask others to give more than he and his family was.

So if I sound irked, it's because you're purposefully slurring the motivations of many people you have never met, on generalized claims.

Let's get some real data here:

* How many churches have you personally / intimately been involved with? Not just a random attender, but actually involved over a period of time with the ministries of the church?

* How many actual church budgets and delineation of pastor salaries have you actually seen and had explained to you? [Churches submit this information to the membership annually, for their perusal. There's no real 'secrets' over where the money is going, I think it's a legal requirement.]

* How much of a modest lifestyle do you live? What do you think "modest" should be, especially in US culture?

* How much money do you give to additional ministries or to the poor? How much money do you think is appropriate, and how should the money be given to the poor in a way that meets your approval?

* How much "work of the Lord" do you actually do yourself? What do you think a decent amount of "Work of the Lord" is?

Feel free to criticize specific leaders, just as I would, when they truly "fall short" of their calling. I think specific criticism based on data and good logic is beneficial.

But this blanket blacklisting of all pastors of yours seems based on nothing but vague hearsay and sloppy generalization.

Answer 6

Ok now take from that there bills, maybe house payment, maybe car payment, and the missionarys they support and there tithes as well. I know my pastor gives tithes, to missions, to families who had a death. A pastor is due double honor.
1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour , especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
If my pastor makes more than us then great for him. I dare not go aganist what God says. I know what my pastor does all day. He preaches at a local school and prepares his messages for church, plus he visits the sick in the church.

Answer 7

Ya well the pastor doesn't set his own salary does he? So maybe it's the churches that are being too generous and not putting funds in enough philanthropies. I personally think a pastor should be making the mean average salary of his congregation. That way he's able to live in the same community as his members.

Answer 8

I dont know about the stories of small salaries and frugal lifestyles, every single preacher, pastor, priest, shaman, or whatever you want to call them I have known has lived at least middle class if not better.
I think when you sell a product (hope and security) that everyone wants and you dont have to pay taxes on it you are just bound to make good money.

Answer 9

I personal know many pastors who if it wasn't for their SS or working could not make it, and they are some of the best pastors you will find.

I also know pastors who make the kind of money your talking about and they have very poor doctrine, ( but some are very good )

It's what they teach and how they live, not what they make.
You do make a good point.

Answer 10

The pastor at the local Lutheran church was given housing and an $18,000 stipend or salary. My own pastor doesn't accept money from the church. He owns his own business and gives freely of his time and money to our church.

Answer 11

My grandmother, a sweet Southern Belle, once had a saying:

"Tend to your own knitting."

Stop worrying about what someone else makes. Stop suggesting all ministers and pastors are overpaid, underworked rip-off artists. Any pastor who preys off his congregation's good will is in line for punishment. Instead, make sure YOU are not engaging in immoral behavior and let God decide how to judge.

Peace.