Should Churches Pay Their Pastors?

Three years ago, during lockdowns, I published a video on my pastoral YouTube channel about pastors getting paid. I was expecting a little feedback, including possibly some pushback, but wow…

The comments have poured in since then. A majority of them have been critical, arguing that pastors should NOT be paid. Some of the comments have been quite passionate. Some are not at all fair.

One person expressed in exasperation: “Everything comes down to money money money” without addressing ANY of the points I actually made in the video. That’s an incredibly cynical twisting of what I actually said.

If you peruse the comments, you’ll see that I’m called many things, including a “lier” (a misspelling of “liar”), a “thief,” a “snake,” and “an apostate reprobate disqualified by the word of God.”

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t prepared for the vitriol.

A couple of the commenters seem obsessively bitter – even unhinged.

Most of the fervent critics make all kinds of assumptions about me for which they have little to no evidentiary support. They’ve never met me. They don’t know the church I serve. They can’t read my mind. But they don’t let those limitations stop them from making all kinds of accusations and issuing all manner of judgment on my character and qualifications (or lack thereof).

Clearly, a few of the commenters have been deeply hurt in the past — traumatized even. More on this shortly.

With this post, I want to clarify a few things about this issue. In so doing, I want to make the following abundantly clear…

I have nothing but appreciation and gratitude for the people of the church I’m honored to serve. That church, of course, is Olney Baptist Church. If you’re a member of OBC, this article isn’t really for you. I have zero complaints about OBC on this subject. Nothing but thanks and gratitude for you.

Rather, this article is written for anyone with genuine questions, concerns, or confusion over whether or how churches should compensate their pastors.

A couple of points before I really get into this…

1. First, churches are not all the same. They come in different shapes, sizes, and structures. And personalities. Much depends on a given church’s denomination, governance structure, history, community, and so forth. I write from the perspective of a small church pastor in the evangelical, especially Baptist, tradition. Please keep that in mind as we proceed.
2. It must be acknowledged that many people – including (no doubt) some of the commenters on my video – have been hurt by corrupt pastors and toxic churches. If that describes you, my heart genuinely goes out to you. Nothing I say can take away your pain, but I want to acknowledge your pain. Your pain matters. And your voice should be heard.

I hope all corrupt pastors are held accountable in this life. I know, for a fact, they will be held accountable in the next.

With all that said and hopefully understood, let’s proceed…

The apostle Paul offered a strong argument for pastoral compensation in his first letter to the church in Corinth: “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” (I Corinthians 9:14, KJV). The phrase “live of the gospel” points to a livelihood derived directly from the service of preaching.

This wasn’t always possible for churches in Paul’s day. Based on what we see in the New Testament, some churches were either unable or unwilling to financially support the apostles, missionaries, or their elders.

Accordingly, Paul often supported himself by making tents.

But the principle – the standard – was that local congregations should provide for those who preach to them and teach them (I Corinthians 9:14, Galatians 6:6). As Jesus said: “The labourer is worthy of his hire.” (see Luke 10:7).

In fact, Paul alludes to the Lord’s teaching in Luke 10 when he tells Timothy: “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” (1 Timothy 5:17-18, KJV).

There are some who argue that Jesus was never paid. In fact, I’ve even heard that Paul was not paid. The New Testament text says otherwise. Prior to His ministry, Jesus was almost certainly a carpenter (like his legal father, Joseph) and that was indeed a paid profession. During His ministry, Jesus was often supported by others (see Luke 8:1-3).

As for Paul, even though he often had to support himself, he did receive some financial support from the church in Philippi (Philippians 4:15-16) as well as “the brethren which came from Macedonia” (II Corinthians 11:9).

This principle of New Testament era (and beyond) local churches providing for their pastors (elders) is an extension of how the children of Israel provided for the Levites in the Old Testament era. According to the terms of the Law of Moses, the priesthood was reserved for tribe of Levi and that tribe was not given the same type of allotted land portion as the other tribes. Rather, they received tithes from the other Israelite tribes as their inheritance (Numbers 18:21 KJV).

The Levitical model showcased a timeless principle:

Those set apart for God’s work were to be sustained by God’s people.

Critics will often point to Acts 20:34-35 as a counterpoint, where Paul reminds the elders at Ephesus of his own hands’ labor to meet his needs. Yet, Paul’s personal choice for self-support was situational, not prescriptive. It was to offer an example and avoid placing a burden on a fledgling church. And, again, as stated previously, Paul did at times receive monetary support from churches — at least two of them.

To be clear, none of this is to suggest that pastors should be “in it for the money.” Anyone who is in ministry for the money is not really in ministry. Not for the Lord anyway.

I once heard of someone who planned to start a church for the purpose of making money. God forbid!

The apostle Peter is clear that pastors are not to be driven by greed. In his first epistle, Peter takes a moment to address elders specifically when he writes: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.” (I Peter 5:2-3, KJV).

