Every presbytery has the responsibility to ensure that their pastors’ terms of call include adequate financial compensation, along with meeting the requirements of federal and state tax laws. Normally, a committee on ministry will recommend a minimum compensation requirement for full-time calls and communicate that to congregations.
Advocating for fair and adequate compensation for pastors serving small membership congregations is especially difficult. A presbytery could set aside some agenda time at a presbytery meeting, or a specially arranged meeting of congregations of similar size, to honestly discuss these difficulties, recognizing both the challenge for the pastor and the church.
Part of the design could include preparing a typical budget of expenses for a modest family in their community, including rent, utilities, food, transportation, etc. to demonstrate what a clergy family needs as reasonable income. Whatever the format, presbyteries need to take an active role in educating and guiding all congregations about compensation issues. This is a critical way that the presbytery can support the pastors.
When addressing compensation issues, presbyteries need to have resources in mind to suggest to sessions and congregations about conducting honest and constructive annual reviews of terms of call (several of these resources are available through the Presbytery Pastoral Care Network Web site: www.pastoralcarenetwork.org.
