This is Chapter 2 of my book
GIVING TIME: Dramatically Improve Church and Personal Finances and Raise the Level of Generosity
May be purchased at your favorite bookseller like
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FOR PASTORS ONLY
You and Your Church
You and Secondary Income
Caveats
Four Types of Church Givers & You
Are you a Pastor, Senior Pastor,
Associate Pastor, Executive Pastor, Interim Pastor, Transitional Pastor, Lay
Pastor, Temporary Pastor? Are you ordained,
commissioned, licensed or recognized as pastor by the congregation? This chapter is for you. If you are not (yet) a Pastor, read this
chapter anyway so that you will be ready when you get the call.
You and Your Church
When negotiating compensation
with a church don’t sell yourself short.
They should consider your education, years of experience and any special
skills you will use at the church.
Determine how many hours you are expected to work. Time for sermon and bible study preparation
must be considered. Negotiate for
benefits such as pension, deferred compensation, health, dental, life and
long-term-care insurance … vacation, study leave and mental health breaks. In addition to salary and housing allowance,
ask for Social Security Offset. What’s that? Although you receive a W-2 as a church
employee for income tax purposes, you are self-employed for Social
Security/Medicare purposes (and all other non-salaried compensation), and must
pay self-employment tax a/k/a Social Security plus Medicare at 12.40% + 2.90% =
15.3%. That’s double what employees pay.
The church secretary, for example, pays 7.65% through payroll deduction and the
church pays 7.65%. Ask the church to
split the 15.3% cost with you. But note:
any such compensation is subject to income tax.
Some denominations include this in their compensation guidelines.
When your church or denomination
offers benefits, such as, pension, health and dental insurance, life insurance,
and supplemental retirement savings like, 403(b) and deferred compensation,
take advantage of them. There are
usually cost savings with such plans compared to acquiring them on your
own. A former colleague specialized in
deferred compensation packages for mega church pastors. For example, a package may include salary
continuation to the surviving family for five years if the pastor died while
still employed by the church. Speak with
a benefits specialist who understands clergy
benefits.
As clergy, you have access to
special tax favored situations, such as, housing allowance, participation in a
403(b)(9), and others. With the
403(b)(9), you can defer income tax until retirement and never have to pay
self-employment tax on the amount you contribute to the plan. During retirement, you may not have to pay income
tax on withdrawals if you can justify them as housing allowance and you are not
using the Roth Option during
accumulation. Learn the differences
between Traditional and Roth options in chapter 9.
Housing Allowance (HA) is a tax
benefit available to clergy. It is also
one of the least understood clergy benefits.
According to freechurchaccounting.com, it is simply a portion of a
clergy person’s compensation that is so designated in advance by the minister’s
employing church. It benefits the clergy
person because the HA is excluded from federal income tax. However, it is not exempt from
self-employment tax. The employer, by
official recorded action, simply splits off part of the salary and designates
it “housing allowance.” It cannot be
more than the fair rental value of the house (furnished plus actual utilities),
and must actually be spent on “providing a home.” There are many resources available that
describe what is eligible and what is not, based mostly on case law. (See references below to Hammar’s tax
guide). Also, although pastors pay
self-employment (Social Security/Medicare) tax they are issued a form W-2 by
the employing church and not a 1099-MISC.
Although reporting housing allowance is not required, some churches
choose to report and designate it (clergy housing allowance) in Box 14 of the
W-2 (which is labeled “other”) as a courtesy to the pastor.
Housing Equity Allowance: Clergy
who live in church-owned housing don’t have the opportunity to benefit from
building equity in their homes that is available to those who own their
homes. This affects their ability to buy
a home for retirement. For that reason,
some churches will pay into an account to assist their pastor in this
area. Check with a clergy compensation
specialist for more information. Through
google.com you will find lots of information on this subject.
I urge you to take your tax
questions and have your income tax return prepared by someone who thoroughly
understands clergy taxes. One of the best resources is, the Richard R.
Hammar – Church & Clergy Tax Guide.
It has what you need to know and more.
Hire a consultant to assist you with negotiating your employment
contract if you are new to all of this.
You and Secondary Income
Is the church unable to give you
a well-deserved raise? Have there been
hints at reducing the church’s expenses by cutting back on your benefits, reimbursements or … your salary and housing
allowance? Unless there is a dramatic
change in the church’s income, those things may come to fruition. The way pastors are compensated varies from
church to church and/or denomination to denomination.
Many pastors create passive and
active secondary income. If you love to
write, magazines and blogs are looking for articles. You can write a book or a series of books. Have you thought about publishing your
sermons? Do you have any specialized
training? How about conflict
resolution? Are you a retreat
leader? A friend of mine who is a
halftime pastor also leads retreats for other churches and parachurch
organizations. Another pastor I know is
in real estate sales. Is there room on
your calendar to teach at a local college or seminary? How about coaching or consulting. There are many ways you can supplement your
income with music. The list is as long,
as your imagination is active. The
church and your family might take up so much of your time that there is no room
for anything else. Talk to a colleague
who is doing it successfully.
