The topic of the low salaries of pastors has become somewhat clichéd. Since there are still many preachers trapped in this situation and suffering physically and spiritually, this issue should be discussed often, whether it is a cut-and-dried speech or not. What I have learned is that preachers of grassroots churches in various regions face some salary challenges.
A pastor at a grass-roots church in Shanxi
Pastor S has served in a grassroots church in his hometown for 18 years. Even though there have been many challenges along the way, Pastor S claims that he has a passion for pastoral ministry and will not give up despite his reluctance in the beginning. But now the reason for quitting doesn't lie in pastoral care challenges, but in financial difficulties.
Pastor S lives with his parents and children. He and his wife were married in 2010 and now have two children. His parents are in their 70s and his father is still ill. Their biggest hardship is financial difficulty. The couple has been serving full-time in the church for a long time, but there is no fixed salary for pastors or preachers. His first salary was 35 dollars a month when he started working in the church. He also led a study class at that time, earning 140 to 200 dollars a month, but the study class was soon disbanded. There is only a Sunday sermon now, he earns eight dollars for each sermon or 16 dollars a day. "The church advocates the slogan of 'faith', but my heart is too heavy these years," he said.
This year his wife works outside the church, but she doesn’t have time to pick up the kids due to the work time, which disrupts his schedule in ministry. They are still waiting and seeking what to do in the future.
A preacher in a grassroots church in Shandong
It seems natural to Preacher L, a sixth-generation Christian, to choose ministry as his career. He is currently in his third year at Shandong Seminary and will graduate in a year. However, he finds it difficult to choose between a full-time or part-time ministry after graduation.
Preacher L shared that in his hometown, there is no salary for preachers, and they start as volunteers. The stipend for Sunday sermons is currently three dollars.
His church is a little better than other churches in the same area in that it supports tuition and living expenses for those who stop the ministry to study theology (this was decided after many meetings). He asked his classmates who came from the same region about the support and they all paid by themselves. "It is already a great step forward for the church over here to pay for tuition and living expenses," he said with a bitter smile.
Two preachers from a grassroots church in Henan
Preacher L graduated from seminary in 2019 and returned to the grassroots church in his hometown as a full-time preacher. It didn’t take long that all the ministries were transferred from on-site to online owing to COVID-19. Due to the impact of the epidemic, he was only paid 60 dollars per month in the first half of 2021, and the rest was not paid.
At present, in addition to doing online services, Preacher L does some odd jobs during the rest of the time, which are used for living expenses and providing for his two children to go to school. Because of his ministry, he has no stable job. Sometimes he earns 15 or 30 dollars a day, and he has no work to do for a few days at times.
Although he was called and touched by God to serve, Preacher L still fell into weakness. "Spirituality has been quite low in recent years," he said.
Preacher W also serves in a grassroots church in Henan and receives a monthly subsidy of 70 dollars that cannot be called a salary. There is no salary for working in the church there, just some subsidies. The pastor's subsidy is 15 dollars less than that of the preacher. Preacher W’s family doesn’t count on her subsidy at all. She doesn't have much financial pressure since her husband works outside of the church all year round, and her parents help raise her children, but she still hopes the church can raise the salaries of pastors and preachers.
Why do pastors and preachers have low salaries and even some churches lack awareness of paying them? Undoubtedly, some grassroots churches are struggling financially and are not prosperous.
However, in the exchange with the preachers mentioned above, a common phenomenon becomes evident, that is, the older generation of believers, influenced by traditional concepts and their experiences in the old days, believe that ministry is to serve God, that committing time and money to God is an everyday occurrence. What is the point of preachers still taking money from church members? A preacher should "live by faith". The Lord will provide for you if you devote yourself to Him. Their generation lived like this, and they all depended on themselves. They did not take the church’s money, even donated to the church. They can’t understand why the church needs to supply the preachers. Grassroots churches don't lack money, but instead of using it to pay preachers, they use it to build churches, provide social service, and support charities.
The problem of low salaries for preachers deserves consideration by churches and believers. It not only makes preachers' lives miserable but also discourages believers and seminarians from pursuing ministry careers.
