About half the nation's full-time pastors they received no salary increase in the past year, continuing a downturn in salaries among top leaders in churches, to a new survey published by Christianity Today International and Leadership. In fact, the extensive survey, published in the 2010-2011 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff, shows a slight decline or stall in pay levels for the majority of all church staff positions surveyed.
Total compensation for all lead pastors (combined solo and senior pastors' data), including housing, insurance, and retirement benefits, was down about 2.4%. Solo pastors lost the most, about 6.6%, which averaged more than $300 per month in salary and benefits last year.
