Letter to the Editor on Raising Pastors' Salaries

Percy O. Norwood, Jr.
Carrollton, MS 38917
August 11, 2008

Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Jones
Editor, The Christian Index
P.O. Box 431
Fairfield, AL 35064

Dear Rev. Jones:
Congratulations on the quality of the Christian Index. You and your staff have made significant improvements to this publication during your time as Editor. However, after reading your Editor's message in the June 2008 issue of The Christian Index on "Increasing Pastors' Salaries" I decided to write this letter to help clarify something about responsibilities for setting Pastors' salaries.
As a former steward, treasurer, recording steward and trustee in various CME churches around the United States, I agree that local churches need to increase pastors' salaries. But, you misstated in your editorial how the salary should be set. The Discipline does not call for "consultation with the pastor" in setting his/her salary. Section 511.2.1 of the Discipline states, "It shall be the duty of the stewards to make, in conjunction with the stewardesses, an estimate of appropriations for the pastor." It goes on to spell out what that appropriation shall include where possible. A similar provision is spelled out in 513.1.6 of the Discipline concerning the duty of the Stewardesses. Consultation with the pastor is required when "Educational paid leave for a full-time pastor is being considered." (See section 511.2.16). Since the Church Conference handles the business of the church, the Stewardesses and Stewards bring a recommendation to the Church Conference where it is discussed and-voted on. I have seen several instances where pastors attempted to get involved in setting their salaries. In each of those cases, the process got messy and heated resulting in strained relationships between members and the pastor - to put it mildly. Pastors simply need to stay out of the salary setting business!
Now back to how we can go about increasing Pastors' salaries. I am reminded of something Bishop Thomas Brown said during the Mississippi-South Region Annual Confer'ence this past July. He said that, "we talk a lot about stewardship but we practice ownership when it comes to the resources that God has blessed us with." He went on to say that "our wallet is the last thing that gets converted on our Christian journey." If we, members of the local churches, want our churches to prosper we must become better stewards over the resources that God has blessed us with. We have to teach members how to make personal budgets and how to tithe. We have to teach people that giving more to their local church means paying less in taxes to the federal and state governments. We (officers, pastors and members) have to do a better job of encouraging and teaching people how to give back. If 50 percent of the membership would tithe regularly, most churches can meet their day-to-day operational expense (salaries, utilities, mortgages, etc.) and then some. The church can then supplement these gifts with funds raised from special askings and various programs (Women's Day, Men's Day, Church Anniversary and Homecoming, Family and Friends Day, Youth and Young Adult activities, etc) to meet the church's entire budget. Increasing the number of people tithing increases the amount of revenue that the church receives. Then, and only then, will churches realistically look at substantially increasing pastors' salaries.

Respectfully submitted,

Percy O. Norwood, Jr.
Captain-Retired, U.S. Coast Guard
Member of Helm Chapel CME Church

Editor's Note:  Chapter 30, "Support of Preachers in Charge," Para. 451., Sec.1. The compensation and traveling expenses of Pastors-in-Charge of charges shall be estimated by their respective Stewards and Stewardesses in joint deliberations, with the Minister sitting in for consultation without a vote...," page 133, The Book of Discipline of the CME Church, 2006.