Caring For Your Pastor: A resource for congregations

Long-term Care of Your Pastor

There are a number of long-term ways your congregation can show its love and appreciation for your pastor(s) and demonstrate its respect for their divine calling among you. Here are a few very important things your church can do to provide the ongoing care God expects from you:

1. Establish a pastoral care team. Select a handful of people from your congregation who will be charged with overseeing the welfare of your pastor and family. They will be their advocates. As such, they will regularly monitor their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being; offer suggestions to congregational leaders that would improve their living conditions; represent the pastor’s interests in any discussions on such matters and ensure that the following entitlements are properly available.
2. Provide fair and adequate salary compensation and retirement benefits. The Bible says, “The worker deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7, NIV). A pastor should be compensated on par with the people being served and other ministers in the same community. Leadership in every church should be more concerned about the physical and fiscal well-being of the pastor than nearly any other area. The quality of such care is a reflection upon you as a congregation and a witness to your community of Christ’s love in action. Recognize your pastor as a uniquely trained professional with related education loans to repay, family-raising needs and expenses similar to your own, and a right to a comfortable retirement. Make this support a priority. Review it and adjust it regularly. Give your pastor the freedom to minister instead of worry. Read more…

Stevens Worldwide Van Lines offers the following tips for congregations about on-going care of your pastor. Reprinted with permission of the National Office of the Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN