Why Women Pastors Make More
September 21, 2007 |
1. If you want to earn more, change denominations.
Briefly, if you want to earn more as a senior pastor, become a Presbyterian. If you want to earn more as a youth pastor, become a Baptist.
Presbyterian senior pastors earned the most in our survey - their average salary plus housing/parsonage was $78,000 - while Baptist senior pastors earned next to last--$67,000. But virtually the opposite was true for youth pastors. Baptist youth pastors earned near the top--$44,000 in salary plus housing - while Presbyterian youth pastors earned near the bottom--$36,000. Why?
2. Female solo pastors earn more than male solo pastors.
Okay, so there aren't many female solo pastors; in American churches responding to our survey, only 6 percent of solo pastors are women. Still, it's intriguing that female solo pastors reported 10.4 percent higher total compensation. Their average salary was 8.6 percent higher than men's; and better housing and retirement benefits made up the rest. Why the difference? Why do female solo pastors earn, for total compensation, $62,472, when their male counterparts earn $56,558?
My first hypothesis went like this: "Since there are precious few women hired as senior pastors - only 2.5 percent, in our research - women stay in solo pastorates longer, and their longevity leads to higher pay." But that hypothesis doesn't hold up: for solo pastors, the number of years served makes next to no difference in pay.
The more-likely explanation is regional. We know that solo pastors receive the highest pay in the New England and Pacific states (not surprisingly, given the higher cost of living in these regions). And these regions probably have the greatest cultural acceptance of women serving as solo pastors. Thus, women solo pastors tend to find work in regions with a high cost of living, and consequently, get a higher salary.
And before we assume that the church runs counter to the still-prevalent cultural practice of paying women less than men for comparable work, women were paid less than men in every other church position surveyed (except for secretary). On average, females earned approximately 80 percent of the compensation of males. Or, in other words, males earned about 30 percent more than females.
3. That additional degree is probably worth it.
Wondering whether to finish your master's or doctorate? Even in pastoral ministry, from a financial standpoint, the answer is yes.
Roughly stated, moving from a bachelor's degree to a master's degree boosts your income from 10 to 20 percent, and getting your doctorate gets you 15 percent more on top of that. Or here's another way of looking at it: that additional degree will earn you from $7,000 to $15,000 more per year. So if you're going to serve with that degree for five or more years, you'll probably end up ahead.
How to find out more
All data above is taken from The 2008 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, which presents data on 13 church positions, based on research among nearly 2,100 American churches, who were surveyed between January 2007 and May 2007. To pre-order for October shipment, go to Compensation Handbook or call 1-800-222-1840.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on September 21, 2007
Comments
Very Interesting! Causes alot of thought
Posted by: Rachel on September 28, 2007
Today's Western Woman thinks she knows better than God! She is self-centered, arrogant, rebellious and strives to unite a culture that will condone her hatred for biblical truth in an attempt to justify elevating herself over her husband's authority - Authority God gave him. She will deny the plain truth of Holy Scripture that tells her about her functional, God given roles in the family unit, society and THE CHURCH! She has even given herself over to the deceitful lie that women can be pastors. But She is in grave error! No amount of perversion of the Greek Text will remove her guilt. She may seek Theological training and pursue a "church" leadership role. She may argue against proper biblical interpretation. She may even blame men in a general scope for being overbearing, mean and controlling. But the REAL PROBLEM IS HER! Women who assume the role of "pastor" in a "church" are only fooling them selves,.. and those who will compromise enough to listen and "follow". It is NOT a legitimate church or ministry. It is NO biblical New Testament Church. She has NO AUTHORITY FROM GOD! And She NEVER WILL! She goes in her OWN strengh! She goes in her OWN power! With every action and word She does and speaks - Christ will NEVER be in it! She has concocted Her OWN Christ in her mind.., And Her relationship with God is not right.., and never will be! Nothing She can say, do or FEEL will change the Truth of Scripture concerning the local Church and The LORD Jesus Christ's commandments, principles, explicit and implicit teachings, and standards for His
Church. She is a feminist! She hates the idea of truly submiting to her own husband and caring for him and her children. She will not follow God's blueprint for her family or life. She will always try to keep a control key in the drawer by seeking support from societal perversion (including other rebellious women, women's groups and psuedo "ministries"). She will try to explain away the first biblical hermeneutical principle of proper and legitimate biblical interpretation... "WHEN IT MAKES PLAIN SENSE, SEEK NO OTHER SENSE"! She will ramble on about Pheobe (who was NO public preacher in the First Century New Testament Church). She will use feeble and needless arguements from history, culture transitions and her silly understanding of the Bible. She will make sophisticated challenges from the venue of her ambitious lies. She will talk about the Holy Spirit of God. She will mention HER GIFTS. She may even profess Mary (Mother of Jesus) as a righteous woman (who actually had no righteousness of her own and needed the Savior to save her from her own sinful nature)! She will do ANYTHING in an attempt to justify her pride and rebellion. Her desire to "preach" is NOT from God. She will call on compromising men to sound off a distortion of the Original Text of Holy Scripture. She will even turn to pseudo-christian information online to strengthen her position. But it will never, ever work! She is not REAL - no matter how many unregenerates (who think they are following Christ) she has deceived! She too is an unregenerate - riding on the carpet of false "religion" with a little bit of Bible thrown in to make it seem proper. She may even read this scathing rebuke and get very angry. She may pretend to be "religious" and say she prays for others - or this author. But this one thing She will NEVER DO! SHE WILL NEVER SUBMIT TO THE CLEAR TEACHINGS OF CHRIST CONCERNING HER, THE FAMILY AND THE LOCAL CHURCH! Her culture has snagged her. The feminist movement has hooked deep into her rebellious soul. She is depravity undercover. SHE IS NOT OF CHRIST!!! Mr. Mark S. Bias - Mainlinemark
Posted by: mark bias on February 22, 2008
I severely dislike you, Mr. Mark Bias, and while everyone is allowed to have their own thoughts and opinions, I would like to ask: Exactly how many times has your bible been "translated?" I pray that you, and men and women like you see the light and get the hate and despise clean from your hearts.
