Church leaders, look after your pastor. Doug Fordham, Director of Stewardship Ministries, FEBBC/Y Know Your Investment From a human perspective, one of the local church most valuable assets is its pastor. He is the overseer, the spiritual leader, the shepherd of the flock. Week after week we look to him for spiritual food. We expect him to be there for us, rock solid, rain or shine. Yet as church leaders how well are we taking care of our most valuable asset? What are we doing to improve, or at least maintain his ministry effectiveness?
Theres a temptation to focus on activity and busy-ness, confusing this with effectiveness. Understand the Problem We take seriously the Apostle Peters instructions to pastors: That they should… exercise oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily… and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness to serve. Some pastoral compensation packages might suggest were taking the voluntarily part too literally; that we intend to ensure he certainly wont be in this ministry for sordid gain no chance of that! When we see some of his eagerness to serve fading do we increase the pressure by becoming critical, demanding more tangible evidence of productivity, or perhaps even reducing salaries and benefits?
Current statistics relating to long-term disability claims indicate a significantly higher incidence of claims for stress leave by our pastors than almost any other occupation in Canada. When faced with these facts, we would do well to ask the question, Why is this? What are we doing wrong? Strive for Balance Remember Aesops fable of the goose and the golden eggs?
Its the story of a down and out farmer who one day finds a golden egg in the nest of his pet goose. Not really believing what he sees, and suspecting that he is perhaps the object of a practical joke, he intends to throw it away. On sober second thought he decides to examine this egg more closely and discovers that it is indeed pure gold! The farmer cant believe his good fortune. He’s even more astonished when the next day he goes back to the nest and the experience is repeated. Day after day he rushes to the nest to discover yet another golden egg, and very quickly becomes incredibly wealthy. But with increasing wealth come greed and impatience. Unable to wait a whole day for the next golden egg to be laid, he decides to kill the goose and take out all the eggs at once.
When he opens up the goose, he finds it empty no golden eggs! And now theres no way to get any more. He’s destroyed the goose that produced them. Within this fable theres a principle a natural law if you like from which we as church leaders could take a lesson. Stephen Covey talks about the P/PC Balancewhere P stands for production of desired results (the golden eggs) and PC stands for production capability (the asset or ability that produces the golden eggs). Since real effectiveness is a function of these two factors, we must strive for the right balance. By focusing on the production alone, we may endanger the health or very existence of the producing asset. In our local church situation the pastor and his relationship with the church is that producing asset, and his effectiveness is the production.
If we want our pastor to have an effective ministry through our church what can we do to help make that happen? Be Creative We need to look for creative solutions in addressing this issue. Here are some suggestions for taking good care of one of the local church most valuable asset the pastor:
1. Fair salary. This is a hard term with which to come to grips, but its vitally important that we do so. a. How much are other pastors in similar churches and communities earning? b. If you had to replace your pastor, what would you need to pay someone else in order to attract him to this position? c. Make sure you pay him enough to live on, assuming the pastor to be one who carefully manages his money. There are enough other stresses for a pastor without having to be concerned about how to feed his family.
2. Good benefit package. There are ways to arrange compensation packages in an economical manner while still maximizing the legitimate income tax savings for the pastor: a. A portion of the salary paid as tax-free clergy housing allowance, or reducing the tax deductions at source because of the clergy residence deduction that he can claim. b. Reimbursement of vehicle expense on a per-kilometre basis. c. Group insurance plan which as a minimum would include extended health, long-term disability, dental, and life insurance. d. Provincial health plan premiums.
3. Matching contributions to his own personal retirement plan. 5% of gross salary is a good start. Most of us need some stimulation to save for retirement. A matching contribution provides that incentive. Do not simply pay this amount to the pastor expecting him to take care of his own pension savings; its too tempting to simply spend it. Deduct an amount from his pay cheque, match this with the churchs funds and pay the full amount (now 10%) directly into the pastors retirement account. For convenience, arrange with the plan manager for an automatic debit from the churchs bank account.
4. Adequate vacation time. Four weeks is a minimum, and only adequate if there is additional study leave given. Each year has a few months with five Sundays. In each of these months consider giving the pastor the fifth weekend off in addition to his vacation time. Most other people in the church enjoy long weekends off now and then why shouldnt he have a few? His vacation time needs to be spent in complete re-creation, not consumed with other speaking engagements.
5. Paid study leave. Two weeks is a good guideline. This would allow him to take a one-week seminary refresher course, as well as a week for personal study. He might need to be held accountable to ensure that this, as well as his vacation time, is actually taken. If a pastor is too busy to take vacation time or study leave, then he’s too busyperiod and its the churchs responsibility to fix this. Time off for vacation and study leave does not really cost the church anything, and is very beneficial for the pastor, so dont cut back in this area.
6. Budget for attendance at denominational convention and retreats. Pastors need to interact with their peers. Some, particularly those serving in smaller communities, simply do not have this privilege very often. They need the financial and moral support of their church to attend these events.
7. Books and professional development budget. 2% of the gross salary is a good start. Since the very nature of a pastors ministry is always one of putting out, we must provide for him to get some input. Dont expect him to cover the cost of this professional development and resource material out of his salary.
8. Pastoral ministry expense budget. This includes, but is not limited to the cost of meals eaten out as part of his visitation and other ministry activities. Most business people have this privilege, so why shouldnt the pastor? These times are usually a vital contribution to the effectiveness of his ministry.
9. Make sure pay cheques are issued on time. This may sound obvious, but I know of situations where the pastor has had to run around town to pick up his pay cheque from the treasurer on, or sometimes even after pay day. He doesnt need this added stress and embarrassment. If you have trouble getting his cheques to him on time, then make arrangements for automatic direct deposits to his bank account. Just make sure he’s paid on time.
10. Annual evaluation. The majority of pastors welcome this. The evaluation process should be carried out in complete confidentiality by no more than two or three elders or deacons with details of the discussion and evaluation being kept within the committee. (A resulting action plan can be shared with the rest of the leadership, but not with the church as a whole.) The evaluation process must include a time for open dialogue with the pastor, with everyone resisting the temptation to become defensive. This is not a time for criticism. It should have a positive emphasis and its purpose is to stimulate good two-way communication about his performance and effectiveness.
The evaluation teams motive is to learn how the church could help the pastor be more effective in his ministry. Its a time for listening as much as speaking. Try to separate performance evaluation from the level of salary or other forms of compensation. If, over time, it becomes obvious that the pastors ministry in the church should come to an end, then deal with that issue head on. Dont slowly strangle him to deathno one benefits from that. Pay a fair salary for the position and deal with performance issues objectively and independently.
Too many churches and other Christian organizations are guilty of ineffectively addressing this issue of employee performance. They procrastinate until its too late then bitterness develops, real ministry is long gone, and the whole community suffers. An environment of openness, transparency and good communication between the pastor and the church leadership is fundamental to an effective church ministry and witness in the community. Time for Self Evaluation Perhaps its time for us as church leaders to stand back and evaluate how we look after our pastor. Are we taking care of this investment? Are we paying adequate attention to both the P (production) and the PC (production capability, the producing asset)?
Lets not be like the greedy farmer who had a good thing going with his goose producing golden eggs. When he ignored the other side of the equation, focusing only on the production, he destroyed the asset which was the very source of the production. Lets make sure were being good stewards of this responsibility that God has entrusted to us, so that He is truly glorified in all aspects of the church’s community witness.