How should churches guard against those elders who are in it for “filthy lucre” and/or who do try to set themselves up as “lords over God’s heritage” (at least in terms of financial exploitation)?

A few suggestions:

• Take the pastoral search process seriously. Take your time with it. Don’t rush. It’s better that the pastor position remain vacant for months, even years, than to have the wrong person in that position.
• Keep the pastor separate from the money. In the church I serve, I have no authority over the church’s assets or money. That is how it should be. Sadly, in many churches, pastors exercise almost complete control over the money — often signing checks, making large purchases, and even having authority over their own pay.
• Practice transparency with respect to church funds. Have a budget that the congregation approves. Have the treasurer make periodic reports on the church’s finances – including how the money is being spent.
• Pastors should not set their own pay. This should be done by either the congregation or by a trusted body within the congregation (elders, deacons, stewardship committee, etc.)
• The church must decide what it wants and expects from its pastor (and make its compensation decision accordingly).

On that last note…

This is key. It’s crucial.

How is God leading your church with regard to calling a pastor?

Is God leading your church to have a full-time or bi-vocational (part-time) pastor?

And what do you expect from your pastor in terms of how much time he is to give to the church? (There are biblical principles in terms of how those expectations should be established. For example, see Acts 6:4 and Ephesians 4:11-15. But be clear. And then prayerfully consider how much time the pastor will need to take from his family and devote to the church to meet those expectations).

Also, consider the various ways your church can support your pastor. The previous church I served (the one in Ohio) provided a parsonage. Though my paycheck wasn’t much, they paid what they could. And one family even kicked in a little extra to add to my paycheck each month!

Church members frequently treated me to meals. One of the trustees mowed our parsonage lawn at the same time he mowed the church’s lawn. Another family helped us set up a garden. There was a family (knowing that our children had just lost their paternal grandmother and moved away from their maternal grandparents) who became “grandparents” to my kids. They babysat frequently and came to “grandparent” events at their schools.

All these things added up. When I think of that little church in Ohio, I think of a church family that lived out Galatians 6:6, which says: “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.”

The word “communicate” in this context, coming from the Greek “κοινωνείτω” (koinōneitō), means to share or to have fellowship in a material sense, i.e., to share in all good things, which could imply sharing resources, giving support, or providing financial assistance.

There have been several examples of this same kind of love and support from the people in my current place of ministry. If I listed them all, you’d be reading this for a long, long time. And I would be afraid of forgetting someone and hurting feelings. But just to give you one example…

A dear family that once attended our church (before they moved away) still allows us to use their South Carolina beachfront condo (which they normally rent out) every year for our summer vacation. We’ve taken advantage of their generosity for many years now. Words can’t convey my deep gratitude to them for this wonderful gift to my family and me.

That’s just one example. One of many.

When I think of being a pastor – specifically of being supported as a pastor – I really don’t think about the paycheck. I think about all the love that’s been expressed to my wife, children, and me over the years by the people I’m honored to serve. All the cards, gifts, meals, fellowship, and on and on.

Don’t get me wrong. Getting a paycheck is nice. 🙂 But it’s not why I’m a pastor.

I’ve sometimes been asked if I would still be a pastor if I weren’t paid. The answer is yes. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to do so full-time, but I would still do what I could to serve the people of God.

Indeed, one of the first churches I considered (following my ordination) was a bivocational call in Nebraska. The church was only able to offer something in the neighborhood of $10,000 a year. Not a livable wage. They and I both knew that should I be called to serve them, I would only be able to do so part-time. I would need to take on a full-time job elsewhere.

As it turned out, God led my wife and me in a different direction — specifically to Ohio, where we served for three years before landing at our current assignment in Olney, Maryland.

One more thing…

The pastors in apostolic times (indeed, up until the Industrial Age) weren’t always paid in currency. It would certainly be in keeping with the New Testament if churches choose to take a more direct and detailed approach — providing housing, food, and other needs directly — and minimal cash. They can certainly do that. In some cultures in our world, that may be the best way to go.

Or they can just, in consistency with the laws of the land, give the pastor a paycheck — from which the pastor can then support his family.

Either way is biblically permissible.

I know this is a sensitive issue for many people. Therefore, I want to make clear once more the following:

• No pastor should be in ministry for the money. If he is, he’s not in ministry.
• Pastoral ministry is a calling. It should not be seen as simply a job-for-hire.
• I recognize people have been hurt by corrupt pastors.
• I pray that all corrupt pastors are removed and held accountable for their sins.
• Pastors and money should, as a general rule, not mix. Pastors should lead the church spiritually, but the congregation (collectively or via trusted representatives) should have the final say on the church’s assets and finances as well as the pastor’s compensation.
• The church should pay a pastor based on how God leads.

Bottom line: The issue of whether a pastor is paid and how much he is paid is up to the church — not the pastor. And each church must follow God’s leading accordingly.

God bless you!

Want more? Check out these posts:

• “How to Become a Baptist Pastor”
• “8 Things I Wish For as a Pastor”