The average senior pastor in U.S. churches today makes more than $80,000 a year, a recent national survey shows.
Compensation packages, including benefits such as retirement, life insurance, health insurance and continuing education allowances, have increased to $81,113 per year for the average senior pastor. And pastors who hold a higher academic degree are paid up to $30,000 more per year than pastors without any post-secondary education.
The statistics come from the 2009 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, an annual analysis of compensation packages at churches across the country, and at a time when churches begin planning their budget for the next year. This year, 4,800 U.S. churches, representing about 11,000 employees, were surveyed between January and March by the Your Church Media Group at Christianity Today International....
SBGG wrote: it seems unusual to include all the benefit costs including continuing education when seemingly speaking about a base salary.
That doesn't seem fair, does it? I wonder if it is related to the other points below about 'psychology' training. If that is a sine qua non of the job, it might be justified to include the $$$ as part of the basic package.
And if the 'continuing education' leads to "Simony for biblical Counseling you get another bad impression from the `mental gurus or professional priesthood' type of non-biblical job description critiqued below.
Interesting, most of the Pastors I know aren't getting nearly that much, myself included.
I've seen statistics indicating that the average US Evangelical church has 90 or less members, so my guess would be the 6 figure + salaries of the mega-church senior pastors and the old money mainlines are stretching the upper end of the average. If I believed in betting my guess would be that MOST US pastors are making less than 80K regardless of the average.
Thanks for the clarification, gents. I was wondering what made everyone worked up about it. Would you say that the Bible contains a certain view of human psychology?
By Your Standards, Not Elect wrote: If I may ask, why is everyone against Psychology? And what is meant here by "Psychology"?
ByYourStandardsNotElect
I cannotg speak for everyone else but let me make a comment/observation psychology is kind of like Roman Catholic "Tradition" a special unquestionalbe "knowledge" that cannot be understood by anyone who has not been educated into and this special knowledge or "Tradition" and is used as a substitue for faith and to lord it over those who are not "seminary" or in this case psychologically educated.
This is "trash" for from the time of the apostles we have already had the faith once for all delivered to the saints, everything God Himself who is perfect in knowledge sees and knows that we might be perfect, mature, thoroughly furnished/adequate to all good works. Roman Catholic "Tradition" or Psychologhy make it out like God's word is insufficient and that we need somekind of mental gurus or professional priesthood to educate us into their NOT God's special knowledge.
Both Psychology and "Tradition" turn men away from the reality that the just or righteous man (the man who is faithful and obedient to God) shall live by faith...NOT by faith plus Psychology and NOT by faith pluse Tradition either.
By Your Standards, Not Elect wrote: If I may ask, why is everyone against Psychology? And what is meant here by "Psychology"?
The simplest way to put it, is that man is self sufficient in himself with no reliance on God. All the problems that occur in a man's life and society at large are due to Genetics, Environment and a multiple of other factors and not on the depraved condition of man due to sin.
Therapies generally come from un-scriptual sources such as Buddhism, Hinduism and other false practices.
Daniel Lee Ford wrote: Schuller says he believes in salvation by grace, but what he actually believes is that salvation is being rescued from poor self-esteem.
You are right about Schuller. Money is his God.
The self esteem lie has permeated itself within the fundamentalist circle. I see that John MacArthur on one hand denounces Psychology but on the other hand writes about the lack self esteem.
hidemi williges wrote: Robert Schuller makes in a year?
of course, that's the whole POINT of Schuller's 'ministry' and the $$$ attracts many big name evangelicals: EVANGELICALS AND MODERNIST ROBERT SCHULLER Ravi Zacharias R.C. Sproul, president of Ligonier Rick Warren Billy Graham Bill Hybels Tony Campolo John Maxwell, Jack Hayford, and Randy Phillips Paul Crouch, Jack Hayford, John Wimber, and popular Southern Baptist leader W.A. Criswell. Schuller received a standing ovation at the March 2004 annual convention of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Schuller says he believes in salvation by grace, but what he actually believes is that salvation is being rescued from poor self-esteem. He says he believes in Hell; but his hell is the loss of self-esteem, not a place of fiery eternal torment. He says he believes in sin; but sin is not willful rebellion against God and His law, but the loss of self-esteem. He says he believes in Jesus Christ; but his positive-only, “Self-Esteem Incarnate” Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.
Schuller says he believes everything in the Bible. That is not true. What he believes about the Bible is redefined & twisted for $$$$$$.
Considering that there are many Pastors who care about the mega-church and not the things of the Lord. Look at the big named Pastors that are in the news and some of those that make endorsements. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them make millions annually. How much do you think someone like Robert Schuller makes in a year?
Tony, true, The real downside being, neither can they say, ...."...but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."
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Dr. Alan Cairns | 3/9/2009