- Translated by Richard Zou
传道人薪资待遇问题已变得有些老生常谈。但因为还有人受困于此，为此身心灵饱受煎熬，所以这个话题即使再老也要常谈。近期，笔者从不同区域的基层教会传道人那里了解到他们在薪资待遇上面临的一些情况。
山西某地基层教会一牧者
S牧师在老家基层教会做了18年的牧养服侍。从起初不情愿到甘心为主摆上，一路走来虽然有很多的艰难挑战，但S牧师愈发告白自己真的是对传牧很有负担，不想放弃。而让S牧师产生放弃服侍想法的，并不是因为牧养中的挑战，是经济的艰难。
S牧师已经处在上有老下有小的阶段。他和妻子2010年结婚，现在有两个孩子，父母也已经70多岁了，父亲还生病。他们家庭面临最大的艰难莫过于经济压力。夫妻二人长期在教会做专职服侍，但在他们那里牧者传道人是没有固定工资的。刚开始服侍教会给他250元一个月，那时他还带领一个学习班，一个月差不多给1000到1500元，但没多久学习班就解散了。现在只是主日讲道给他一次50，一天100这样的补助。“教会倡导喊信心的口号，这些年心太累了。”S牧师说。
今年他的妻子出去找了份工作，但因为妻子工作没有时间接送孩子，这也打乱了他服侍的节奏。未来该怎样，他们还在等候、寻求。
山东某地基层教会一传道人
L传道是六代基督徒，走上服侍的道路好像是自然而然的选择。目前L传道在山东神学院读本三，还有一年就毕业了。但毕业后是做专职服侍还是兼职服侍，他还在纠结中。
L传道介绍，在他们这个区域，就没有给传道人薪资待遇一说，一开始他们就是走的义工路线。目前主日讲道会给20元补助。
而他在的教会相比同区域的其它教会还好一点的是，从他们教会出去读神学的，教会给支持学费和生活费（这还是经过多次开会才决定下来的）。他问同班级，同个区域过来的同学，他们都是自费的。“给付学费和生活费，对这边教会来说已经是很大的飞跃了。”L传道苦笑着说。
河南某地基层教会两位传道人
L传道2019年神学毕业，回到老家基层教会做专职传道人。实地服侍没多久赶上疫情，所有服侍就全部转到了线上进行。而经过多次商讨定下来的每个月400元的工资，受疫情的影响也只给他发到了2021年上半年，剩下的至今还没有动静。
目前，L传道除了做线上的服侍，其他时间就出去打些零工，用来生活开销和供应两个孩子上学。因为服侍，他没有稳定的工作，有时一天可以赚一两百元，有时几天也没活可干。
L传道虽是蒙呼召有感动做服侍，但现实的困境还是让他常常陷入软弱中：“这几年灵性也是挺低落的。”L传道说。
同在河南一基层教会做服侍的W传道，也是拿着每个月500元不能称为工资的补助。在他们这边教会服侍也是没有工资，只是一些补助，牧师的补助比传道人还要少100元。对W传道家庭来说，其实根本没有指望她的这点补助，她丈夫常年在外打工补贴家用，父母帮助照看孩子，因此她的压力相对没那么大，但她还是希望能看到教会在这方面做出改善。
为什么会出现传道人薪资待遇低，甚至有些教会缺少这方面意识的现象。不可排除确实有基层教会本身经济艰难，不富裕的问题。但在与上述几位牧者传道人的交流中，都普遍透露出一个共同现象，就是老一辈信徒受传统观念和他们那个年代的经历影响，认为：服侍是为神服侍，献上的时间、金钱都是理所当然的，怎么还能从教会拿钱呢；传道人就应该靠信心生活，你甘心为主摆上，神会供应你的；我们那一辈也是这样生活过来的，都是靠自己，不但不拿教会的钱还给教会奉献呢，等等，不能理解教会为什么要供应传道人。其实很多基层教会他们也不是没有钱，只是他们对教会金钱使用上，除了建堂做社会服务，公益慈善，置办教会所需以外，不能把供应传道人也纳入进来。
传道人薪资待遇问题值得教会和信徒去反思。因为他影响的不仅是在职牧者传道人生活的艰难，服侍窘迫的问题，同时也让那些原本想要参与服侍的信徒、神学生们望而却步。
https://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/65170
聚焦基层教会牧者传道人的薪资待遇问题
The topic of the low salaries of pastors has become somewhat clichéd. Since there are still many preachers trapped in this situation and suffering physically and spiritually, this issue should be discussed often, whether it is a cut-and-dried speech or not. What I have learned is that preachers of grassroots churches in various regions face some salary challenges.
