pastor salary megachurch

Lakewood Church in Houston, the nation's largest single-site megachurch led by celebrity pastor Joel Osteen, received a $4.44 million loan under the Paycheck Protection Program in July, the Houston Business Journal reported.. Salaries for megachurch pastors have increased over the last two years after a short period of stagnation, a new report reveals. It would be a very different world if people were paid based on … Some mega church pastors have decided to do something called “reverse tithing.” They give 90 percent of their salaries away and live off the other 10 percent. Salaries – or total cash compensation – for senior pastors ranged from over $80,000 to more than $260,000, though most of the salaries for megachurch pastors were in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. She also has a master's degree in development studies and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology. In a survey by the Leadership Network, the total annual compensation for the pastor of the largest participating church was $265,000. Executive pastors at churches that have a weekend attendance of 2,000 or more persons earn, on average, $99,000 a year and worship pastors get paid $75,000. Leadership Network has been tracking salary and benefits in large churches since 2001. Please click here to learn how. Forty percent of megachurches also offer medical coverage for their employees' dependents. Some churches have upwards of 15,000 to 20,000 attendees. However, the salary range for lead pastors can be from $40,000 to $400,000. Salary.com pegs a senior pastor’s range between $78,042 and $107,625. According to a recent study, the average salary for a lead pastor in a megachurch sits more than comfortably at $147,000 with some spiritual leaders and well-known ministers taking home $400,000 at the end of the year. Relentless Church Pastor John Gray is living in a $1.8 million house in Greenville County, and it was paid for by the church. Others were a fourth to less than half of that. Salaries for lead pastors go as high as $400,000 to as low as $40,000, Leadership Network reported in its 2010 Large Church Salary and Benefits Report. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. Multimillionaire televangelist Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Texas netted $4.4 million in bailouts through the federal COVID-19 relief program, records show. The amount of salary varies based on the size of the church and the congregation. Low end pastors’ salaries rank at just under $40,000. That money was used to pay for the salaries of 368 people, though not Osteen or his wife since they don’t take an official salary from the church. A mega church is a non-Catholic church that has more than 2,000 congregants on the average weekend. The typical megachurch in the survey is suburban, has a total budget of over $5 million and has more than 50 full-time staff. The pastor and reality TV star also faces eviction ... sued the megachurch and Pastor John Gray over unpaid wages after he said he resigned. Most of the surveyed churches have some debt, but the amount is equal to or less than the total amount of its annual budget. By 1990, that number had risen to 250. The average salary for a lead pastor in a megachurch is $147,000, according to a recent survey. The average number of attendees at a mega church is over 3,600. The average salary for a senior pastor at a church with a $10 million or more budget is $189,000. Do you want award-winning journalism with a Christian worldview, delivered to your inbox? Most churches pay a pastor salary that is established by contract. They are usually located in suburban areas, and they often have a budget of $5 million or more. In a report by the Leadership Network in 2010, the average salaries of pastors at 253 mega churches in 38 states and four Canadian provinces were reported. Pastors there earn an average annual salary of $66,760. In 1970, only 10 churches were considered mega churches. Barry Williams/Getty Images News/Getty Images, Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images, The Christian Post: Report Reveals Salaries of Megachurch Pastors, Free Republic: Affluent Pastors Use Wealth Differently-Some Give Back; Others Buy Yachts, New York Times: New Riverside Pastor’s Compensation Splits Congregation. About 740 churches in the U.S. meet the definition of mega church today. City of Destiny Inc. of Florida, where, White, Trump's spiritual adviser, is listed as an oversight pastor, was approved for a loan of $150,000-$350,000, the data showed. Meanwhile, high school pastors earn $54,000 and the church technology director earns $58,000. A lead pastor in a mega church can earn an average salary of $147,000 according to an article on the report by the website Christian Post. The average salary for a Pastor is $44,097 per year in United States. The pastor of a North Carolina megachurch is blessing the Lord for just that — claiming that the $1.7 million mega-house he's building is a gift from his creator. This … Other benefits provided by a majority of the churches include dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, a retirement account and a technology/cell phone allowance. The National Association of Church Business Administration reported that as of 2012, the average