Bob is the pastor of a small church in another state.\u00a0 He told me this story.<\/p>\n
As a layman he was put on the search committee to seek the next preacher.\u00a0 Then, they elected him chairman of the team.\u00a0 Soon he began to gather information to present to prospective pastors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is our salary package?\u201d he asked the church treasurer.<\/p>\n
The old gentleman had controlled the purse strings for that little congregation for several years.\u00a0\u00a0He said to \u00a0Bob, \u201cWe don\u2019t want a preacher who thinks about those things.\u00a0 He should settle with the Lord if He\u2019s calling him here, and come no matter what it pays.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bob said, \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 The laborer is worthy of his hire, Scripture says.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because Bob wanted to do this right, he insisted that the church pay an adequate salary with benefits.\u00a0 And did what was necessary to put it together into an acceptable form.<\/p>\n
And then, something interesting happened.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
God made Bob the pastor of that church.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt turned out that I was working out my own financial package,\u201d he laughed.\u00a0 \u201cBut I didn\u2019t know it at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then, Bob said something that has stayed with me ever since.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes I think I ought to go back to our old pastor\u2013he\u2019s retired and moved off now\u2013and apologize for not ever asking what he was being paid, and making sure he was being adequately compensated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Apologizing to the pastor.<\/strong><\/p>\n What a novel concept.<\/p>\n I endorse that, by the way.\u00a0 A lot of churches need to resurrect long deceased pastors and ask their forgiveness for how they were treated or mistreated, provided for or not provided for, discouraged or misdirected. Slandered. Abandoned.<\/p>\n Obviously, we cannot bring back deceased ministers.\u00a0 But what we can do is make sure we are doing right by the pastors and staff members we have.<\/p>\n We can ask the right questions….<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013We can start with the big question:\u00a0 What are the ministers of our church being paid?<\/p>\n \u2013Are they being provided with health insurance?\u00a0 Reimbursement for car expenses for their travel?\u00a0 Is money being put into a retirement account for them?<\/p>\n \u2013In small churches, these questions could be asked personally of the elected leaders or even on the floor of the church business meeting.\u00a0 In larger churches, one could address these queries to the appropriate committee.\u00a0 (I am well aware that most churches do not publicize the salaries of ministers.\u00a0 Even so, several responsible leaders should have this information and make sure the church is being faithful.)<\/p>\n \u2013Each year at budget time, the question of staff salaries, benefits, and raises should be addressed.<\/p>\n What we must not do is let one or two people set the policies.\u00a0 “Trust me.”\u00a0 Or better, “What’s the matter–don’t you trust me?”\u00a0\u00a0Allow this and I can just about guarantee that the preacher will suffer from someone\u2019s domination or whims or prejudices or fears.<\/p>\n Please. Do not let that happen.<\/p>\n Regardless of the size of your church, you can find out a) how these decisions are made and b) who has the information.\u00a0 Regardless of the size of your church, as a church member you are entitled to contact those leaders with your concerns and questions.<\/p>\n \u2013And while we\u2019re on the subject, when a minister is leaving with no place to go\u2013he\u2019s being terminated or is retiring or something else\u2013church members should find out how they are being compensated.\u00a0 Are they being given severance? A retirement package?\u00a0 And how much is it, for how long?<\/p>\n Ask the questions.\u00a0 Speak up.\u00a0 Wait for answers.\u00a0 And do not accept the answer that \u201cthese things are better handled in private.\u201d\u00a0 While it is true that most ministers do not want their income made public, enough leaders should know the numbers that one can discreetly find out this information.<\/p>\n I would be wary of belonging to a church where I could not find out this information.\u00a0 When a close friend told me his church never gave financial reports to the congregation and that no one could find out what the pastor was making, I suggested he leave.\u00a0 He did.<\/p>\n A church with the congregational form of government–that’s what most Baptist churches claim as their own–should live up to the name.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bob is the pastor of a small church in another state.\u00a0 He told me this story. As a layman he was put on the search committee to seek the next preacher.\u00a0 Then, they elected him chairman of the team.\u00a0 Soon … Continue reading