I have debated on whether or not to that the time to write this. Partially because being a pastor in a smaller church it seems like you are trying to promote yourself or somehow trying to force people to appreciate you as a pastor. However, let me say that right up front that is not the point of me taking the time to write this. In fact I rarely see pastors taking the time to write about this as they have fear of self promotion. With that said there are to my surprise many people who read my blog and not all of them are pastors so I thought if I could somehow help others think about this biblically it could in turn help many of my friends who are pastors. Additionally because I am from a smaller church I am certain that only a select few of my parishioners will read this, and I know that they know me well enough to realize this is not some sort of self promotion.
I primarily wanted to take some time to speak to this first of all because next month (October) is pastor appreciation month and secondly and very frankly I have seen pastors that have gone through pastor appreciation month very much unappreciated. Often I believe this stems from the fact that many churches do not really know how to appreciate their pastor and honestly many pastors do not know how to appreciate their congregation. With that said I do believe that there are those who wonder if it is even Biblical to appreciate the pastor and there are some who believe that the pastor is called to a life of poverty. I would say that with nearly 20 years of ministry I have struggled financially for the majority of those years often wondering how we would survive, and yes at times feeling guilty for being on government assistance while being a pastor. So before I get into the idea of whether or not Pastor Appreciation is Biblical first let me just quickly break down a pastors pay and perhaps some common misunderstandings in relation to it, as I believe this will help in an overall understanding.
Unfortunately when I first started ministry I really did not understand things like pastors taxes, housing allowance, etc. I also believe that the common parishioner does not understand this either. So I thought I would break at least these two thoughts down for those that may not really understand them. First, let’s look at the typical pastors taxes in the simplest way possible. I will not go into all of the variables of this but will give the common circumstances for most pastors. Often when one looks at their church budget and they notice how much the pastor is being paid their first thought may be that is a pretty decent salary. usually the problem with that thought is this. In most church budgets when the pastors salary is published is really does not show the bottom line it is really showing the before tax amount. This tends to be a problem as causes what I believe is a common misunderstanding for people in that they believe the pastor is making more than they really are. So let me show some numbers very quickly. Lets say that the pastors salary is $40,000. Well out of that $40,000 the pastor is required to pay 15.3 percent in taxes because a pastor is considered self-employed and most pastors do not pt out of social security (full time employees pay 7.65 percent). Ok let’s do the math so 40,000 x 15.3% is 6,120 now 40,000 – 6120 brings us to 33,380. This may not seem to bad as a salary but also let’s not forget that at least the pastors I know make sure that they give at least 10 percent of their income in tithe (I believe the national average is 2.5%). So let’s subtract that. So since we tithe on our before tax amount lets multiply 40,000 X 10% which equals 4,000 now subtract that from the 33,380 and we are now at 29,380.
Before I go any further I want to just quickly address housing allowance because again I think there is a misunderstanding that a housing allowance is added to the pastors salary and it is not. If a pastor claims a housing allowance of lets say 15,000 that does not mean the church is adding 15,000 to the pastors salary it really is simply a tax benefit for your pastor and that is all. So to somehow equate the housing allowance with salary is somewhat of a misnomer. Ok now that we have that out-of-the-way. The pastor is not bringing home 29,380 a year. Which is roughly 2,448 a month. So with this in mind and if we used Dave Ramsey’s budgeting guidelines this pastor should spend no more than 856 a month on total housing, 244 on utilities, 367 on groceries, I am not going to put all of the other numbers in If you want to see the worksheet go here it is the same one I use. Fill in the worksheet and it is easy to see why so many pastors struggle. I have always said if they are worried about money than their thoughts are not on ministry. If you are still with me congratulations you either really love your pastor and want to know how to appreciate them or you really want to know if pastor appreciating is Biblical.
Let me just begin with this. A Pastor that knows they are loved will serve your church far longer and in a far greater capacity than a pastor who wonders if he is loved. So let’s just answer the question and then prove the answer. Is Pastor appreciation Biblical? The answer is Yes. Let me share with you three verses from Gods word that shows us this.