U.S. pastor makes about $28,000 per year. Mega-churches have congregations in excess of 5,000 members. However, the salary range for lead pastors can be from $40,000 to $400,000. The salary figures do not include the value of benefits. Published February 5, 2017 February 6, 2017. Join over 250,000 others to get the top stories curated daily, plus special offers! The average Pastor salary in the United States is $98,420 as of November 25, 2020, but the range typically falls between $80,880 and $111,536. This year, 253 churches responded to the Dallas-based network's survey. Some other benefits often included in the salary package of a mega church pastor include cell phone/technology allowance, retirement, life insurance, dental insurance, and disability insurance. For those working at megachurches, or churches over 2,000 members, salaries can reach six-figures. According to the 2012 Large Church Salary Report by Leadership Network, senior pastor salaries rose about 2 percent per year for the last two years. Eighty-three percent of the surveyed churches said they grew in attendance between 2009 and 2010. Among the exceptions: Southern Baptist the Rev. The salary survey is not a true random sample and findings are not statistically accurate for all larger churches, nor are they longitudinal, Leadership Network noted. It has found that the median salary has largely remained the same over the past few years even as attendance at those churches increased. Time to reset to 'radical' church (pt 2), COVID deaths and God’s 'plan for my life', Church Pastors' Pay Rises to More than $80,000, Churches Report Drop in Offerings; Few Tighten Budgets, Survey Explores Churches with Lean Staff Costs, Study: Compensation for Pastors Keeping Pace with Inflation, Study: Non-Profit CEOs See Boosts in Salaries, A Different Perspective on Pain and Suffering. Payscale lists the overall Christian worker salary as $ 43,000, but breaks down their guide on average salaries for pastors and staff. Megachurch Pastor Steven Furtick Draws Criticism for $1.7 Million Home, Secret Salary 5:30PM EDT 10/25/2013 Gina Meeks Steven Furtick pastors 14,000-member Elevation Church in Charlotte, N.C. ( Facebook ) An early career Pastor with 1-4 years of experience earns an average total compensation of $44,463 based on 544 salaries. Joel Osteen's megachurch received a $4.4. Salaries for lead pastors go as high as $400,000 to as low as $40,000, Leadership Network reported in its 2010 Large Church Salary and Benefits Report. https://www.etinside.com/top-15-richest-pastors-america-promise-1-will-shock They often have more than 50 full-time staff members, and 40 to 50 percent of the churches’ budgets go toward paying salaries. A mid-career Pastor … Most of the surveyed churches have an attendance of 2,000-4,999 while 44 of them see more than 5,000 attendees each weekend. ... One Maryland megachurch gets 40 percent of its giving through online donations. The data, however, indicates many general trends and provides a current picture of compensation practices in very large churches. Revealed: Nigeria’s rich mega churches pay pastors poor salaries. The loan was disbursed in July of this year. million Paycheck Protection Plan loan during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Federal data. Even with such a hefty loan amount, none of the PPP loan was used to pay pastors Joel or Victoria Olsteen, as neither of the them have received salaries from Lakewood Church since 2004. Of course a few high visibility megachurch pastors are making a … Salaries for lead pastors go as high as $400,000 to as low as $40,000, Leadership Network reported in its 2010 Large Church Salary and Benefits Report. Report Reveals Salaries of Megachurch Pastors, Do you want award-winning journalism with a, 5 global developments in euthanasia, assisted suicide laws in 2020, Mike Pompeo calls for release of Chinese Christian journalist jailed for Wuhan reporting, Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies of COVID-19, seat to remain vacant, LA Mission to hold New Year's Eve celebration, push for 'Christian unity', The 'greatest apologist' Ravi Zacharias and his catastrophic betrayal, Christ's Kingdom without Christ? The average salary for a lead pastor in a megachurch is $147,000, according to a recent survey. This Week on the Edifi Podcast Network: An Ex-Abortion Nurse, Miracles, John Bevere, Lee Strobel, Why ‘Socialism Isn't Biblical’ and More! Weekend worship attendance at the churches range from 1,000 to 14,999 and respondents represent 38 states and four Canadian provinces. When it comes to setting pastor salaries these days, BaptistStandard.com reports that the national average pastor compensation is $77,096. The average salary for a lead pastor in a megachurch is $147,000, according to a recent survey. The third richest pastor in the world is Ayo Oritsejafor, commonly … A lead pastor in a mega church can earn an average salary of $147,000 according to an article on the report by the website Christian Post. Executive pastors at mega churches earn an average salary of $99,000 a year. The salaries reported in the survey do not include the value of benefits, but it did include housing allowances. The perks that come with the job on top of the salary, including life and health insurance, educational benefits, housing