Posted by: Briana on October 4, 2008
Wow...never seen a poster live up to his/her name; mark s. "bias". Although I didn't have the "stomach" to read all the spew you wrote, I "glanced" at the length of the lines which I think gave me a good emotional "reading" of your heart. You're not in a good place brother. May the Lord bless you, if in the end Briana is theologically wrong (she may be, who knows) her attitude and non-response to you speaks much more wisdom than what you offered.
Posted by: diana on December 25, 2008
G-d loves you Mr. Mark - thank G-d you are not the judge of women. Your hatred and venom-spewing speaks volume about the love of G-d or the lack of it in your heart.
I probably shouldn't have wasted my time even writing you, but felt led of the L-rd!
Shalom - brother
Posted by: Pastor Dee on December 30, 2008
This is violations of Holy Scripture. Not only ordaining woman to lead as pastor or elder is a violations of God's Holy words. This is blasphemy!!!! This is unforgivable! The word of God made this clear that only a man can lead. This total disregard of God’s words is one of many that are destroying the church of Jesus Christ today. This insult will not go unpunished!! Like your secular society you cannot do as you please looking to D.D. Long Dog to make up justification for woman preacher. That because these spineless so call man don’t have the back bone to stand on the word of truth. This is total disobedience of God's words!!
The days of Sodom and Gomorrah is about to come to an end. God and many others including myself are tired of watching church folks doing whatever they please in total disobedience to God’s government and biblical laws.
God is not a democracy!! Men take your places and stop making excuses. God call no woman to pastor or be reverend. It is written in Timothy Chapter 3, God’s requirement for the office of Bishop is for men only.
You wonder why so many of our young men have turned to Islam. We have failed to stand on God’s words!! Why? Money and popularity, now you got me started. I thank God a strong Conservative Baptist, Eastern Orthodox and Catholic church at least got this right.
Enough is enough in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.
The devil is a liar!!
Pick up your bible and study it!!
Oh yes, my name is Rev. Dr. A. Arnold
Posted by: Antonio Arnold on January 12, 2009
Darcy Jo,
This article is 3 years old.
The way the comments were posted (the dates were days weeks even months apart) and the way they come up in the moderator tool failed to alert me that this person was trolling. Some of the comments were years old. I have removed them and do thank you for so very kindly bringing it to my attention.
BJ
Community Manager
Posted by: BJ Community Manager on August 13, 2010
Traditional views of women (and their place in the local church) that are rooted in biblical doctrines have been used by God throughout history to improve respect for women, not oppress them. Biblical Christians recognize that God's Word places some restrictions on the ministries of women in the local church. Unfortunately, satan has deceived women into focusing on what they have been forbidden to do by God. As such, this fuels their misguided passions into presenting themselves for service in positions for which Christ did not design them for or call them to.
Yet, a regenerate believer does not believe God made women inferior to men, but that He just made them different from men. Some of the main parts God has designed for a woman to function in His body are those of a submissive learner, a gifted trainer (of children as long as the wife is submissive to her husband and submissive to male pastor/leadership in her New Testament Church), a skilled hostess and a humble servant.
There is no reason to express more rebellion by disobeying Christ in this matter. SCRIPTURE DEFINES the roles of women in the Church and the Family - YOU DON'T. GOD HAS ALREADY SPOKEN TO THIS ISSUE, However...
Miriam Adeney
Heidi Husted Armstrong
Kay Arthur
Carla Barnhill
Nancy Beach
Tracey Bianchi
Jill Briscoe
Anita Carman
Denise George
Rebecca Guillory Gilmer
Carolyn Custis James
Cheryl Bridges Johns
Jaye Martin
Andrea Minor
Laurie McIntyre
Brenda Salter McNeil
Linda Miller
Elisa Morgan
Sally Morgenthaler
Nancy Ortberg
Julie Pierce
Rosalie de Rosset
Kirsten Strand
Sarah Sumner
Jennifer Thomas
Kelli Trujillo
Angie Ward
Lauren Winner
have not listened!
Scripture is the FINAL AUTHORITY for faith, practice and living a biblically governed lifestyle. The Bible is clear about womens' roles in the family and church. Although your wicked culture steers away from these truths, God will NEVER change His Word to pander to your selfishness - instead He will condemn you!
Since you "claim" to be Christians, you will either show it to be true by obeying God's (Christ's) instruction to you about this issue - or you will show that your true eternal destiny is not the Heaven with the Christ Who is exemplified in Holy Scripture! No more games.
Posted by: Mark S Bias on August 27, 2010