How To Intelligently Provide For Your Clergy And Support Staff In Today’s Challenging Culture

A wig once said “ Lord, since we know you desire your ministers to be humble servants, we will care for their physical needs with this in mind.”

In reality, it is a good thing that no thinking Christian lay person figures that way. Ask yourself these questions however:

         1. Would you be willing to work the hours they work for the pay they receive?
         2. Could you support and educate your family on the salary you pay them?
         3. Are their salaries keeping par with today’s high cost of living?
         4. Considering their education and what similarly educated people earn in 
              similar secular work, are they being fairly compensated?
         5. Could you provide the standard of living you expect of them on the salary and benefits you currently offer?
         6. If you had to give an account of your stewardship before God, would you feel that you have treated them fairly and honestly with your expectations for the compensation you give?

Living expenses have risen nearly 20% in the last five years according to the Consumer Price Index. The Department of Labor also reports that most professionals have had between 12 to 21% salary increases in the same period. How are you doing for your minister and staff?

A church that desires to intelligently provide for their clergy and staff with a fair compensation package should consider salary and benefits for the following areas.

You also may want to investigate information concerning reimbursement policies for clergy, and staff expenses.
Such a policy treats the pastor and staff’s expenses as non-taxable income. This can provide your clergy and staff with a reduced tax burden.

1. Operating/Business: Costs that should be paid expenses that would assist your clergy and staff in making what you pay them go further.

     a. Transportation expense
         Travel to seminars, church conventions, and etc, as well as taking individuals of the church to meetings and such. Auto expenses could run from $1,000 to $5,000 or more than the average 
         member in your church. The IRS allows forty-four and one-half cents per mile for (2006). Certainly you should not expect to offer them less.
     b. Office expenses
         Library books, tech equipment and other items for study and work with your church.

     c. Hospitality and entertainment expenses
         Luncheons and entertainment with church officials, missionaries, and others, in the home or taking them out to eat, etc.

     d. Continuing education expenses
         Seminars, conventions, formal continuing courses of study that can help them stay current for the work of your church, as well as other formal education that they feel will help them as      they minister with you.
 
2. A realistic take-home salary
     a. Note experience
     b. Educational