By Brad Dupray
Southeast Christian Church in Parker, Colorado, has benefited from the leadership of men like Harry Graham throughout her storied history. Harry and his wife of 42 years, Barbara, were founding members of Southeast in the early 1970s. Along the way Harry helped manage the church”s finances, taught Sunday school, was among the church”s first elders, and has served as chairman of the elders. Southeast has grown from an initial group of 23 to more than 4,500 in Sunday attendance. Today, Harry continues to serve as an elder and works with staff in overseeing church operations.
What kind of benefits should a staff member expect from a church?
You have to qualify that question. There are smaller Christian churches, intermediate churches, and megachurches and the dynamics of each of those is different. A smaller church isn”t going to have as much financial ability to do a great deal. An intermediate church can begin to add health care and retirement planning. When you get into a large ministry you can take care of staff with a full package””competitive salary, retirement planning, medical.
Do you think churches generally treat their staff members fairly?
<pause> In general, I guess. I don”t think we could do much better in the megachurch arena, but I think we could do much better in our smaller churches.
What can churches do to be more fair to their staff?
I”ve heard horror story after horror story of churches that have provided parsonages, and the minister works there 35 years, and when he leaves he leaves with nothing. Instead, the church could guide the minister in purchasing a home and structure his salary with housing allowance that provides some tax benefits and good stewardship.
Are there certain benefits that a church should absolutely provide the minister?
After salary, he certainly needs medical. I don”t care what the cost of medical is, staff needs to be taken care of. And retirement planning is also vital.
Do salary and benefits become a recruitment tool for the church in drawing in first-rate staff members?
More than it should be, in my opinion.
Why do you say that?
I don”t want to sound critical, but I do think it”s a two-way street. Over the years elders have battled with ministers in the area of compensation. But today, I wonder if we are getting some people who are more interested in making money than the ministry. If you have ministers and elders who have the transforming power of Christ in their hearts, then staff is not going to want for much. If the transforming power of Christ is the mind-set of those involved, the least of the concerns is going to be money or benefits. Those benefits will be there over time.
Then would you say this has to be approached from a spiritual mind-set rather than being completely pragmatic?
Here”s the crux of where I would like to take us: the church will take care of its own when it”s a Christ-centered church, when the senior minister through his actions demonstrates that he loves Jesus more than anyone and anything in this world. That”s going to come out in his preaching, in his relationship with the elders, and in his relationships in the world, the community, with missionaries, and with getting kids off to Bible college. There isn”t a church in the world that wouldn”t take care of a staff that clearly demonstrates their love for Christ in that way.
When you have staff, from your top man to the custodial staff, who have Christ at their core, God is going to take care of the church and he is going to provide for them. In the churches where that spirit is alive you”re not going to find an unhappy staff. Many times we get caught up in compensation and benefit packages, but no, it”s all about Christ.
Can this passion to serve become a strike against a minister when he”s trying to negotiate a fair salary?
No, because you have Scripture (1 Timothy 5:17) that talks about the “double honor,” especially for those that preach and teach. I take that to mean all of the ministerial staff. Look at the elders at Ephesus, many of them were preachers of the Word. Ministers have families to take care of and elders have the church family to take care of. The minister”s family is part of that.
So the church has a mandate from Scripture to care for its ministers.
You take care of your own first because you”ve got to care for the community from your own. Especially in these economic times, people are looking to the church realizing there is more to this life than material possessions.
Are staff members too demanding from churches? Jesus didn”t call us to an easy life.
Not generally, but I would say there are those in ministry who are expecting too much.
How can a prospective staff member approach this area without appearing greedy?
Generally, you should be able to go to your elders, trusting that they will see it as an honest need. If you can”t be open and honest, you don”t have a Christ-centered church””and it starts with the ministers and elders. After the hiring, the minister should be able to go to the elders and say, for example, I need more money, or I”m having a problem with my temper, etc. We”re here to help each other, not burden each other.
That”s a unique relationship in the employment world.
Remember, we are to be in the world, not of the world. The minister has to be able to go to the elders and ask for a raise without feeling guilty. The minister, staff, and elders should have the closest relationship in the church. Because when that kind of love exists it permeates throughout the church.
How should church compensation be measured””against the market? The community? The labor force in general?
There are church organizations that provide salary surveys all across the country. That is a valuable tool for a concerned eldership. The minister has access to those, too, and as he looks at being able to afford to do ministry, he needs that information
What are the elders” responsibilities to the church in this area?
I do think that elders can do a lot by teaching their congregations about the matter of financing in the church, the matter of tithing, the matter of giving back to God what he has given you through the church. The church needs to be in the community, caring for it, and leading the community to Christ. It”s very basic””Matthew 28:18-20 says, “All authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Brad Dupray is senior vice president, investor development, with Church Development Fund, Irvine, California.
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