Pastors are trained to talk about some very difficult subjects. Faith crises, sexual crises, relationship crises… hit him with your best shot. He is gifted with the ability to empathize and offer rational advice no matter how hopeless the situation seems.
Just don’t ask them to speak about church and money. That makes them squirm uncomfortably.
But it’s a necessary conversation, one that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves except at budget time or when bills are not getting paid. Pastors don’t like telling their flock they don’t give enough. Their mindset is to share and give, not take. However, the church needs money to accomplish its goals. More often than not, its main (and most malleable) source of income is its membership.
How much money does your church need? You need to answer two questions to determine that.
What do you want in a pastor?
An unfair assessment of the pastor’s role is that he or she only works an hour or so each week. Anyone who thinks that is gravely mistaken. Besides the preparation time for a sermon and service, there is so much that is a part of their life.
Most churches in the United States want a university-trained pastor. That is an expensive proposition and carries with it the same student loan debt burden that every college graduate is worried about. Besides being Biblically competent, the pastor needs to be business-savvy, adept at counseling, problem-solving, and more.
Once on the job, they need to manage the requirements of your denomination, as well as government-required reports. They participate in most church functions, like Sunday school, mission programs, Bible studies and prayer meetings. Then there are the unscheduled hours.
At all times of the day and night and weekends, followers seek the pastor’s advice and assistance. This might mean driving to the bedside of the ill or listening to the caller share intimate matters until they stop crying.
The pastor does all this while managing his own family. The pastor’s kids are just like yours, with all the demands, expectations, and insecurities. Some will argue that a pastor should live a very simple life, but can you keep saying no to your own kids when they need new sneakers, clothes or a night out?
What do you want in a church?
If all you want is a weekly meeting and nothing more, then maybe you can have a pastor who works a different full-time job all week and unlocks the building on Sunday.
Most people want much more than that. Followers expect the church to be a resource for them. They need to have questions answered, problems discussed, crises mitigated. They see churches organizing food and clothing drives and distributing goods in disasters and agree it is good.
Things like memorials, special services, meals for the infirmed, group sessions for the troubled and afflicted don’t just happen. They require organization, preparation, and coordination. They require knowledgeable leadership. They require time and the adage that “time is money” holds true.
Church and money go hand in hand. We should not begrudge paying salaries and stipends for services rendered by the church. The Bible extolls us to be cheerful givers (2 Cor 9:6-7). Set aside what you can to help grow God’s Kingdom here on earth.