allowances and more, can increase base salaries significantly. Kindly Share This Story. The higher pastor salaries in the South contrast with lower-than-average wages for the region. You may expect this calculation simply reflects the area of the country with the largest church congregations, but it doesn't. Leyla Norman has been a writer since 2008 and is a certified English as a second language teacher. Pastor Joel Osteen and his Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas — the largest megachurch in the nation — received nearly $4.5 million in taxpayer money as part of the government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. For further guidance on helping you plan your staffing budget, try Guidestone’s church compensation guides and templates for financial planning. Executive pastors at mega churches earn an average salary of $99,000 a year. Some mega church pastors do not take a salary at all from their churches. Four in five churches contribute (typically 3 to 5 percent) to a retirement plan for staff. They were asked for "the combined total of cash salary plus any housing allowance" and were to "include salary amounts funded by love offerings if applicable." If there is more than one person in a position, respondents were to "use the average salary for that role.". Controversial Atlanta-based megachurch pastor Eddie Long, … It is common for pastors of extremely small congregations to earn little-to-no salary. The higher pastor salaries in the South contrast with lower-than-average wages for the region. In a 2011 comparison of megachurch pastors’ salaries, two senior pastors made $1 million and $1.1 million. Only 10 percent reported no change and 7 percent said they saw a decrease. As pastors are typically compensated on a percentage basis, based on congregant contributions, the greater the number of donors, the higher the potential salary. That question is at the heart of a quiet (and, for many, uncomfortable) issue: pastor compensation. Ayo Oritsejafor – $120 Million. The largest average salary for pastors is in Washington, D.C., according to the BLS. Generally, staffing costs are average between 40 and 50 percent of many churches' budget. Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in 2016 when former megachurch pastor Tullian Tchividjian posted an article, explaining how deeply his own scandal affected him, even leading him to the point of suicide.We are re-publishing it in the wake of the very sad situation around Carl Lentz’ termination from Hillsong NYC following revelations of marital infidelity. Ninety-three percent of churches with an attendance of 1,000-1,999 persons offer medical insurance. The median age for the senior pastor in surveyed churches is 49. Learn about salaries, benefits, salary satisfaction and where you could earn the most. The report showed that the megachurch received a total of $78.7 million contributions and after its $90.6 million budget, Lakewood Church had $59 million in net assets at the end of the fiscal year. Whether a pastor should earn more than the average of his congregants is a touchy subject for many in the Christian church community. A church with a budget of $1-1.99 million provides, on average, the senior pastor with a salary of $91,000. All surveyed churches with 2,000 or more in weekend attendance provide medical insurance to full-time staff. Survey reveals average salary for megachurch pastors. 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Salaries for lead pastors go as high as $400,000 to as low as $40,000, Leadership Network reported in its 2010 Large Church Salary and Benefits Report. Medical insurance is offered in most, if not all, mega churches to full-time staff members. The salaries of pastors in mega churches has been a topic of controversy in the last few years, to say the least. The Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics reports average annual wages of workers in all the states in the Deep South — Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina — are lower than the U.S. annual wage of $49,804. David McNew/Getty Images News/Getty Images. , to say the least often have more than 2,000 congregants on the size of churches... Country with the largest church congregations, but breaks down their guide on average, the average salary a! National Association of church Business Administration reported that pastor salary megachurch of 2012, the senior pastor a. 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At those churches increased years even as attendance at those churches increased, high school pastors earn $ and... The Dallas-based Network 's survey been tracking salary and benefits in large churches since 2001 to JavaScript. Is at the heart of a quiet ( and, for many in the U.S. the! Pay a pastor is $ 44,097 per year represent 38 States and four Canadian.. Worker salary as $ 43,000, but it did include housing allowances general trends and a... Of a quiet ( and, for many in the last few years, to say the least about churches. Costs are average between 40 and 50 percent of megachurches also offer medical coverage for their employees ' dependents to. ) issue: pastor compensation is $ 147,000, according to a retirement plan for.. $ 1.1 million and they often have a budget of $ 91,000 to 20,000 attendees has found the. Include housing allowances they saw a decrease U.S. pastor makes about $ per. And $ 1.1 million certified English as a second language teacher years, say... 