Last week I wrote about the intent of the congregation here to maintain a full-time ministry. Well, Gary was making a hospital visit to one of the officers of the congregation, and they were chatting a bit about the previous week's meeting. That revealed the reasons behind my confusion.
I gotta admit upfront that I think the pay-scale suggested by the district office is high. It's a rare pastor who gets paid the recommended salary. I think a whole lot of congregations aim for somewhere around 75-90% of what's recommended. So when Triune suggested that they'd try to pay Gary 30% of the recommended pay-scale (but that we ought not be caught off-guard if/when it turns out that they only pay 15-25% of scale), it seemed obvious to me that he'd have to be looking for a secular job that would provide at least $25,000 in income. It seemed obvious to me that they wouldn't be expecting a full-time commitment from him if that's all they can provide their pastor.
Turns out that they are. From their point of view, they aren't dropping the salary that much, so there's no reason to think the pastor should change from being available 24/7 to being available only in the spare hours when he's not at a [different] full-time job. So of course he can't get a full-time job.
So that's where their communication didn't quite get through to me initially. We just came with different assumptions.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
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Susan,
ReplyDeleteWell, in the South Wisconsin District 70% of the congregations are on district scale for paying pastors, so while it may not be quite as common in your area, it is very much the norm throughout the district.
Second, I believe the bible says something about "a laborer is worthy of his hire". If they are paying him 30% of what is considered the norm, then it is a perfectly reasonable expectation on the part of your husband that their expectation of him is 30% work. Certainly nothing resembling full-time.
Unless they have specifically forbade him to seek outside employment, I don't see how he has any choice in the matter. as a husband and a father, he has an obligation before God to take care of you and your children. I would say that even trumps his call to the congregation. It certainly is on a par with it.
Anyway, God continue to be with you all in this Advent season.
in Christ,
Pr. Peperkorn
Wow -- this is incredulous!
ReplyDeletePraying for y'all to have the strength and grace to deal with all this.
Paula
70% are on-scale? Wow. I never imagined. I don't think most of our friends are. And my parents' and in-laws' pastors aren't. I guess I just never considered it a possibility for anybody except district execs, Concordia Univ employees, and those on district subsidies. Wow -- 70%. That's a lot more than I expected.
ReplyDeleteTodd, Gary can't work only one-third-time. People are only eligible for the health plans if they're half-time. I asked the folks at CHP, "So what's half-time for a pastor? 30 hours? 40 hours? More?" They said an agreement between the congregation and the pastor for him to serve at least 20 hours is sufficient for him to stay on the health plan. (And with Maggie, we need health insurance more than we need a paycheck!)
Talking with a certain buddy who used to be district president, he reminded Gary and me that it would be no problem for Gary to put in 20 hours and also work a full-time job. He reminded us that planning and preparing for and conducting Sunday services (what with praying and studying and meditating and sermon-writing and stuff) would be getting close to 20 hours right there. Then throw in a shut-in visit or two, or confirmation class, or snow-shoveling, or a meeting, and Gary will be easily meeting the time-commitment necessary to stay on the health insurance.
Oh, Pr P, one other thing. Thanks. Something about the way you phrased that ("their expectation of him is 30% work") helps me remember that what the congregation says with their words and what they say with their actions don't exactly mesh. And I can't listen exclusively to the words ("he has to be full-time") when the actions say otherwise. That helps alleviate a little guilt (at least, for a few minutes [grin]).
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Susan. In addition, it is always important to remember that an individual saying something "we expect you to work full-time" is not the same as the voters' assembly passing a resolution to that effect. People will have all kinds of expectations. Gary has an obligation to take care of his family. If the congregation cannot provide that, so be it. He has to get work in order to feed his family. As long as he does what he has been called to do, the hours he is putting in don't really matter. He's called to the Office, not to a clock or a certain paycheck.
ReplyDeletePeace,
Pr. Peperkorn
I'm lost. Did Gary take the comment in the hospital to mean he was NOT to go ahead and seek outside work?
ReplyDeleteThe comment clarified the minutes from the October voters meeting. It's okay for him to look for outside work so long as it does not interfere with anything they want him to do at church. In other words, he ought to be available for funerals on whichever day the family wishes, and to be at meetings, and to have confirmation class when it's convenient for the students, and stuff like that. Substitute teaching was suggested as an appropriate way to get some extra dollars, because you could limit yourself to a couple of days per month, and not have a regular schedule that could take him away from church duties. In other words, he should look for a job where he can work around church's schedule, and they should not have to do too much to adjust to his work schedule; he should be available when he's needed.
ReplyDeleteI know the people who comment on my blog. Even though it may appear to blog-readers that there are anonymous posters, there aren't. Between Site-meter and content/voice of the posts, *I* know which family member or in-real-life friend is writing, even if it appears to be anonymous to y'all. Even with the cyber-friends whom I've not met, we share a mutual in-real-life friend. On rare occasion, strangers post innocuous questions, looking for clarification on a recipe or a housekeeping tip. So, maybe the person from the Los Angeles area who posted Tuesday evening would like to try again and include his/her identity this time.
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteGo strictly by the minutes, not anyone's interpretation of them, and you are protected in anyone else's eyes.
Besides, there is a theological issue here. Your husband has a responsibility to God to care for his family even before his call as a pastor (An elder must be the husband of one wife...have his house in order, etc.). By insisting that he work full time hours there(and as stated before, being a pastor is not a by the clock job) and full time hours at another job, they are taking away his ability to support you and nurture his children. It is one thing for a pastor to be expected to work full time at his vocation, by not giving him a living wage, they are honestly nullifying any expectation of that. If they have that desire, they also have the responsibility to back it up financially, yet they don't even want to give you a working knowledge of what your husband will make week to week because they don't want to face the reality on paper.
God never desired a congregation (and certainly not a voters assembly) to function as tyrants, and they are taking authority that is not theirs. They should've mercifully given permission and realized the sacrifices your family is making to remain there, rather than put their pride on maintaining an appearance of being functional at your expense.
I'm sorry to hear about your congregation's financial struggles which have impacted you and your family as well. I'm curious to follow what happens in your congregation, area, etc as my congregation may also be facing similar effects in the next few years if trends continue. I wish there was more that I could do to help other than praying, but unfortunately I'm unemployed. I know how important health insurance is and paying out of one's pocket makes you realize the value and importance even more. May God provide for you according to His Will.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andrea. Pastor told me some of the stuff that's happened there, and I hope it gets better.
ReplyDelete