Dave Harvey - The Plurality Principle: How to Build and Maintain a Thriving Church Leadership Team

It can be awkward for a pastor to talk about his salary. Annual incomes are, after all, the things of earthunspiritual and unbecomingfar from the meditations of the heavenly minded minister. Or so it seems. Why not just parade the pastors sex life before the elders too!

In the world of wages, pastors inhabit some pretty conflicted space. On the one hand, a pastor must manage his own household well (1 Tim. 3:4). This certainly includes managing his family finances in such a way that bills are paid and the kids are clothed, fed, and able to travel in a dependable car that was made in the twenty-first century. On the other hand, a pastor must not be a lover of money (1 Tim. 3:3). We can expect enough (1 Cor. 9:811), yet we cant be greedy for gain (Titus 1:7). The church should desire an unmuzzled pastor (1 Tim. 5:18), but can the pastor determine what muzzled means? Those distinctions are far easier to espouse than to discern.

Its the salary strain , an occupational hazard that seems to come with ministry. If navigated unwisely, it can introduce suspicion and stall the churchs momentum toward the future. So whats the best way for a pastor to negotiate his salary?

Six Thoughts

Here are six thoughts I hope will be helpful for you. Salary negotiations move toward wisdom when the pastor knows the following:

1. When he knows that money talk always involves heart issues (Matt. 6:21). Ones salary is not a unique, amoral, heart-free zone where our desires or fears become suddenly irrelevant. The pastor should speak to God first and often when negotiating his salary. This will help him approach the process as a disciple desiring to receive Gods provision and not as a professional seeking to grab what he can.

2. When the pastor knows the church is neither suffering nor being excessively frugal in the offer extended to him. As shepherds in Gods church, we are never ambivalent over how the churchs spending affects the churchs stability. Yet we also dont want to feel like the church is saving money at a cost to our families. If your salary triggers concern on either side of this tension, consider it an invitation from the Holy Spirit for further discussion. In some cases, it may even be a reason to decline a role.

Also, dont become unnecessarily distracted by the salary figure; remember to look at the whole package. Certain benefits such as health/dental/vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement, and book and/or cell phone allowances can represent up to another 3545 percent of the offer. Thats real money and represents a loud statement to anyone with ears to hear.

One caveat for the guy preparing to accept his first ministry role. Dont get your hopes too high over what you just read about benefits. God rarely invites men into ministry roles where some kind of financial faith is not required.

3. When the pastor knows how churches assign value to ministry roles. From a church standpoint, the factors most often influencing salary offers include

• the size of the church and its budget;
• the churchs geographic locationthere are significant salary-range differences between US regions;
• the experience of the pastor in relation to the roles and responsibilities of the position;
• comparability to the salaries of other pastors in similar roles;
• equity and fairness of the overall compensation structure of the church staff; and
• the skill sets the pastor brings to the role.

A quick thought on the last one: A pastor being considered may be a remarkably gifted teacher but lack organizational, administrative, and/or strategic-thinking skills. This means the church may need to allocate other staff to cover these weaknesses or underdeveloped skills, thereby altering the value of the role.

4. When the pastor knows his income may grow if the church grows and may shrink if the church experiences hard times. These realities are neither carnal nor unfair but are simply a slice of real life in the local church. In my thirty-five years of ministry, Ive been in times of both growth and decline. Ive taken salary raises; Ive declined raises; Ive endured deductions; and Ive disputed benefits. Through all these seasons Ive discovered that the local church is a dynamic, resilient, vulnerable, organized organism. Salary offers should be accompanied by seatbelts. By accepting the role, you agree to buckle up and adapt to the unpredictable adventures ahead.

Also, if youre moving from the private sector to a church-staff role, theres a high probability you have a substantial salary reduction coming your waypossibly 4060 percent. Consider yourself forewarned, but know that its not personal. Its just one of the many differences between for-profit and nonprofit organizations. And its one of the sacrifices God invites us to make to serve his people.

5. When the pastor knows the offer accompanies the faith and enthusiasm of those extending it. This is just obvious street smarts. If the churchs leadership team or search committee is not excited about you in the role, or your arrival is going to divide the church, perhaps its wiser to keep looking. Yes, God may call some men to churches where their doctrine or vision may polarize the people. But youd better be certain there is a committed core of gospel-loving, doctrinally driven, courageous folk who are going to support you through the coming storm. Absent that, youre merely postponing your job search for another twelve to eighteen months and eliminating a solid reference from your last place of employment.

6. When the pastor knows he should communicate gratitude for the offer, even if he is unable to accept it. More than one person, perhaps many, undoubtedly spent time collaborating to pull together this offer. A wise candidate will appreciate the effort even if he cannot accept the position or salary.

A Brief Word for Elders

Most of you who are elders have an unenviable job. You wish your board role were situated in a well-financed, for-profit company so that salaries did not have the constraints of a church. But in the church, providence, wisdom, reliable comparisons, and tight budgets determine the borders of your generosity. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Be honest and transparent about the process for setting, raising, or reducing your pastors salary or benefits.
• Use the salary-setting discussion to communicate not only your expectations but also your commitment to your pastors success (see 5 above).
• Discuss the whole package so your pastor understands the value and significance of each benefit.
• Dont allow the instincts of thrifty elders to determine the culture of salary setting or salary reviews. When conducting salary reviews, be as generous as performance and wisdom allow.
• Lavish your pastor with encouragement throughout the year so that your statement of support is not reduced to what happens with his salary.
• Appoint an elder to take point in caring for your pastor, including an annual inquiry about the financial health of his family. If he is struggling, arrange for financial consultation.
• Pray that God blesses your pastor spiritually and financially in unexpected ways. It means a great deal to pastors when they know their elders pray for their needs.

Back to Pastors: Payday and the Last Day

As you seek to navigate these tensions, do so remembering this remarkable reality: The final reward for your role is not delivered in your monthly paycheck. Ultimately, you serve the church with another day in view. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4).

Pastor or pastoral candidate, as you negotiate your salary, remember the unfading crown of glory. Let it inspire your humility and restrain your entitlement. Let it fill every salary discussion (or dispute!) with the knowledge that there is no sacrifice for God made in the present that will not be richly compensated by God in the future.