When you are approached about
leading a retreat, coaching or consulting, the first words out of your mouth
should be, “My fee is $_____.” Don’t be
bashful about telling people your fee.
You may have heard of people, like Reverend Donnie McClurkin and Bishop
T. D. Jakes, who are pastors but don’t take a salary from their church. They have other income. McClurkin is a successful gospel recording
artist, performer, television and radio show host. Jakes is a successful author and produces
movies and television programs. Yes,
they are high profile but this can be done at any level. A pastor I met recently is also a host on a
Christian cable television station and interviewer on a cable talk show. Even though you may earn secondary income,
you should not allow your church to pay you less than you are worth. Insist on an annual performance review so
that the church and you know your effectiveness.
Caveats
"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." - Matthew 10:16
If you are a solo pastor, senior
pastor or lead pastor, avoid being hired as part-time. Some churches offer three-quarter-time,
half-time or even less. It’s because
they think they can’t afford to pay more.
There is no such thing as a pastor working part-time. Part-time is only in the amount of money you
are paid. It’s not in the time you put
in as a pastor. Be assertive. But, if they really can’t afford full-time
and you know God is calling you there, go.
Learn everything you can about
the church’s financial situation. Learn
everything you can about the property.
Are there any structural issues?
Are there any liens of the property?
Is the church being sued? Ask to
see the financial statements, budget and auditor’s report. Are bills paid on time? Is there an endowment? If yes, does the church draw from it
regularly? Why? There will be more about the church budget in
Chapter 3.
Women: Avoid being short changed when it comes to getting paid what
you are worth. I heard someone say, “We couldn’t afford a male pastor so we
hired a female.” Some people in our
churches have the audacity to be gender biased when it comes to paying women
pastors and assigning duties.
Women should apply for solo or
senior pastor positions. We have noticed
that some churches tend to only offer female clergy the associate pastor
positions. When I was on the CREDO team
that conducted conferences for pastors, I recall that of the 17 women clergy at
one of the conferences, 16 of them were associate pastors to male senior
pastors. Only one was a solo
pastor. Women must be assertive. Demonstrate your value.
Become a generosity preacher. Avoid becoming a prosperity preacher, also known as a pulpit pimp. When the focus is on money and financial
reward, sometimes that causes people to move their thinking in the direction of
prosperity. The next thing you know
you’ll be buying a Rolls Royce for you and one your spouse. And you will find scripture to justify using
church funds for the purchase. Keep
humility, generosity and obedience in the forefront of your ministry. Members can sniff out wrong motives.
Lastly, let your own giving be
cheerful and sacrificial.
Four Types of Church Givers and You
Now, I am going to present you
with some challenges. The first involves
members and friends of the church who give money. Here are four types of financial givers:
1. High Capacity Givers - Those who give out their assets or net worth regularly ... wealthy people.
2. Consistent Givers - Those who give out of their income regularly.
3. First-Time Givers - Those who never gave to this church before. First-time givers are not necessarily first-time visitors. They may have belonged to this next group.
4. Non-Givers - Those who attend regularly but never give. I prefer to call them Not Yet Givers. "... and we'll understand it better, by and by." We need for them to understand it better right now. They worship regularly. They even serve on committees. But they are not financial givers.
Some of my pastor friends and
folks in the pews, are going to freak out with this next suggestion. Pastors need to know who in the congregation
are the high capacity givers and how
much they give. Yikes! And Pastors need to know who are the
first-time givers. Pastors need to know who is
responsible for the church’s income.
Just as the pastor needs to know who in the congregation is disruptive,
gossiping, is a negative force; the pastor needs to know who are the positive
forces in the church. That includes, “Who
gives the big bucks?” “But, what people give, is none of the
pastor’s business.” Yes, it is! In addition to pastoring the church, you are
CEO of a business enterprise. The
difference is God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit chair your Board of Directors. You know just about everything else about
your members, don’t you? “Be sure to know the condition of your
flocks, give careful attention to your herds.” – Proverbs 27:23
Ask the bookkeeper, confidentially of course, to tell you
who are the high capacity givers. Let
the bookkeeper know that this is just between the two of you. Ask also for the names and contact
information of the first-time givers.
Explain your purpose if you feel you need to. This gets the bookkeeper working with
you. You won’t have to always ask. You will receive the necessary information in
a timely fashion.
High Capacity Givers:
As mention
above, these are people who give out of their assets or have much higher than
middle class income. They may be
business owners, professionals like doctors, successful lawyers and corporate
executives. They may be wealthy through
family inheritance. Sometimes that is
coupled with business ownership. They
may be wealthy through their own frugality.
