http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/southern-megachurches-have-highest-paid-pastors-survey-says
QuoteDespite tending some of the poorest flocks, pastors at large churches across the American South are among North America’s highest paid, a new survey shows.
The study, conducted by a Dallas-based church think tank called Leadership Network, surveyed a total of 727 churches in North America with attendance ranging from 1,000 to more than 30,000. The number of institutions surveyed was more than twice the number of previous studies. A Houston-area firm that conducts searches for church executives, known as Vanderbloemen Search Group, also helped with the polling.
The study found that congregations in the South tend to pay their top pastors at these so-called megachurches more when compared to similar-sized churches in other regions. That is despite reports from the Department of Labor Bureau of Statistics that show wages in many Southern states, particularly in the Deep South, lag behind the U.S. annual wage of $49,084.
Northeastern churches are the second-highest paying according to the study. They are followed by churches in the West and Midwest. Canadian megachurches are the lowest paying in North America, the survey found.
Here is a graph depicting pastor salary factors, courtesy of the Leadership Network:
(http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2041390/thumbs/o-PASTOR-HIGH-SALARY-570.jpg?6)
QuoteWarren Bird, the research director at Leadership Network, said that pastors have historically held a more revered place of authority in Southern communities and that could be one explanation for the higher salaries. The study found that 14 percent of churches have a built-in bonus structure for their top leader; providing incentive to find ways to spur giving. It also found that salaries tended to correlate with the size of the congregation, as one would suspect.
“Bigger means more employees, more volunteers, more moving parts and a greater scope of leadership required,†Bird told the Huffington Post. “That reality usually leads to more compensation across a host of organizations.â€
The study did not disclose specific salary data for each pastor, although similar studies from Leadership Network have in the past.
That is a touchy subject. Bird made the decision in 2012 to stop releasing such information after releasing salary data in a 2010 study.
“Deciding what to release was a difficult decision,†Bird told the Christian Post at the time. “We were mostly guided by trying to give people helpful numbers.â€
“Media reports tended to pick up the outliers, especially the very highest salary,†he added.
But he notes in remarks regarding the new study that congregations are often kept in the dark about what their top pastors are getting paid, despite receiving some sort of annual financial report.
“It is extremely rare that the entire congregation will be privy to specific salaries,†he said.
Oooohh color me not surprised. Sheep get the predatory pastors they deserve.
Its hardly surprising. Poorer places will more then likely have a higher religious following, mostly because the reason why people are poor is because they aren't advanced enough as a group, and so turn to fictional characters to try and make sense of their lives.
It goes with what people often say, without religion in the world, we would have advanced thousands of years sooner.
"Hey Billy'bob.. how they make dem camputers?"
"Welp.. that be gods makin it Duke"
"Wooo weee you smart billy'bob!"
The irony of fundies blogging on the internet escapes them entirely.
Quote from: stromboli on September 10, 2014, 09:31:50 PM
The irony of fundies blogging on the internet escapes them entirely.
And when Big momma Velma down the road prays to jesus for surviving a third heart attack, ignoring the doctors and nurses efforts to crane her to the hospital.
Quote from: Munch on September 10, 2014, 07:58:14 PM
Its hardly surprising. Poorer places will more then likely have a higher religious following, mostly because the reason why people are poor is because they aren't advanced enough as a group, and so turn to fictional characters to try and make sense of their lives.
It goes with what people often say, without religion in the world, we would have advanced thousands of years sooner.
"Hey Billy'bob.. how they make dem camputers?"
"Welp.. that be gods makin it Duke"
"Wooo weee you smart billy'bob!"
Don't the advancements of Islam prove that invalid?
Quote from: Lachish on September 11, 2014, 07:48:15 PM
Don't the advancements of Islam prove that invalid?
That might be worth a thread in itself. What advancements has islam given to the world in recent history.
Quote from: Lachish on September 11, 2014, 07:48:15 PM
Don't the advancements of Islam prove that invalid?
I wasn't aware the middle east was at the forefront of scientific innovation. Please, tell me more.
If by advancements you mean pushing Islam by force wherever they can, I don't see how that applies to megachurches in the US.
Quote from: Lachish on September 11, 2014, 07:48:15 PM
Don't the advancements of Islam prove that invalid?
Whoa, there. "Advancements of Islam" doesn't even make sense as a term. There's no advancements of Christianity or Judaism or atheism.
Yes, there were scientific advances during the middle ages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_science_and_engineering_in_the_Islamic_world) by scientists who happened to be muslim. But correlation and causation are two very different things.
Considering the often adversarial role of the deeply devout to scientific discovery and the usually very different mentalities that drive both groups, I think it's a fair to wonder where humanity would be without these beliefs.
Quote from: Munch on September 11, 2014, 07:57:07 PM
That might be worth a thread in itself. What advancements has islam given to the world in recent history.
Math, science, and physics to name a few. Many of the English words for science and math are based on Arabic because it was they who pioneered the academics. The OCD in me loves them for their advancements in the study of germs.
Quote from: Lachish on September 14, 2014, 09:55:48 PM
Math, science, and physics to name a few. Many of the English words for science and math are based on Arabic because it was they who pioneered the academics. The OCD in me loves them for their advancements in the study of germs.
In the middle ages.
There have been 2 Nobel prizes in science awarded to Muslims, one of whom was an American. Try the Jews.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jewish_Nobel_laureates#Chemistry
There are dozens. In fact, Muslims rate as one of the worst ethnic groups for scientific prizes.
Quote from: stromboli on September 14, 2014, 11:01:43 PMThere are dozens. In fact, Muslims rate as one of the worst ethnic groups for scientific prizes.
They're a religious group, not an ethnic group. But yeah, it's a pretty damn awful track record.
My bad. Thanks for clarifying.
Just goes to show why poor people will always be poor.
Because they do stupid things with their money.
Would have been better spent on crack.
Quote from: the_antithesis on September 15, 2014, 01:17:44 PM
Just goes to show why poor people will always be poor.
Because they do stupid things with their money.
Would have been better spent on crack.
Crack is listed directly under tithing.