Dear Sir,
How should churches remunerate supply ministers (September EN, Letters column)?
No simple rule will suffice. According to Henry Barrow’s answer to Archbishop Whitgift: support should be ‘according to the present want of the one, and the estate of the other [the congregation].’ Some will be able to offer their services free of charge, perhaps even subsidising their own travelling expenses, while others need an income to supplement a pension or to supply their whole needs. Thomas Goodwin argues that the remuneration of permanent ministers is an agreement or covenant between the pastor and his flock. This agreement should be fair and equitable and neither side should feel constrained to accept unreasonable terms proposed by the other.
