Franklin Graham Under Fire: 2 Full-Time Jobs; $1.2 Million in Pay

Posted by: Todd
Posted on: Mon, October 12, 2009
(38) comments so far

Franklin Graham Under Fire: 2 Full-Time Jobs; $1.2 Million in Pay

Franklin Graham is under fire for making over a million dollars from two full time positions last year, while at the same time, the organizations he heads were making substancial layoffs.

According to the Charlotte Observer, concerns about his rising financial compensation during tough economic times have prompted evangelist Franklin Graham to temporarily give up future contributions to his retirement plans at the two charities he leads.

As president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, he receives two full-time salaries and two retirement packages. Last year, his total compensation from the two Christian ministries was $1.2 million.

The size of Graham's total 2008 compensation - $535,000 from Samaritan's Purse and $669,000 from Charlotte-based BGEA - drew questions from nonprofit experts interviewed by the Observer. They doubted that one person - even the energetic, globe-trotting Graham - can do two full-time jobs leading organizations that employ hundreds and spend hundreds of millions around the world.

As head of the Boone-based Samaritan's Purse, Graham earned more last year than any other leader of an international relief agency based in the United States. That includes eight with larger budgets, according to data compiled by Guidestar, a group that monitors nonprofits.

Graham, 57, and his two boards of directors pointed out that most of his 2008 compensation came not from increases in his salaries, which have remained flat in recent years, but from accelerated contributions to his retirement. Graham received no retirement his first five-plus years at Samaritan's Purse and first year at the BGEA. The boards said they were playing catch-up and hoping to satisfy his goal of working for free when he reaches age 70.

In addition, Graham and the boards said, nearly half of what he received last year from BGEA - $300,000 - was deferred retirement money that had been committed and reported over three previous years. Under new IRS rules, which have affected other nonprofit CEOs, the money had to be reported as a lump sum in 2008, the year Graham became eligible for the money.

Even with that $300,000 - plus accrued interest - taken out, Graham's compensation at BGEA rose 21 percent in 2008, from $250,000 to $303,000. The median increase for CEOs at the nation's biggest charities in 2008 was 7 percent, according to an annual survey released last week by the Journal of Philanthropy.

Graham acknowledged last week that his compensation total "looks terrible" and that "people won't understand it."

News of his pay hike comes only months after BGEA laid off more than 10 percent of its staff.

A few thoughts here:

1. Can anyone hold down TWO full-time gigs? And even if they could... should they?

2. $300k retirement over three years? Wow.

3. BGEA income is down $33 million dollars A YEAR in the past four years.

4. It seems that there should be some middle ground between Franklin saying his salary "looks terrible" and that "people won't understand it." and "I enjoy and love what I do... It's not a job, it's a calling. ... I'd do it for nothing."

Some people would say... 'prove it'.

Todd

Comments

if you want a Globally Recognized Avatar (the images next to your profile) get them here. Once you sign up, they will displayed on any website that supports them.

David on Tue, October 13, 2009

“peace out???”
RevJay on Tue, October 13, 2009

Peter, You are a Nay Sayer
David on Tue, October 13, 2009

Naaay!.....or is it Giddy Up? Naaaay! he he!
rbud on Thu, October 15, 2009

Shawn, David and others, who say that criticism is only jealousy and envy, you are wrong. I make good money from several sources, and I earn every penny. I built my own resources from sweat and sacrifice, and did not receive any inherited empire of wealth. I do not begrudge others who make more than me from their efforts, just the opposite, I applaud their resourcefulness. I also think churches tend to underpay their staffs, especially their ministers, often in the name of humility.

Still, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be discerning about others’ excessive personal income from Christian ministries. I am very careful to where and to whom I send my contributions, and BGEA is no longer among them.

Arguing that Graham’s income is justified because the GBEA does good for many people is a red herring and has little to do with Franklin’s personal income from GBEA contributions. In my view, arguing that his income is justified because Franklin’s name sells, takes him into a corporate-consumer financial position and away from a Christiain ministy position; sellability for pay is not what I consider to be part of a Christian criteria or calling. In my Bible, the only financial opportunism I find is among the Temple priests and Pharisees.
David Buckham on Thu, October 15, 2009

I don’t think anyone has commented on this aspect but does it really matter how much Franklin Graham makes? I would think the real issue would be what he does with the money. Is he a good steward of what he has? Maybe God has put both of these positions in his life for a reason. I am not gifted to do two “full time” jobs at the same time, but maybe God has gift Franklin Graham in that way.