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, ESV)
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. (1 Timothy 5:17, ESV)
In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:14, ESV)
If well allow these verses to soak in I think we can clearly see that we are to appreciate our pastors. I am not going to exegete these passages as they say a great deal not only to the congregations responsibility to Appreciate their pastor but they have a a lot to say about the labor of the pastor as well. However, let it be clear that scripture plainly tells us to make sure that our pastors are cared for. I have seen many a pastor struggle often times needlessly. Naturally the question comes with how can we show our pastor some appreciation? How can we show him some love?
First you can pray for him. Take time to pray for his family, for his work, for what he is trying to accomplish. You can also submit to his direction, allow him to lead you. Let me just say that the success of your church depends on you loving your pastor. He can either be encouraged or discouraged further more God commands us to take care of them, and honestly nearly every pastor I know deserves it.
Let me share some Ideas that I have found that you could use to appreciate your pastor
For Kids and Teens
Ten Gifts You Can Give Your Pastor
LIfeway Article on Pastor Appreciation
NAMB Resources for Pastor Appreciation
Since becoming a pastor this verse has stuck out in my head. Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; (1 Peter 5:2, ESV). Personally I believe there is a very good reason why this is the case. You see, since becoming a pastor it seems that anytime someone calls me or stops into my office they always apologize. I am not really sure why they apologize but this seems to be the case the majority of the time. For whatever reason they seem to think that they are an inconvenience. Honestly, this is somewhat bothersome to me on many levels.
It seems like the modern pastor has come into this mentality that their job is to advance their agenda. I am not quite sure where this comes from or at what point this began to happen. Pastors are busy writing books, perhaps preparing sermons, etc. and have little time for the people. Honestly I somewhat understand this with a Mega Church naturally a pastor can’t have time to see thousands of folks on a daily basis, but I do not understand this in smaller churches. To be clear, for me, a smaller church would be any church under 1000. Seriously, why is it that our people sometimes have to wait weeks to see there pastor or to schedule an appointment weeks in advance. Before you think this is only in Mega churches it is not. I can list churches running under 500 right now where this is the case. I often wonder what it would have been like if this is how Jesus did ministry. If he said “set up an appointment with my secretary”. Seriously, at what point did we stop shepherding and become so snobbish that we can’t have time for the people we are to be leading. Am I so arrogant to think that the only time I shepherd the flock is when I stand in the pulpit? How foolish we are to think this way.
Honestly, my mind can’t help to think of Jesus and the numerous times He is thought of as a Shepherd in scripture. I think of those times when He saw the masses and said they were like sheep without a shepherd. Yet as pastors we want to go in our office and close our door and continue to let our sheep wander. We constantly see Jesus with the people and we see this at all times of the day, morning, noon, and night. Shepherding takes place on a constant basis. Jesus did life with his disciples they hung out all of the time, and from there he did even a little more with three of them. In addition to the disciples he spent a ton of time with people, the masses were constantly pressing in on him. Yes he took time away, but why is it we constantly see Him respond to the needs of people? Because he loved them. Because He was the chief Shepherd. As pastor’s we must love our people enough to shepherd them. We must spend time with them. They should never feel guilty about coming in to see us, and we should never make it so difficult for them to see us. I want to shepherd is such a way that the people I am leading know I love them. I pray this is the case.
Lately I have been given some serious thought as to how churches go about the search for a pastor. Probably because I have been in the search process now for over 3 years. Some churches will announce there opening on the internet, others because they do not want to deal with the hassle will only talk to some seminaries and ask if they have any names, others still will only entertain those that are specifically recommended to them. Honestly I don’t know that one way is better than the other. However my dilemma has stemmed from the qualifications we have come up with when it comes to hiring a pastor.
In my search for a church I have come across a plethora of different qualifications as it relates to a pastor some Biblical others not so Biblical. It has really forced me to think deeper about this issue then I have in the past. Honestly at times I wonder if the pastoral search has become more of a popularity contest or more like “American Idol” than seeking God’s Man. In my journey I have come across some very strange things.
