When Brandon Shields left his full-time position as a pastor in West Palm Beach to start a church several states away, he did what most church planters do: He allotted his family as little money as possible to get by while in the fundraising stage.

As his home and salary shrank to what he believed to be appropriate size for a church planter, his children and expenses grew—and so did his anxiety over finances.

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Shields has plenty of company; surveys have shown the vast majority of clergy, around nine in ten Protestant pastors in the US experience financial stress.

Many churchgoers—and pastors themselves—assume these kinds of budget balancing acts come as part of the job. Just as churches must wrestle with the tension between generosity and being good stewards of the resources God has given, pastors too must work out how to provide adequately for their families while striving to live simply.

But in the end, American Christians might be surprised to learn how many pastors struggle to make ends meet, and how much those financial pressures can weigh on their personal lives and ministry careers.

With October being Pastor Appreciation Month, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) launched its Bless Your Pastor campaign to raise awareness about the state of clergy finances and provide resources for thoughtful ways churches can support their leaders.

“Over 70 percent of pastors know pastors that have left the ministry just from the stress of it, either the personal stress or the financial stress, and over one-third have said they themselves have considered leaving the ministry just because it’s too difficult on their family, especially with some of the financial challenges they face,” Brian Kluth, national director of NAE Financial Health and spokesperson for Bless Your Pastor, said in an interview with K-LOVE.

Chet Lilly, chief operating officer at PCA Retirement and Benefits Inc., the retirement agency of the Presbyterian Church in America, has seen many pastors who spend their professional lives in low-paying ministries, only to discover after decades of serving the church that they cannot retire.

“They are underpaid for long periods of time, and they may get to a point where they are 60 or 70 and ill or tired, but they can’t retire,” Lilly said. “We are encouraging folks to work to age 70 and then, if they need to — and many do — then slow down to 20 or so hours a week.”

The Bless Your Pastor campaign offers best practices and suggestions of practical ways churches can show generosity toward their pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month.

In addition to encouraging churchgoers to give faithfully to help contribute toward their pastors’ salary year-round, the campaign suggests special financial gifts this month can help cover a marriage retreat, family vacation, ministry conference, or seminary courses. Or, the church can give toward other high-cost items like student debt, children’s college tuition, medical expenses, or retirement savings.

“Few people get into ministry to experience financial abundance. We know the risks but when the risks become so large, it leads to suffering,” Shields said. “How can the church honor God and dignify and bless their pastor as he lays down his life for the congregation?”

(Excerpt from Christianity Today. Article by Megan Fowler.)

How have you blessed your pastor? Leave a comment.