Pastor Appreciation Month arrives with hard numbers. Lifeway Research reports that average pay for a full-time Southern Baptist senior pastor fell 1.5% this year, the first drop since tracking began in 2008. Total pay packages slipped too, while inflation climbed 6.3% since 2024. Only 37% of those churches now provide medical insurance for their pastor, down from 65% in 2008. (Baptist Press, Oct 2026)
Paul told Timothy that elders who labor in preaching and teaching deserve “double honor”: esteem and provision together (1 Tim 5:17). Honor that costs a church nothing is just a card.
A congregation that honors its shepherd learns the first lesson of mission: the God who sends also provides.
