Question About Unpaid Clergy

[Guest]

To be clear, I wasn't making a shot at Catholic clergy or any other denomination. It seemed to me that omega was saying that training and pay would reduce problems we may have with our unpaid clergy, and I'm saying not entirely.

[prisonchaplain]

Education, preparation, fortification...sure nothing completely solves any problem.  However, if we can reduce the problem and soften the damage, we do what we can, right? 

 

I still say the real question is simply what does God want?  We all pray and listen with spiritual ears to discern those answers.  You also look to your prophets.

[spamlds]

There's a book I read a long time ago that told the story of clergy and ascetics from other faiths who joined the LDS Church.  it's quite inspiring when you read their personal experiences and the sacrifices they made to become latter-day saints.  The list of stories includes priests, ministers, and even a nun who converted.

 

http://www.amazon.com/From-Clergy-Convert-Stephen-Gibson/dp/0884944921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412976941&sr=8-1&keywords=from+clergy+to+convert

 

For some of them, it meant loss of significant amounts of income or prestige.  It meant periods of joblessness, because they didn't have a skill set that translated into a secular market at the rate of pay they had been receiving.  Many of them gave up perks like the parsonage, a church-provided car, etc.  It very much reminded me of the passage from Matthew 19:

 

29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

[prisonchaplain]

Hmmm....if I ever converted I'd lose my lofty position as the non-affiliated LDS.net moderator. 

[bytebear]

I think a huge difference between LDS clergy (full time or not) and clergy in other church is that Mormons don't seek out such positions through education, degrees, scholarly knowlege, etc.  You can't work your way up to a bishop, or get a degree in Apostleship.

[Silhouette]

I think a huge difference between LDS clergy (full time or not) and clergy in other church is that Mormons don't seek out such positions through education, degrees, scholarly knowlege, etc. You can't work your way up to a bishop, or get a degree in Apostleship.

Well said.

[Phaedrus ut]

Not all church leaders are wealthy business men.  President Hinckley never worked in the private sector and was life long church employee.  He served as an apostle from 1958 to 2008 highly unlikely to raise a large family like he did with just a modest stipend. We know from filings in countries that require transparency that top paid employees are compensated pretty well. The 10 highest paid employees of the church in the UK for 2012 were paid between $115,000 and $130,000.  From what I know from church employees the church is focused on hierarchy and organizational compensation.  It's reasonable to assume that the Apostles and First Presidency are the highest compensated employees in the church.  It wouldn't be unreasonable to think they make north of 200k per year with generous benefits.

 

The 2012 UK Financial Statements can be seen at the UK charity Commission website.

 

Phaedrus

[Silhouette]

Deleted

Edited October 30, 2014 by Silhouette

[PolarVortex]

I heard from someone a while back (quite possibly an urban legend, but interesting nevertheless) that compensation to the First Presidency and the Apostles is a two-step process.  When someone becomes an apostle, the church pays off his big debts (mortgage, kids' college, etc) so that he can let all that go and focus 100% on church business.  Then the actual salary begins, which according to what I heard is modest.  Who knows if this is accurate, and I don't like to traffic in rumors.  But this type of compensation structure makes a lot of sense to me.

[mordorbund]

Not all church leaders are wealthy business men.  President Hinckley never worked in the private sector and was life long church employee.  He served as an apostle from 1958 to 2008 highly unlikely to raise a large family like he did with just a modest stipend. We know from filings in countries that require transparency that top paid employees are compensated pretty well. The 10 highest paid employees of the church in the UK for 2012 were paid between $115,000 and $130,000.  From what I know from church employees the church is focused on hierarchy and organizational compensation.  It's reasonable to assume that the Apostles and First Presidency are the highest compensated employees in the church.  It wouldn't be unreasonable to think they make north of 200k per year with generous benefits.

 

The 2012 UK Financial Statements can be seen at the UK charity Commission website.

 

Phaedrus

 

Page 26 for anyone who lacks google fu.