If I were to be very honest I would say this is one of the reason why I have worked so hard to lose weight and get into shape. Sure I have done it because I want to be healthy for my family and I do believe it is pleasing to God. However, when I think deep I would say in the back of my mind there is that part of me that would say, ”looking better would help secure a position”. Somehow when a church sees an overweight out of shape candidate it is not as appealing as seeing a muscular in-shape candidate. These thoughts have frustrated me and I have wondered at times am I just making this up or is this true? What are the Biblical qualifications for a pastor? Has the the church replaced Biblical qualifications with man made standards? Naturally whole books have been written on how to be a pastor and how a church should select a pastor and to be honest I don’t care to get into all of that detail here. However I am forced to look and see what God’s word has to say.
The qualifications for a pastor can be found 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9
According to these pasages of scripture a pastor should be
1. Above Reproach – An accusation of sin won’t stick to him.
2. Husband of One Wife – He must be faithful to his wife.
3. Self-Control – He is the master of himself. He is not out of control or controlled by outside influences.
4. Lives Wisely – He makes good choices.
5. Has a Good Reputation – People at church and in the community think highly of him. He is respected.
6. Hospitable – His home is open to others.
7. He Can Teach – Is able to give insight into the scripture and communicate that to others.
8. Not Addicted to Wine – He does not get drunk or over indulge in Alcohol.
9. Not Violent – He resolves conflict peacefully.
10. Gentle – His manner and words are not abrasive he is not looking to quarrel.
11. Loves Peace – Works towards peace in all circumstances.
12. Does Not Love Money – Is not consumed with possessions or how much money they have.
14. Manages His Home Well – His family and home are in order, not in chaos. His children are polite and respectful. His finances are in order.
15. Not a New Christian – Displays and shows that they are a faithful follower of Christ. There is a “track record’
16. His children must be believers who are not wild or rebellious
17. Not Arrogant – Is humble and put’s others first.
18. Not Quick-Tempered – Not a man who angers quick or easily.
19. A Strong and Steadfast Belief – Believes the gospel and does not waver from it.
Now of course I understand that this is a list of qualifications and does not include the duties of the pastor the chief of which is to Shepherd the flock.
Really here is the problem though. Why have we stepped outside the bounds of scripture when it comes to our search for a pastor?Why have we added qualifications dealing with age, how someone dresses, education, tradition. Why have we replaced the Bible with man made doctrine and theology. We have become anthropocentric as opposed to theocentric in our quest to make sure that we get the “right guy”. We so desperately want to make sure we have the cool guy or the guy that everyone will like many times we have left God out of the equation. sure we may talk a good talk, read some scripture, and even pray that God will supply the right man but unless we rid ourselves of our prejudices and what we like and what we want will God answer?
I have frustrated myself because at times I know I thinking more about the man a church wants me to be then being the man God wants me to be. To be honest after three years of searching and living with my mom at 36 years old with my wife and two kids and another on the way I sometimes ask myself “what in the world am I doing.” Why have I lowered myself to man made standards and traditions, why isn’t following God with all I have enough? I don’t want to be the next “American Idol” Pastor. I want to be me, I want to be the next Pastor that loves the Lord, that is not afraid of the tough conversations, that understand God is in control and He want me to be the man He wants me to be and not the man someone else wants.
Just the random thoughts of a guy still searching.
It has been a long time since I have posted. The primary reason for this has been related to my lack of funds. You see my hosting renewal came up and I did not have the money to renew my hosting. I pulled the trigger a few hours ago and purchased my hosting.
Not much new here in northwest Missouri. The job hunt still continues. I have updated my resume I can’t tell you how many times but I know the best way for your resume to be noticed is for someone else to deliver it. However I still keep plugging away. Some people have asked if I want to be a youth pastor or a senior pastor and right now I am kind of in the either one camp. I have 15 years of experience as a youth pastor and that is something I enjoy doing. So in the right circumstance I would take a youth pastor postion. However most of the churches I have submitted to have been senior pastor postions. All of this to say the search continues. It has been 2 years since I have ministered in a full time capacity and trust me I am ready. But it is God’s timing so i will continue to wait upon the Lord.