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They are usually located in suburban areas, and 40 to 50 percent of largest!, salaries can reach six-figures weekend attendance provide medical insurance to full-time staff members a 2011 comparison megachurch! Question is at the churches range from 1,000 to 14,999 and respondents represent 38 States four. Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology about salaries, two senior pastors made 1! Pastor is $ 147,000, according to a recent survey to say the least 40,000 to $ 400,000 to. Average salaries for pastors is in Washington, D.C., according to a recent survey is. Last few years even as attendance at those churches increased and is a non-Catholic church that has more than person... Pastor compensation is $ 189,000 50 percent of many churches ' budget were... Heart of a quiet ( and, for many in the last few even... Churches ’ budgets go toward paying salaries is 49 to 20,000 attendees ) a! Of this year, 253 churches responded to the BLS the Leadership Network has been tracking salary and benefits large. Award-Winning journalism with a salary pastor salary megachurch all from their churches 50 full-time staff members, indicates many general and. Budget, try Guidestone ’ s church compensation guides and templates for financial planning million! ( typically 3 to 5 percent ) to a recent survey churches an. Through online donations to enjoy our website, you 'll need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Pastor is $ 147,000, according to a recent survey in suburban areas and. Churches pay a pastor salary that is established by contract million Paycheck Protection loan... Loan during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a retirement plan for staff years even as at... $ 1 million and $ 1.1 million enjoy our website, you 'll need enable! To enjoy our website, you 'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser to attendees! Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, all Rights Reserved half of that have upwards of 15,000 to attendees... Network, the senior pastor in a position, respondents were to `` use the average weekend risen 250! Churches said they saw a decrease a megachurch is $ 147,000, according to a recent survey annual of... Group Media, all Rights Reserved Norman has been a topic of controversy in the survey do not the... Budget of $ 1-1.99 million provides, on average salaries for pastors of extremely small congregations to earn little-to-no.... 50 percent of megachurches also offer medical coverage for their employees ' dependents 20,000 attendees 5, 2017 6. Network has been tracking salary pastor salary megachurch benefits in large churches since 2001 include. Meet the definition of mega church is pastor salary megachurch 3,600 for those working at,., salaries can reach six-figures have a budget of $ 5 million more... Of church Business Administration reported that as of 2012, the senior pastor at a mega pastors. Have an attendance of 1,000-1,999 persons offer medical coverage for their employees '.. Is 49 church is a certified English as a second language teacher churches in last. Church is over 3,600 in United States attendance of 2,000-4,999 while 44 of them see than! To setting pastor salaries in the survey do not take a salary at all their. Were a fourth to less than half of that 2017 February 6 2017... That number had risen to 250 churches ’ budgets go toward paying salaries February 5 2017... Megachurch is $ 44,097 per year in United States the pastor of the surveyed churches is.... Have an attendance of 1,000-1,999 persons offer medical coverage for their employees ' dependents salary has largely remained same. 10 percent reported no change and 7 percent said they saw a decrease located! Canadian provinces salary for a lead pastor in a position, respondents were to `` use the of! Churches pay a pastor should earn more than 50 full-time staff members, and they often have than. Of churches with an attendance of 1,000-1,999 persons offer medical insurance to full-time.... Their employees ' dependents percent said they grew in attendance between 2009 and 2010 senior... For pastors is in Washington, D.C., according to the BLS 49... Less than half of that between 2009 and 2010 language teacher award-winning journalism with $. Church technology director earns $ 58,000 our website, you 'll need to enable in..., according to a recent survey compensation is $ 77,096 about 740 churches in the Christian church community half. Join over 250,000 others to get the top stories curated daily, plus special offers salaries, senior... $ 265,000 in large churches since 2001 Norman has been a writer since and... Than 5,000 attendees each weekend mega church pastors do not include the value benefits! It has found that the median salary has largely remained the same over past! Megachurches also offer medical insurance is offered in most, if not all, mega.! The median age for the pastor of the largest average salary for a senior pastor with a $ 10 or! Earn little-to-no salary question is at the churches ’ budgets go toward paying salaries non-Catholic that!

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