I wasn’t aware of how complex this question was until a recent controversy in my mother’s home church.

My mum, who is the church treasurer and head of the Budget Committee, received a letter that took issue with her proposal to raise the pastor’s salary.

She didn’t take it too well. Not only did she find the complaint offensive but she couldn’t understand why someone (a church leader no less) would want to limit a pastor’s income when the church was quite capable of providing good compensation.

This led to a lively discussion as we analyzed all the angles. The proposed raise was by no means exorbitant but admittedly, it would mean the pastor would be earning a better salary than many of the church members. Yet it seemed acceptable and I thought it was a wonderful idea. The congregation certainly had no qualms about the proposed raise, save for this one voice of dissent.

Anyway, it got me thinking: just how do you calculate a pastor’s salary? And if you settle on a salary that is good (not excessive but better than some secular salaries), how do you justify it?

Should a pastor’s pay be based upon the total average income of each church member? Or should he be paid according to certain criteria that include academic accomplishment, field experience, and man-hours?

My mum wanted to write a rebuttal and I offered to help her out. I did some research and thought long and hard about what I believe are valid reasons to pay a pastor a decent salary. In getting my thoughts on paper and hashing out my convictions on the matter, I reaffirmed my commitment to honoring the pastorate and would like to now explain how we can all do that.

Of course, there is no singular formula that works across the board for all churches. Each institution is unique. The pastors too: some are more experienced than others; some are better educated; others are more committed to certain types of ministry than the rest.

There are so many variations and expressions of the local church and so many different kinds of pastors it would be difficult and impractical to impose one particular rule of compensation on everyone.

Yet I believe there are a few sensible ideas to consider when figuring out how much to reward a minister.

THE PASTOR’S COMMITMENT TO THE WORD AND SOUND PREACHING

The job of the pastorate is considerably harder and more demanding than many, if not all public service jobs.

You see a pastor’s primary responsibility, the one thing that consumes most of his time, is to study and preach the Word of God, a responsibility that not just anyone can assume. It is a calling of the highest order, a job that God will judge with the utmost severity (Jas.3:1) precisely because it is such a monumental task.

We are talking about “rightly dividing” the Word of Truth. There is no other job in this world that comes close to the utmost seriousness of this task. If the pastor mishandles the Word, it is not only a personal affront to our Lord, the source of all Truth, but the results could be disastrous – broken spiritual lives and lost souls condemned to hell.

Hence the stern warning and strict requirements of pastor-teachers.

How a pastor handles the Word, in both study and delivery, has great bearing on how he should be monetarily compensated. Put another way, if he performs his studying and preaching duties worthily, we should reward him accordingly (1 Timothy 5:18).

Sermon preparation is an intense process that requires much concentration, energy, and skill. Pastors must be versed in ancient history, culture, systematic theology, maybe some Greek and Hebrew (the more knowledge, the better), and even current events, to name a few. It is highly consuming work that knows no standard hours and requires a dedication of the mind and spirit – as well as a heart that is radically in tune with God. For it is God that illuminates and grants wisdom.

The interpretation and preaching of the Bible is not something anyone can do; it is not a job that should be taken lightly; it is not a task that gets easier with time. Just look at the hundreds of cults that rise out of the slipshod handling of the Word – anyone can assign meaning to Scripture and twist it to support their convoluted theology.

It is a dedicated and fearful man who rightly divides the Word of truth. The pastor who approaches the Scriptures with fear, reverence, academic intensity, and Christ-centered devotion must be rewarded by the church out of respect and love, as commanded by Christ.

I believe pastors who spend most of their week steeped in the Word, drawing deep from the well of God’s truth so that we might understand it more fully, are worthy of reward.

If this means paying the pastor a salary that allows him to eat, clothe himself, and enjoy some of life’s luxuries, as well as provide for his family, send his children to good schools, save for his future, and have money left over to bless other people (of which there is an endless abundance) I fully support giving a pastor a salary above the average pay of a public servant, complete with as many fringe benefits as possible.

THE PASTOR’S COMMITMENT TO SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Pastors are called to serve – and that often means sacrificing one’s own time and comfort to respond to crises or situations no one else is equipped (or willing) to handle.

On a purely secular level, the work hours some pastors put in are above and beyond that of, say, a traditional nurse or schoolteacher. Many pastors are practically on call 24/7. Their job, in terms of man-hours, is comparable to that of a doctor in that he is available all the time to respond to the needs of his flock.

The tremendous amount of work a pastor is often faced with is enough to make lesser men balk and run for cover. The minister who continuously makes himself available in a self-sacrificial manner is worthy of reward.

THE CONGREGATION’S COMMITMENT TO LOVE

I think the biggest factor in determining how much a pastor should be compensated lies in how much a church is willing to love back her God-given shepherd.

Let’s say a pastor has labored in your church for 20 years. For two decades you have known him, seen him and his family grow, saddled with him through various trials, afflictions, temptations, and storms; seen and heard firsthand the incredible amount of personal attack, demonic persecution, and emotional testing over many years of service; you’ve listened and been privileged to hear him preach the Bible, day in, day out, with a dedication to academic excellence, theological purity, and devotion to the glory of Jesus; you’ve watched him shepherd you and the rest of his flock through many ups and downs, changes and growth, over many years; you’ve witnessed him stand with integrity as many others have fled or compromised their faith;

How deep are you willing to dig into your heart to give back and ensure that he and his family live comfortably as they continue to serve with joy and gladness in your church?

Is it too much to reward a pastor, someone who leads in spiritual matters that have eternal ramifications, beyond what people in the secular world earn?

Is it too much to provide a pastor with all that he needs and beyond, especially when so many pastors around us are underpaid, mistreated, and vilified by their own congregations?

Now I don’t want to be misunderstood: I DON’T advocate compensation packages that allow for lavish and ridiculously excessive lifestyles like those of many televangelists out there. I simply believe that dedicated ministers should be well taken care of, whether it’s through a reasonable salary or helpful fringe benefits (or both).

If you are blessed with a shepherd who has been in the trenches longer than you would probably care to consider, who has demonstrated an undeniable devotion to the Word, the church, and the Lord Jesus, and your church can afford to pay him well, I say do so.

Your thoughts?