Take someone like Rick Warren (like him or hate him the illustration still works). He takes no salary from Saddleback (has in recent years paid back all previous salaries for every church he has been at). Warren makes a good living on his books and resources, Pastors.com and speaking engagements and he lives a reverse tithe…meaning he gives God 90% and he lives on 10%. At least I think that is what I remember him saying was where his money comes from in various interviews. I would speculate on book sales alone Rick Warren makes more than Franklin Graham.

It doesn’t look (looks can be deceiving) like there is a moral failure here, at least not on Graham’s part. Now if he were you know living extravagantly and doing really outlandish things and not giving a dime of what he has been blessed with then shame on him. Stewardship of what he has should be the issue, not whether or not he makes too much or works too much.

Just my opinion. Fire away.

all about Christ,
David Buckham
StefanieV on Thu, October 15, 2009

I find this talk about salary kind of amusing. Our Catholic priests are 24/7 and if they work in an diocese (cluster of parishes under the direction of a bishop), they earn under $1k a month, but their parishioners do pay for their homes (used for decades), foods, utlities, property taxes, clothing—and someone in the parish usually donates a car. Most of the buildings that Catholics worship in were built over a hundred years ago—in Europe, those cathedrals were built and are STILL maintained—by taxes charged to the citizens of that country.

I am paid for the part-time work I do for the Church (I’m on the evangelism and faith formation team) and I receive just about the same amount of pay as our pastor. And I feel that’s not right since I’m not 24/7 for decades as he is, but there you go. Ministry is a calling, not a job with benefits. That’s why I typically spend all my ‘salary’ on the ‘job expenses’—refreshments for meetings, designing and print costs, retreat materials, books for our students, and lots of time ‘off the clock.’ It all goes back into our parish. In fact, I don’t even cash my paycheck until six weeks after I receive it. I like Rick Warren’s approach on that—even though I’m not on the national radar screen as he is.

(By the way, all of our salaries were reduced by 10% in February due to our offerings being lower than expected in 2008.)

I’m not saying that Franklin Graham is wrong or wrong-headed, but if one person decides to give her life to Jesus because of Frankllin’s message, the angels are rejoicing!

And no one is being forced to contribute to Graham’s organizations. And he does have a board of directors that are responsible for accountablity to those who contribute monies to the causes.
Dave on Thu, October 15, 2009

Throwing stones is easy on this one, but have you considered how much good is happening through these two organizations under the leadership of Franklin Graham? I had a church withhold my retirement (accidently?) and then pay it to me after I left that church. What do you think that looked like. Eight years of retirement contributions rolled into a short time frame made me look overpaid for sure!
Peter Hamm on Thu, October 15, 2009

Okay,

the math.

40 hours at one job, 40 at another. high-powered stuff that is highly paid like this should require that.

So… 80 hours total.

Take one day off, I’m hoping we all agree that you should take a sabbath.

So you have 6 days of work, and if it’s 80 hours. 24 hours in a day. Let’s subtract 8 hours a night for sleep. Somebody working that hard and that long MUST get a good night’s sleep. so subtract a full 8 hours, now we’re down to 16 hours in a day. Now… we know that we really need some time to shower, shave, get dressed, eat breakfast, take another hour off for that, we’re at 15. Let’s also say that you should really eat with your family at night when you’re in town (travel weeks are totally different, and don’t work into this forumla, I recognize that.) Let’s take just one hour off for dinner and see what we have left. 14 hours in a day. My math puts 80 hours divided by 6 days at 13 hours and 20 minutes. Leaves 40 minutes for “life”.

Hope he works at home, because I left in no commute time. Hope he doesn’t work overtime too often, cause he’ll never see his wife.

You guys who are doing this… You think this is sustainable? I predict all of the worst kinds of burnout and burnout related catastrophe for you, especially if you have kids. This is insane.

btw, those of you who are bi-vo and full-time at both… How often do you not take your sabbath? Who are you cheating? Probably your family.