Paying guest speakers at church

Consider these guidelines as you decide

Everyday Stewardship |
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When your church needs a guest preacher, what do you think is a fair payment?

We want our guest to feel valued, but still be good stewards of the church giving plan. It’s a tension many church administrators feel.

Here are some guidelines:

Cover travel.

  • Whenever the visiting preacher steps into their car or boards a plane, they become your guest. Cover the flight or car mileage. The IRS’ current standard mileage rate is 62.5 cents per mile.

Cover food.

  • Cover their basic meal needs as they travel. If you’re eating out with them, use your credit card. If they’re eating on their own, have them send the church their receipts, and reimburse them.

Cover accommodations.

  • If the guest preacher stays overnight, pay for the accommodations.

Base the honorarium on your pastor’s salary.

Deciding on an honorarium involves such factors as number of services and length of teaching time. Here is the logic for basing the honorarium on your pastor’s salary.

  • You’re paying your pastor based on their current responsibilities, along with the variables listed above.
  • For each speaking assignment (sermon, Sunday school class, evening session, etc.), pay your guest preacher .5% of the pastor’s salary.

Example:

  • Pastor’s salary (includes housing allowance): $60,000
  • Number of services: 2
  • Guest pastor’s honorarium: $60,000 x .5% = $300, x 2 services = $600

This method allows you to be generous without compromising your stewardship plan. For those with a part-time pastor or without a pastor, base your calculation on what you would pay a full-time pastor.

As with many guidelines, these may not be right for all situations. You may need to adjust.