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COMPENSATION GUIDELINES
Sierra Pacific Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.
[Romans 4:4]
The laborer deserves his wages. [I Timothy 5:18]

INTRODUCTION
Pastors and associates in ministry are not always paid what they should be paid. While that may seem harsh, it is true for the vast majority of the congregations of the synod.  In 2006, 51.9% of pastors under congregational call were below synod guidelines.  Certainly, average compensation has gone up, but there are many pastors and associates in ministry who receive minimal pay for maximum work loads.

Pastors and associates in ministry are professionals.  They bring to the church their gifts, training and energy, and should be compensated according to their education, ability and responsibility, and in line with the incomes of professionals in comparable positions. They should be able to provide for their own economic needs and those of their families.

At the same time, a congregation deserves to be served by its professional leaders in a manner consistent with the spirit and letter of the call.  Mission, programs and expectations must be clearly delineated if pastors and associates in ministry are to be held accountable for their service. A Congregation council is expected to review annually the mutual expectations of the congregation and its professional leaders, as well as compensation packages, to determine that realistic expectations are understood and adequate compensation is provided for the services performed.

It is helpful to remember that the process for determining compensation is a process which must be marked by openness, honesty and graciousness.  Both professional leaders and congregational representatives, whether the congregation council, a staff support committee, or personnel committee, should articulate their needs clearly and develop a regular review process to report changes in those needs as program directions change or as the pastor's or associate's in ministry skills or needs change.  These needs would be standards and details of the pastor's or AIM's performance on the one hand and a reasonable compensation level on the other.

Though no guidelines, however carefully crafted, can give congregations automatic, concise and simple answers to what are inherently complex issues, the following criteria may be helpful in compensation discussions:

• Years of service since ordination or certification.
• Prior service in other occupations which reflects the value of work experience and maturity.
• Performance and responsibility.
• Educational preparation and continuing education.
• Economic standards that prevail for professionals in the community in which the pastor or associate in ministry serves.
• Present cost of living.
• While the specifics of these guidelines apply only to pastors and associates in ministry, the principles apply to other church workers.  Secretaries, custodians, choir directors, organists, teachers and others also deserve fair compensation, and the responsibility of the congregation to these persons is no less than to the pastor or associate in ministry.

Adequate compensation may involve patience on the part of pastors and associates in ministry as a congregation works to set compensation at a level agreed to be fair, if current compensation is below that level.  It will also involve a congregation's determined effort in stewardship and education to reach that level.

Finally, adequate and fair compensation encourages good morale on the part of both professional leaders and the congregation as they work together to do ministry and mission in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ.