SBCers in the pulpits and pews get played in a thousand different ways by those on the payroll. It’s a disgrace, a travesty, and a black eye to the Christian ministry.
My view on denominational leader transparency hasn’t change in decades: Entity heads, perhaps entity executive leadership, should disclose their compensation each year in a manner where ordinary SBCers, the ones who pay the bills, may access it. There is no good reason for the pay of entity heads to be kept secret. There are a world of bad reasons and we see these each time the subject arises. Secrecy is demanded because:
- It might embarrass the entity leader or their family. If it is outrageously high it ought to embarrass someone. If too low, raise it.
- SBCers have no right to this information. Brazen hubris. Shameful condescension. We have every right.
- It might create ill will among entity heads. So what? Let the elite brethren deal with that. They are supposed to be mature spiritual leaders.
Many pastors routinely hide their pay from almost all of their members. Some will disclose “salary” but lie by not stating without being prompted that their cash housing allowance is part of their pay. Thus, a pastor whose compensation is $150,000 gets to say, with appropriate false humility, that his “salary” is under $100,000 because he can claim tens of thousands of dollars as his housing allowance.
There are a thousand ways for entity heads to shield their compensation. The housing allowance, bonuses, deferred compensation, excessive contributions to retirement accounts, perks, expense accounts, free platforms where the employee gains a monetary benefit, and more. Make it all public.
I don’t care what Podunk Crossroads Baptist Church pays their pastor. Their members should care and they should know.
I would like to know what we’re using Cooperative Program money and other gifts for.
I’d like to see full compensation disclosure for all entity heads, state convention heads, and some other executive level SBC employees. I assume that all of these are great people and dedicated servants of Jesus and of Southern Baptists.
- GuideStone can put up larger numbers than any entity. Is Hance Dilbeck a leader whose compensation is seven figures? We already had one of those. Are there more?
- I don’t care if Lifeway doesn’t receive CP dollars. Let Ben Mandrell disclose his compensation.
- How does Al Mohler’s situation at SBTS work? Does the seminary provide anything from which he personally profits? I don’t know and SBTS is the most successful of our six seminaries, some of whom are sick sisters. Maybe he is underpaid. Make it all public.
- Jeff Iorg is manager of an entity with catastrophic financial issues and lawsuits as far as the eye can see. Let him lead the way by disclosing his compensation. And note the supreme irony that when we get some degree of disclosure about finances, it comes out of a lawsuit where the SBC or an entity is a defendant.
- IMB and NAMB are swimming in cash. Let Kevin Ezell and Paul Chitwood disclose what they are being paid. Are our two main entities are running the convention with their missions money and SEND relief cash?
Why don’t trustees handle this? Jon Whitehead says they don’t want to be seen as rude in a trustee meeting. Good point. Others are hoping for a job at one of the entities. Others are just happy to get travel and meal expenses to attend meetings. Just about every SBC entity has had catastrophic meltdowns: IMB, NAMB, SWBTS, ERLC, EC, MBTS, Lifeway.
It seems that secrecy and trustee failure are the constants in SBC life. At the least, those who don’t get paid, the trustees, should take the lead in removing the blackout curtains from leader compensation.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
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Just for an experiment. Ask what your pastor’s salary is. If a figure is given, then ask if that figure includes his housing allowance.
The most perplexing thing about asking for transparency in SBC employee pay is how small church pastors will vigorously defend present policies. Guy who has his $80k compensation put on the table in the church foyer for every member and guest to see makes a big deal out of how out elite leaders’ compensation ought to be secret.
