What we do
I want every Christian pastor to be financially independent.
That doesn’t mean I expect them to work for free. Far from it. Scripture is clear that the people of God should look after the physical needs of those who look after their spiritual needs.
What if every pastor served the people of God and the Kingdom of God and the mission of God not because they needed to put food on the table but rather for all the reasons we started ministry in the first place: because we are hopelessly in love with God, God’s mission in the word, and God’s people?
It seems to me pastors would be more faithful to preach and teach their conscience, less worried about what their congregants think, and more free to focus the ministry of the Word and prayer (Acts 6:4).
I know a lot of pastors and I’ve noticed that most of them don’t think about money nearly as much as they should. I don’t blame them–they’re more spiritual than I am. This site is intended to help them make some incremental decisions to move toward financial independence. Hopefully a couple of good decisions will set them up and let them get back to good work.
What is Financial Independence?
Financial Independence is a little hard to define. There are really stages. But the simplest definition is that you have enough income from your assets to cover your expenses…and therefore you don’t have to work for money. You might work for money but you don’t have to. I explain more about Financial Independence here.
Maybe Financial Independence for every minister is too lofty a goal. So I will settle for every church minister being Financially Free. I define Financially Free as Contented (happy with what you have), Generous (giving to the Kingdom of God AND those around you in need), and Prudent (moving toward Financial Independence) because it seems to me when these things are in place, money stress is low.
Why should you listen to me?
Well, I’m not a Certified Financial Planner, Certified Public Accountant, or Certified Anything For That Matter. I’m just some guy on the internet with a website. Don’t take anything on this website as advice; take it as something to consider and discuss with your financial professional who actually went to school and took a test.
I am a pastor, currently employed full time in Christian church ministry. I am also financially secure (Stage 1 of Financial Independence) and became so in my early 40s. Hopefully you find that interesting. I have been studying personal finance voraciously since I was in college and I’m a self-proclaimed personal finance nerd. I have also made A LOT of mistakes in personal finance that you can learn from. Finally, I have made it my mission to be an expert on the unique laws and opportunities available to ministers.
If you’re not a Christian minister but rather a clergyperson for another religion, I’m glad you’re here. I hope and believe that most of the information here will benefit you too. Please glean what suggestions you can that are helpful for you. Also, please email me and let me know you’re here!
–Pastor D