DO THE WORDS “BEHOLD I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK” RING A BELL?  I AM GLAD THAT NOAH, JEREMIAH, OR EVEN JESUS DID NOT WORK FOR THAT GUY.  THAT IS MAN’S ECONOMY, NOT GOD’S.  WHAT CONSTITUTES “AVERAGE MINISTRY”?  ISN’T THERE CELEBRATING IN HEAVEN OVER ONE? GOD GIVES ALL FOR ONE.  I AM SICK OF PASTOR’S AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEES SAYING “WHEN THE MINISTRY GROWS, WE WILL RE-EVALUATE YOUR SALARY AND PAY YOU ACCORDINGLY.” WHY IS IT THAT THE PERSON YOU ARE HIRING MUST WALK BY FAITH BUT NOTHING IS REQUIRED OF THE ONES DOING THE HIRING? IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT GOD IS CALLING THAT PERSON, PAY THEM ABOVE AND BEYOND.  DID JESUS TELL PETER, “WELL AFTER YOU HAVE FED 3,000 SHEEP, THEN I’LL GIVE YOU THIS CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.” NO HE SAID “FEED MY SHEEP.” DO WE GET A FEW SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS WHEN WE ARE SAVED AND THEN GET SOME AS WE PRODUCE RESULTS OR DO WE GET EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING ALL AT ONCE?  A MAN OR WOMAN TRULY CALLED AND WORTH THEIR SALT WILL NOT CARE ABOUT THE PAY, THEY MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT BOTTOM LINE IT WON’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF THEY BELIEVE GOD HAS CALLED THEM TO A CERTAIN MINISTRY OR POSITION.  TOO BAD SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE TO TAKE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OF THEM. 
DO WE NEED STANDARDS?  OF COURSE BUT BASED ON BIBLICAL STANDARDS OF HOLINESS, HUMILITY, OBEDIENCE, AND FAITHFULNESS.  GIVE ME AN ASSOCIATE WITH THESE QUALITIES WHO MAY ONLY HAVE 5 IN A BIBLE STUDY RATHER THAN THE ARROGANT AND PROUD ASSOCIATE WHO HAS HUNDREDS.  PERHAPS THAT CHURCH AND PASTOR WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE IF THEY WERE THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA FACING PERSECUTION RATHER THAN THE CHURCH OF LAODICEA THAT HAS IT ALL FIGURED OUT AND DOESN’T REALLY NEED ANYTHING - INCLUDING JESUS. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Look this is nuts.  If we were going to be paid for widgets God would have a widget format in the Word.  He doesn’t.  We don’t. And, anyone who thinks we should is widgetless.  Pastors are paid based on one thing and one thing only FAITHFULNESS.  To God, to the Word and to the people they minister to-- faithfully.  The fact is the pay on this side is silly; so why even talk about it?  We might all be better served as tent makers!  I’m a bit put off about the consistent business bable that accompanies church board meetings and budget hearings.  Put a price on the 72 year old who just came to the Lord, or the young teen who decided not to kill herself.  Do we get bonuses for those?  What are they worth?  Jonathan Edwards had the right idea at the right time, the American Church needs to hear his message again.  Perhaps, then, we’d all be looking for jobs!!!

This is such a hard issue. Once you define and codify the metrics to be used in evaluating performance, who “rates” the pastor? What about the terrible nuisance of church politics? If a particular person has decided that “politically” someone has to go, and they control the evaluation process, what then?

People have to know what’s expected of them, and they need the guidance from those above them to do it and be it.

On the other hand, if someone is faithful and works hard and really cares… but stinks at their job… what do you do then?

Quote:

“He’s paying his staff based on how many people, on average, attend the ministries they are in charge of.”

Having served on a staff of a mega-complex where the pastor demanded that quotas be met or you were transferred to demeaning roles or let go, all I can say is that while this may sound bazaar, it happens much more than you may think.

It’s just another sign of the CEO-minded American “church.”

I would agree that this is not the way to pay a pastor, but let’s get real.  Most churches pay in this way.  If the church is growing in numbers, everyone is happy, and no real issues of conflict, the pastor gets a raise.  When the church is stagnant in numbers growth, people become restless, and the pastor gets no raise (in an attempt to get him to leave) or a small insignificant raise.  It may be wrong but we do it anyway.  With growth comes more responsability and we usually pay more.  Paying more when growth occures is not wrong, but to tie the wage to numbers doesn’t look like the way God intended.

What happened to do not bridle the ox that feeds you? What happened to Miriam and Aaron as they mumbled against Moses? God does not see as man sees so who are we to critic someones “performance”? We need to be faithful to what God has called us to do individually and leave the results up to Him. Who would’ve figured that a cook in a kitchen would’ve wrote a Christian classic ie. Brother Lawrence?!

Please give me a biblical insight as to why pastors should not be paid on performance, after all it says in 1 Timothy 5:17 “let elders that rule well be counted of double honour...”

I am asking because I am researching our churches Pastoral compensation package