Homeownership and a 401(k) plan have made millionaires of some people (We will talk more about that in chapter 7). High capacity givers may be able to offer advice
regarding church finances simply because of the business they are in.
If they are
successful in business, they are up on the latest technology and will be
advocates for digital and recurring giving.
Being in business, they see the value.
Find ways to thank them. When
seeking their advice, you should offer to visit them for lunch or breakfast at
or near their place of business. It
would be appropriate to bring a gift, like a book or something useful. When I was working in the financial services
industry, I found that business owners appreciated breakfast meetings more than
lunch meetings. It’s at the beginning of
the work day rather than interruptive in the middle of the day.
Sometimes you
can avoid a special fund-raising campaign by asking the high capacity givers to
fund a costly item. Or maybe a couple of
them can take care of a special situation.
I have seen this happen first hand.
Should something like this occur at your church, find a special way to
say, “Thank you.” If you are thinking
about new strategies for the church, run it by the high capacity givers. They would appreciate being sought out for
advice, and given an opportunity, to weigh in on something important to the
church without being on the board.
Gather small groups of them for a networking lunch. It may be worth their while to know each
other and interact business to business.
Consistent Givers:
Those who give
out of their income are what we call the meat
and potatoes people. These are the
people who keep the church stable and the people you count on. They are, too often, the forgotten majority. We have heard people say, “Oh, there is no
need to say thank you.” YES THERE
IS. “Thank
you, ______. I appreciate what you did.” That is music to a person’s ears. It is like a grateful hug. It is a welcomed, cool breeze on a hot
sweltering night. It’s money in the
bank. Be consistent in saying thank you
to the consistent givers. They are the
ones in whom you will notice increased or decreased giving when either begins
to trend. High capacity givers are gravy on your meat and potatoes.
First-Time Givers:
They never gave
to this church before this past Sunday.
They may or may not be first time visitors. They have been sitting in the pew for
weeks. They may have been sitting in the
pew for years. They brought you their
problems and sought your advice. When the
bookkeeper gives you the name and contact information of a first-time giver,
send that person or family a “Thank you” note immediately. People like to be acknowledged and
thanked. First-time givers also need
encouragement. Let them know in which
other areas they might serve the church.
First-time givers are potential volunteers now that they have taken this
giant step.
Here is an interesting tidbit. Volunteers tend to give more than people who don't volunteer. Increased giving, and increase in the number of volunteers are tied to church growth. As the church grows, the number of volunteers grow and giving increases. Remember that.
Non-Givers are Not-Yet-Givers:
This may be a
revelation to some, but, they do exist.
I mentioned in chapter 1, according to ChurchMag, 33% to 50% of church members report that they give nothing at
all to the church. I’ve seen other
statistics that say it’s 25% to 30%.
Non-Givers have been attending your church for many years. Like Jesus, we need to look upon them with
compassion. Think of them as on their
way to becoming First-Time Givers. You know
their faces and their names. They sit on
church committees. You recognize them in
the supermarket and you greet each other with a smile. The blog, SeedTime (www.christianpf.com),
lists the following 8 Reason People Don’t Give to Church:
1. Don’t
Have a Church Home
2. Don’t
Understand the Concept of Giving
3. Not
Committed to the Mission/Vision of the Church
4. Bad
Church Experience
5. Don’t
Agree with How Finances are Managed
6. Unemployed
7. Support
Other Ministries
8. Think
Others Will Do It
Sometimes
members may disagree with a controversial decision the church has made and are
withholding funds in quiet protest. Some
do not know what God’s word teaches about giving and generosity. So, they do not organize their budget
properly. We will discuss that in
chapter 5, Managing Your Income & Getting a Grip on Your Expenses.
Don’t let church finances become a preoccupation. As pastor, you have a lot on your plate. Find the right person to be the Champion of Financial Strategy. That’s not the treasurer. The treasurer is the manager and has enough
on his or her plate. The champion and
church treasurer, together with the finance committee, get the job done. Plan, with the finance committee, stewardship
committee or others, how the congregation will be educated about cheerful
giving based on God’s word. That group
should read and understand this chapter.
Think about these, pastor, when you prepare your next sermon and
especially your sermon on giving. Talk
to them like the sample Giving Talk
in chapter 1.
Are there
members of your congregation who have the talent and expertise to prepare
giving talks and the technical know how to teach and help educate the
congregation to become computer savvy, or provide financial literacy
education? We will look at more of this
in chapter 3.
Before you move
on, jot down how you feel right now and action you plan to take because you
read this chapter. Transfer the
following to your “To Do” list.
I will make adjustments to my
church compensation and benefits: __________________
I will derive secondary income
from: _____________________
Action I will take regarding the
Four types of givers:
·
High Capacity Givers ________________________
·
Consistent Givers ___________________________
·
First-Time Givers ___________________________
·
Not-Yet-Givers _____________________________
