Solo pastors receive the highest pay in the New England and Pacific states, considering the higher cost of living, Miller noted. And in modern urban settings, much good discipleship and evangelism occurs over meals. And while we read in the news about mega-church pastors who make gigantic salaries, most preachers are not paid nearly as much as they deserve for the tremendous service they perform. Bishop David Oyedepo's church in Nigeria, Living Faith Church Worldwide or Winner's Chapel, seats 50,000 people and every chair is filled weekly. A church pays their pastor a salary of $34,000 in 2000. How much should a pastor make? The Living Faith Church G.O tops Forbes’ list of the world’s richest pastors for 2018. The National Association of Church Business Administration reported that as of 2012, the average U.S. pastor makes about $28,000 per year. It’s still “a fine line to walk,” said Wilson, but benefit boards like MMBB Financial Services now provide guides to negotiating pastor compensation. How much pastors make is not an easy question to answer since salary estimates vary widely. The minister honorarium for wedding services at a nondenominational church in Boulder, Colorado, is $300. But in every congregation there are various persons, committees, and groups that influence how much is paid. Forbes has released the 2018 list of the world’s richest pastors and Bishop David Oyedepo is number one. Salary.com pegs a senior pastor’s range between $78,042 and $107,625. It may be done overtly or behind the scenes. – 1 Timothy 6:3-10. In January 2019, it was almost 234. Nepotism. So, it’s a question that is on a lot of people’s minds. ... whether lead pastor or custodian. ... Tax-time always means thinking about how much people get paid and should be paid for their work. Pastors with similar experience and job responsibilities should be compensated similarly. But it is done. Provide a book and meal budget for pastors. A couple who marries in the Episcopal faith in Plymouth, Michigan, can expect to pay between $200 and $300. The reason I’m here is that I have a friend who I have known online playing video games with who is a pastor and much older then myself. Question: "Should pastors be paid a salary?" “Ministers know that transitions are the primary time for making salary adjustments,” Wilson said. These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Pastor in the United States. On the one hand, people argue that they are to be servants and thus can serve within the church as pastor while working elsewhere.