whats customary to pay a minister for a wedding
"The laborer is worthy of his hire." (That's in the Old and New Testaments.)
People often ask whether nosotros've written anything on this website concerning honoraria–what would be advisable to pay the preacher for a wedding, a funeral, a feast, or for invitee preaching in their church.
I oasis't… until now.
I suppose the reason is that this is and then subjective, so hard to nail down. Different regions of the land and unlike denominations will have their own customs and expectations. But, for what information technology'south worth, I will requite it a try. I know full well that we will exit some questions unanswered, some subjects unaddressed. But, here goes.
The concluding nuptials I did, they paid me $550.
That generous, surprising corporeality was completely their decision. 2 months before, when the bride-to-be asked "How much exercise you lot charge?" I replied that "I don't have a fee. Any you do will exist fine." I may accept suggested she enquire her minister (they lived several states away and were coming to Mississippi for a family unit gathering and wanted to marry while everyone was together) what he thought was appropriate.
So, I might owe him a give thanks-y'all annotation. (Every bit a matter of fact, I do owe him one. He did the pre-marital sessions, and even sent a note to that outcome.)
Every pastor has his stories. For another nuptials, I was paid $500. Just that was far and above the usual. Back when I began marrying people, it was more similar $10 or $20. Merely that was when you lot could live on a hundred dollars a week. (Yeah, there really was such a time in America.) In contempo years, the typical gift for a wedding ceremony was $100 or $200.
I think a couple of times when I have had pity on the couple getting married in dire circumstances and bodacious them we would charge nothing, not for the church building (with its huge a/c and electricity bill, and janitorial costs) and not for me. When they pulled up to the church in a limousine toasting each other with champagne, I felt like someone had simply run a scam on me.
I've washed funerals where the honorarium was not enough to pay my mileage. And washed a weeklong revival where that was also the instance. If the people were poor or the church was small, that was no problem. But it rarely has been the case. Thoughtlessness is more likely the culprit.
But every minister has washed this. It'south par for the course. You don't enter this work to get rich.
Then, hither are my guidelines. And yep, "guidelines" is most all nosotros can practice, since the variables are so many…
1. Start with a base of $100 or $200. Give the minister at to the lowest degree that. Give more than if you can or at that place are adept reasons for doing so. Here is my proposition for calibration:
$100 is minimum. $200 is very nice. $300 feels generous. Anything beyond that is a real approval!
2. Requite the minister something, even if you lot walked into his function and he did the hymeneals with nada training. I will non list the reasons other than to say, it'southward the right thing to do. You are non paying for his fourth dimension, for his education or ordination or his availability. You are merely showing appreciation, and that is sufficient.
Be generous with the government minister, equally you presumably are generous with anybody in life.
three. Give him more if he spent more time with you.
Did he spend fourth dimension in pre-marital counseling sessions? Did he come up to the rehearsal? (Practice not deduct what yous paid for his rehearsal dinner, friend. He was on the chore in that location just equally much as if he were in his office or behind the pulpit.)
iv. Consider his extra expenses–travel, etc.
Fifty-fifty if he just wore his black suit for the nuptials, it still has to exist paid for and dry out cleaned. If he drove his car a proficient distance, the IRS considers a fair rate for mileage reimbursement equally something over 50 cents per mile. And call back, you lot're talking near circular trip. If he had to spend the night en route, add sufficiently more to cover that cost. If he stayed with the wedding political party at the hotel where everyone is staying, you lot make the reservation and pay for the room.
5. If there are other considerations that make this an unusual event, ask a minister other than the 1 involved what would be fair. Make sure he knows you lot're non trying to practice every bit little every bit you can go by with, but desire to be fair.
When I do banquets, not only do I get upwardly and speak 25 minutes, merely for an hour or ii earlier and after, I'k sitting at a table sketching everyone. In most cases, I skip the meal and sketch right on through the dinner, then get up and speak. The piece of work is far more exhausting than one might think. As a rule, a church will pay me the same amount they paid the last guy who came to their banquet, ate their dinner, and spoke, but did null more. And (God knows my heart), I'm good with this. The Lord is my Source.
6. (For ministers only.) My counsel to you would be to reprint this article (if you have zippo else to hand to the helpmate and groom apropos honoraria) just kickoff remove this point. Because #6 to y'all is this: "Do not practise weddings, funerals, banquets, or supply preach for the money." If yous practice, y'all volition be constantly frustrated. Await to the Lord as your resources, not to a church or some private. Look to be stiffed onetime. Expect to exist surprised once in awhile by their generosity. And await to take it all in stride. Do your work for the Lord Jesus alone.
Too, do not have a set fee. Or a minimum fee. Even if the number is low, it smacks of greed and will be interpreted that fashion past a few. So, best not to do that.
7. If yous're not going to be able to give the minister an appropriate honorarium, tell him when issuing the invitation. Then, it will be his determination. (I'thou predicting he will almost always be glad to help you for nothing if nothing is what yous accept to give. He is not in this work for the coin, even though the laborer is indeed worthy of his rent.)
I suggest to pastors of small churches that, yes, the preacher from the big church building would enjoy preaching to his congregation and they should non automatically exclude him. But I would tell him going in that you are a small church, about how many would be in the services, and what you lot would wait to be able to pay him. Thereafter, the conclusion is his. (In many cases, if you are inviting him for a revival meeting, he might suggest you brainstorm on a Monday nighttime and terminate on Friday. This allows him to remain in his church for Sundays. The best revival coming together I ever had every bit a host pastor was a Monday-Friday affair, for this very reason. The preacher was serving a huge church in Florida and was in such need that he could rarely miss a Sunday in his own church.)
viii. No 1 e'er shamed the Lord, hurt a minister, or regretted beingness generous. And then, go for generosity.
When pastors practice revivals, information technology's a wise host pastor who does not safeguard the pocketbooks and bank accounts of his membership. A church that is generous with the visiting pastor honors the Lord. Furthermore, nosotros participate in a preacher's ministry when nosotros contribute to his support.
One quick testimony…
I retired from a salaried position in denominational service in 2009. Since then, I have been engaged in a abiding ministry of preaching in various churches, denominations, conferences, revivals, retreats, etc. And I have learned a few things. A) The Lord solitary is my portion, my resources. I look to Him. If the offering/gift was small, I thank Him. If it was big, I thank Him. B) Sometimes, when the offering/gift was far less than I need and I wonder what in the globe the host pastor was thinking, I have noticed something very wonderful: The side by side church will about e'er make up the deviation.
And then, when a church makes a near generous souvenir to a minister, I advise to deacons and other leaders, instead of questioning it or even resenting it ("You're telling me nosotros paid that preacher $2,000 for ane Sunday of work?"), they should treat this as the Lord using them to compensate for some church that was unable to be as generous with the Lord'due south retainer equally they would have liked.
Whatever nosotros practice, let us do information technology unto the Lord.
Photo credit:©Thinkstock/maximkabb
Source: https://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/joe-mckeever/what-are-you-supposed-to-pay-a-pastor-for-a-wedding-or-a-funeral.html
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