Interim Pastor Compensation: Finding the Right Balance for Your Church
Finding the balance between stewardship and support during the transition season.
Talking about money in church life is rarely comfortable, and discussing compensation with a potential interim pastor can feel especially awkward. But clear, honest conversations about expectations and pay are essential for a healthy interim season. A well-defined compensation plan protects both the church and the interim leader, ensuring that everyone begins the partnership with mutual respect and understanding.
A Word About Bi-Vocational and Co-Vocational Churches
If your church currently supports a bi-vocational or co-vocational pastor, this calculator may not be as helpful. In that case, the simplest and fairest approach is to pay your interim pastor the same amount you were paying your previous pastor. This acknowledges that the interim is likely carrying similar responsibilities without creating new financial strain on the church. It’s a straightforward way to honor the role while maintaining good stewardship of limited resources.
Expectations and Compensation Go Hand in Hand
Every interim situation is different. Some churches only need pulpit supply on Sundays, while others ask their interim pastor to provide counseling, leadership development, or strategic guidance. More expectations should equal more compensation. The best way to ensure fairness is to start by clarifying what the church truly needs and what the interim leader is prepared to provide.
Determining what your church expects from an interim pastor—and what that time is worth—is often the hardest part of the process. Every responsibility takes time, and time has value. Preaching and teaching are obvious, but leadership meetings, counseling, hospital visits, and community outreach all add up quickly. Churches rarely have a clear formula for assigning a fair monetary value to those hours, which makes compensation conversations uncertain at best. That’s exactly why we created the Interim Pastor Compensation Calculator—to give churches a simple, transparent way to start those discussions with both clarity and grace.
To make this process easier, we’ve developed the Interim Pastor Compensation Calculator. This simple tool helps your church find a reasonable starting point by factoring in your current compensation budget and the responsibilities you expect from your interim leader. It’s not about exact numbers—it’s about starting the conversation with clarity and respect.
Honoring the Season and the Servant
The interim period is a time of healing, reflection, and preparation. A fair and transparent compensation plan communicates to your interim pastor, “We value your ministry and your time.” When a church approaches this discussion prayerfully and thoughtfully, it sets the tone for trust and partnership throughout the entire transition process.