• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Lifeway Research

Lifeway Research

Enlightening today’s church with relevant research and insights

  • Research
  • Insights
  • Resource Library
  • Fast Facts
  • Search

Seven Reasons the Pastor’s Salary Can Be a Source of Tension

Uncategorized | Apr 4, 2016

If you want a lively discussion, then the topic of the pastor’s salary can usually meet that need. I have discussed this issue in the past on both my blog and my podcast. In both cases, the conversation was, well, interesting.

So why does this topic seem to evoke strong emotions in some pastors and church members? I have seen at least seven reasons it does so.

  1. The pastor’s salary is often public information. In some cases, the entire church sees the amount on a regular basis. In other cases, certain members have ongoing access to the information. The constant availability of the information can engender discussion.
  2. Some church members view a low salary as a necessary tool for the pastor’s humility. No, I am not kidding. But I bet those people would not like the same humility for themselves.
  3. There continues to be a misunderstanding of the pastor’s “package.” In the secular world, there is a clear distinction between salaries and benefits and expenses. But in many churches, benefits, such as retirement and health insurance, and expenses, such as automobile reimbursement, are lumped together. It thus makes the pastor’s salary seem higher than it really is.
  4. Critics of the pastor often use the salary as a lever to make life miserable for the pastor. Many of the critics understand that the topic is sensitive to the pastor. So they use that lever to inflict greater pain.
  5. There is a misperception among some church members that the pastor is overpaid. That reality is a rare exception. Most pastors are by no means overpaid. Some church members will use one bad example to paint a broad stroke about all pastors.
  6. Family members can be embarrassed by this issue. I told the story recently about living in a parsonage when I was a pastor. A deacon showed up at the house to tell me that our utility bill was too high, and that my wife needed to stop using the clothes dryer and put up a clothes line. We would later find out that our air conditioning unit was not functioning properly; it was the source of the energy drain.
  7. There is a misperception that pastors work very little. Most pastors work extremely long workweeks. But if a church member really believes a pastor only works ten hours a week, the per hour wage can seem rather high.

Most pastors are not overpaid. Most pastors work long hours. Most pastors are certainly not in the ministry for the money. But the tension on the pastor’s salary continues to exist in many congregations.

I would love to hear your comments about this issue.

Related posts:

22 Vital Stats for Ministry in 2022 Few Pastors Left the Pulpit Despite Increased Pressure How Do Most Pastors Plan Their Sermons? Are More Pastors Quitting Today?

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us On…

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Popular

  • 7 in 10 Women Who Have Had an Abortion Identify as a Christian
  • Most Popular Sermon Passages, Topics in 2021
  • 7 Reasons to Praise the Lord
    praise
  • 4 Ways Pastors Can Reclaim Their Time

Join the Lifeway Research Newsletter

Lifeway Research: Enlightening Today’s Church with Relevant Insights.

Signup for email updates on our church and culture research.

Sign Up

Leader Resources

Bible
Clip Art
Classics
Clip Art
Current Events
Clip Art
Discipleship
Clip Art
Pastoral Ministy
Clip Art
Theology
Clip Art
VIEW ALL RESOURCES
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Custom Research
  • Resource Library
  • Search

Copyright © 2022 · Lifeway Research, a ministry of Lifeway Christian Resources