Paying guest speakers
Consider these guidelines as you make your decisions
Eventually, your church will have a guest preacher. Your pastor could be out of town, or may need time to focus on other areas of church life.
When this happens, you are faced with the question, “How much should we pay the guest preacher?”
Most of us want to show any guest our appreciation through an honorarium. We want the guest to feel valued and loved, but still be good stewards of the church giving plan. It is a tension many church administrators feel.
Here are four guidelines to consider as you discern this issue or set a policy.
Cover travel
As soon as the visiting preacher steps into their car or boards a plane, they become your guest. Plan to cover the flight or car mileage. The IRS’ current standard mileage rate is 62.5 cents per mile. Depending on the anticipated mileage, you may want to suggest they rent a car, which may be less expensive.
Cover food
As a good host, cover their basic meal needs as they travel. If you are eating out with them, use your credit card. If they are eating on their own, have them send the church their receipts and reimburse them.
Cover accommodations
If the guest preacher stays overnight, pay for the accommodations. Staying in a hotel is not a perk. Most of us prefer being in our own beds and in our own homes.
Base the honorarium off your pastor’s salary
Deciding on an honorarium can sometimes be a challenge because of the many factors that can be involved – audience size, number of services, and expected length of teaching time. Here is the logic for basing the honorarium off your pastor’s salary.
You are paying your pastor a certain amount based on their current responsibilities, along with the variables listed above. For each speaking assignment (morning sermon, Sunday school class, evening session, etc.), pay your guest preacher .5% of the pastor’s salary.
Example:
- Pastor’s salary (includes housing allowance): $60,000
- Number of services: 2
- Guest pastor’s honorarium: $60,000 x .5% = $300 x 2 services = $600
This method should allow you to be generous without compromising your stewardship plan. For those with a part-time pastor or those without a pastor, base the calculation on what you would pay a full-time pastor.
As with any of these methods, this one is sure to have its flaws. Therefore, adjustments should be made accordingly.
But this method can provide you a way to be consistent and have the guest preacher leaving with a sense of your congregation’s appreciation.
Everence® has more information about pastoral salary guidelines and benefit packages on our website.