A pastor at a grass-roots church in Shanxi
Pastor S has served in a grassroots church in his hometown for 18 years. Even though there have been many challenges along the way, Pastor S claims that he has a passion for pastoral ministry and will not give up despite his reluctance in the beginning. But now the reason for quitting doesn't lie in pastoral care challenges, but in financial difficulties.
Pastor S lives with his parents and children. He and his wife were married in 2010 and now have two children. His parents are in their 70s and his father is still ill. Their biggest hardship is financial difficulty. The couple has been serving full-time in the church for a long time, but there is no fixed salary for pastors or preachers. His first salary was 35 dollars a month when he started working in the church. He also led a study class at that time, earning 140 to 200 dollars a month, but the study class was soon disbanded. There is only a Sunday sermon now, he earns eight dollars for each sermon or 16 dollars a day. "The church advocates the slogan of 'faith', but my heart is too heavy these years," he said.
This year his wife works outside the church, but she doesn’t have time to pick up the kids due to the work time, which disrupts his schedule in ministry. They are still waiting and seeking what to do in the future.
A preacher in a grassroots church in Shandong
It seems natural to Preacher L, a sixth-generation Christian, to choose ministry as his career. He is currently in his third year at Shandong Seminary and will graduate in a year. However, he finds it difficult to choose between a full-time or part-time ministry after graduation.
Preacher L shared that in his hometown, there is no salary for preachers, and they start as volunteers. The stipend for Sunday sermons is currently three dollars.
His church is a little better than other churches in the same area in that it supports tuition and living expenses for those who stop the ministry to study theology (this was decided after many meetings). He asked his classmates who came from the same region about the support and they all paid by themselves. "It is already a great step forward for the church over here to pay for tuition and living expenses," he said with a bitter smile.
Two preachers from a grassroots church in Henan
Preacher L graduated from seminary in 2019 and returned to the grassroots church in his hometown as a full-time preacher. It didn’t take long that all the ministries were transferred from on-site to online owing to COVID-19. Due to the impact of the epidemic, he was only paid 60 dollars per month in the first half of 2021, and the rest was not paid.
At present, in addition to doing online services, Preacher L does some odd jobs during the rest of the time, which are used for living expenses and providing for his two children to go to school. Because of his ministry, he has no stable job. Sometimes he earns 15 or 30 dollars a day, and he has no work to do for a few days at times.
Although he was called and touched by God to serve, Preacher L still fell into weakness. "Spirituality has been quite low in recent years," he said.
Preacher W also serves in a grassroots church in Henan and receives a monthly subsidy of 70 dollars that cannot be called a salary. There is no salary for working in the church there, just some subsidies. The pastor's subsidy is 15 dollars less than that of the preacher. Preacher W’s family doesn’t count on her subsidy at all. She doesn't have much financial pressure since her husband works outside of the church all year round, and her parents help raise her children, but she still hopes the church can raise the salaries of pastors and preachers.
Why do pastors and preachers have low salaries and even some churches lack awareness of paying them? Undoubtedly, some grassroots churches are struggling financially and are not prosperous.
However, in the exchange with the preachers mentioned above, a common phenomenon becomes evident, that is, the older generation of believers, influenced by traditional concepts and their experiences in the old days, believe that ministry is to serve God, that committing time and money to God is an everyday occurrence. What is the point of preachers still taking money from church members? A preacher should "live by faith". The Lord will provide for you if you devote yourself to Him. Their generation lived like this, and they all depended on themselves. They did not take the church’s money, even donated to the church. They can’t understand why the church needs to supply the preachers. Grassroots churches don't lack money, but instead of using it to pay preachers, they use it to build churches, provide social service, and support charities.
The problem of low salaries for preachers deserves consideration by churches and believers. It not only makes preachers' lives miserable but also discourages believers and seminarians from pursuing ministry careers.
- Translated by Richard Zou
Focus: The Problem of the Underpaid Pastor
