We didn’t enter this profession with the expectation of making a lot of money. At the same time, especially if we have a family, we do feel a responsibility to provide for our family. It is not unusual for financial issues and the lack of sufficient funds to cause tension within the family. Even if we don’t want to be, we can easily be caught in the cultural trap of measuring our worth according to our income. Sometimes we also face the daunting reality of not having enough money to pay our basic bills. That has caused some clergy to leave the ministry altogether.
There are a couple of things that we can do to nurture our financial health. The first thing would be to ask the presbytery or judicatory body above us to arrange for someone to come in to talk about the financial reality of the ministry and some of the ways we can respond positively. In the Presbyterian Church, the Board of Pensions has developed some good material in this area. it is also likely that there is a lay person in the church who has financial skills and would be pleased to develop a program around these areas. It would be important for someone to sit down with that person ahead of time and educate him as to some of those realities.
A second thing you could do would be to have your own personal session with a financial planner who could look at your situation and help you develop a good plan. They can help you look at the big picture.
Most communities also have some agency that provides budget and financial counseling to help alter bad spending practices, etc.
You may not be rich but you can improve your ability to not let finances be such a burden.
