Thom Rainer says that the average staffing costs among all churches has dropped from 54 percent to 49 percent in recent years. If, however, the church only has forty people, they will probably need to spend 55 to 65 percent of their total budget – anything above 60 percent is very risky. According to the Evangelical Covenant Church, a healthy congregation with a weekly average attendance of 150 people should spend 40 to 50 percent of their total budget on staff salary. As in zero to one hundred percent.” When we take church size into account, it makes sense that smaller churches will have to spend a larger portion of their budget to pay a full-time pastor. Small church expert Karl Vaters says, “While 45 to 55 percent of budget going to staff is healthy for mid-size to larger churches, the range is much wider for small churches. What percentage of the budget will be allocated to staff salary? So, how does a small church determine how much to pay their pastor? 2. If these numbers are correct, then a large percentage of American churches will struggle to pay a full-time pastor. Thom Rainer says that it takes a ratio of 76:1 – meaning an average weekly attendance of 76 is the minimum needed to pay one full-time staff member. The average church size in America is 89 adults. Ninety percent of churches in the United States have less than 350 people attend each week 64 percent have less than 200. Because these worlds are so vastly different, we will focus on the larger group – the small church. Large congregations with multiple staff can afford to pay pastors better than a church of forty that is struggling to survive. The size of a congregation will be the greatest determining factor for the church’s budget. Here are five things to consider as you plan your pastor’s salary. It’s hard to minister in this context without becoming resentful. The pastor will see that he is being treated with contempt and that the church is not properly honoring God. A church that is cheap with their pastor will suffer the consequences. Their pastor should see that they are being generous (Galatians 6:6-8) and not stingy. So each church, no matter its size, should do everything in their power to ensure that their pastor is fully supplied (Philippians 4:18). A church that is not obedient to God cannot expect God’s blessing on their mission. In my previous article, I explained that how you pay your pastor is a gospel issue that has impact on the effectiveness of your church and its mission. This may not eliminate all the financial stress your pastor faces, but it can ensure your church is doing everything they can to help. In this article, we will explore how much you should pay your pastor and some of the guidelines you can use to do it well. Five things to consider when determining a pastor’s salary.įinancial pressure is one of the main sources of stress among pastors.
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