when the math isn’t adding up in church hiring

For a long time, ministry hiring followed a fairly predictable pattern.

A church would post a role.
The salary would land somewhere around $45–50k.
And the expectation was that passionate leaders would step into the role because they loved the mission.

For many years, that worked.

But the reality is… the world has changed.

And if we don’t talk honestly about compensation in ministry hiring, we’re going to keep running into the same frustrating cycle. Churches struggle to find the right leaders, and great leaders quietly conclude they simply can’t afford to take the job.

This isn’t a passion problem.

It’s a math problem.

In many parts of the United States today, a salary of $45–50k is hovering close to what is considered low income, especially for families. Tools like the MIT Living Wage Calculator show that in many regions, a single adult needs somewhere in the range of $50k–$70k just to cover basic expenses depending on the city. Once you factor in a spouse, childcare, student loans, interest rates if relocating, and everyday costs of living, the numbers move quickly.

Most ministry leaders aren’t asking to get rich. That has never been the point.

But more and more leaders are asking a simple question: Can I actually afford to do this long term? Can I even afford to do it short term? Can I live on this salary?

What many churches aren’t intending is happening quietly behind the scenes. Leaders are stepping into ministry roles that require them to live with financial stress, take on debt, delay starting families, or rely on outside support just to stay afloat—sometimes even receiving sideways glances when they pursue side projects to make things work.

For a season, many will do it. Passion carries people a long way.

But eventually reality catches up.

At the same time, churches are not ignoring this tension because they don’t care. Many executive leaders feel caught in a very real bind.

On one hand, they genuinely want to pay people well. They want to honor the leaders who are investing their lives into the church and serving its mission.

On the other hand, they are staring at a budget that simply doesn’t stretch as far as they wish it did.

Giving fluctuates. Expenses increase. Every ministry area is competing for limited dollars. And every hiring decision carries real weight.

This is the fork in the road many churches are standing at right now.

And pretending the tension isn’t there doesn’t help anyone.

In this moment in time, both executive leaders and next-gen leaders need to acknowledge that the hiring tension we are navigating today is more complicated than it was in previous seasons.

Young leaders are stepping into adulthood in an economic environment that presents very real financial pressures. Housing costs have risen dramatically in many areas. Student debt is common. Childcare is expensive. The financial realities of adult life arrive quickly.

Most of these leaders are not questioning the mission of the church. They care deeply about discipleship. They care about reaching people. They care about the gospel.

They are simply asking whether the structure of ministry roles allows them to build a sustainable life while serving faithfully.

That is not entitlement.

That is stewardship.

Church leadership already carries enormous responsibility. Budgets are tight. Every decision requires wisdom. And there is rarely a simple answer that solves everything overnight.

But it is worth asking an honest question.

Are we designing ministry roles in ways that allow the people serving our churches to live with dignity and sustainability?

Because if we want thriving churches ten, twenty, or thirty years from now, we need leaders who can stay in ministry long enough to help build them.

The goal isn’t bigger salaries for the sake of bigger salaries.

The goal is sustainable ministry.

And that’s a conversation the church needs to have.

In Part 2, we’ll share five conversations we’ve been having with churches across the country about how they are beginning to navigate this salary gap and think creatively about the future of ministry staffing.