Average Cost of becoming Pastor?

Bo Hong

Hi, I am curious to know how much is the cost of becoming a Pastor.

I live in Toronto, Canada.

Thanks

Jack Hairston

Hello, Bo:

Welcome to the forums. The answer is, "It varies." It's like asking the price of a car; the answer depends on what kind of car and where you intend to drive.

By the way, may God grant your desire. We can't have too many Pastors.

Jack

Virgil Buttram

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/848964#Comment_848964

Truthfully, you need to talk to a local pastor in Toronto. It would be best if you talked to the pastor of the church you attend regularly.

BillS

Ditto what others said...

In addition, I'd add that I look at it differently. If God is calling us, He'll equip us with the needed $ & time & endurance at every point along the way. If He ever fails, we're off the hook & there are many easier ways to earn a living. (For me, He's never failed.)

Many blessings on your discernment!

(Of course there's the route no one talks about--$50 or so in on-line fees to organize a church & get pastoral credentials to serve it. Not sure God has called anyone by that route, but it's there & supposedly legal, though in my opinion immoral unless God called one to it.)

Myke Harbuck

Bo Hong said:

Hi, I am curious to know how much is the cost of becoming a Pastor.

I live in Toronto, Canada.

Thanks

That's a very complicated question to answer. On the one hand, there really shouldn't be any costs; if the Lord has called you to be a pastor, the congregation of the church you actively attend, along with the leadership, will recognize this call on your life, and they will affirm, along with and through the people of God, that call through the process that is typically known as ordination in most churches. This process is free. Hopefully there isn't any church out there that charges up-and-coming pastors for ordination. That would be wrong on so many levels.:-) LOL

However, the discipleship process, training, and development associated with becoming a pastor and continuing as a pastor of can be rather pricey. While college education certainly is not required to be a pastor, for me it was a very integral part of my training (I wouldn't take anything for the mentoring and discipleship I received at Liberty University! - I learned so much and grew so much while working on my degrees there!). I have two bachelors degrees (BBA and BA Theology), three masters degrees (MREd, MACPE, MCJW), a professional doctorate (DMin), and I am currently working on my PhD in Hebrew Bible. And I am not ashamed to say that I have nearly $100,000 in student loans debt. I know that baffle some people, but I'm rather proud of my education, especially since I was a high school dropout, and especially since I was a C- students at best growing up. On top of all of my student loan debt, I have about $25,000 invested in my Logo's resources (11,000 resources). If I had more money to spend I would invest further in my library, as I use it every day - literally -  but things are very tight right now.

So, in one sense becoming a pastor should be absolutely free. Yet the training, development, and mentoring involved in preparing yourself for the call of God can be pricy, depending on the route you choose.

I'll also add to this that if you are speaking of the costs for licensing via a non-profit organization, I would not go that route. There are a lot of para-church organizations out there (some not so good; some ok; a few honorable) that licensed people for ministry. They do it for a fee, obviously (sometimes as much as $1000 or more). And while many people will recognize the credentials that are obtained through these organizations, I personally, as a pastor, do not recognize licensing and ordinations from these para-church organizations. I feel that if God has called you become a pastor, he will confirm it through the pastor of your local church, and others in your local church, and that the confirmation of that call should come not through some fly-by-night nonprofit organization, but by the people who know you best, who can testify that you in fact do have the heart of the pastor, and those in your own church family who are as certain as you are that God has called you to be a pastor.

I hope this helps with your questions. If not let us know and we'll try to help further.

Hermann Fritz

Hi Bo,

I live in Germany, where I am serving since 20 years as a Pastor. But I had a very exciting experience, becoming a Pastor. My roots were in the Roman Catholic Church, but when I was 23 years old, Jesus Christ found me. Then I visited about 4 years a Methodist Church. Some members there told me that they believed that God gave me the Talents to serve him as a Pastor.

I asked them about the costs, nearly 40000.- $. But they answered: "If God is calling you, then he will pay all your debts." Therefore I applied at a Theological Seminary and was approved. I went there with no Penny in my pockets. Two weeks after the Beginning of my Studies our Director came to me and asked. "Mr. Fritz, how do you intend to pay your bills?" I told him: "I don´t know, but God, who has sent me to this Seminary, knows." Then the Director smiled and answered: "This is credit enough for me! He will surely pay." On that weekend, I was a little bit anxious, because the money had not yet come. I traveled home, but I did not inform anyone, in which Situation I was. On one evening in these holidays I went to a bible group. Five Christians there, who did not know my need, came one by one to me and told me: "The Lord showed me that I have to pay a part of your Tuition, Hermann." When I went back to my Seminary, all my sorrows were gone. These five faithful believers payed each month 650.- $ for me, as long as I had no own income.

I remember well the morning on Seminary, when a Coworker there told me: "Hermann, I think that you are the wealthiest Student here on the Campus, because you can buy the books you need and every Friday the icecream, which you like."

Bo, I know that a lot of my fellow Students did not make such happy Experiences like me. But I boldly and glad confess: If you will trust our good Lord Jesus Christ, he will guide you. Our Lord ist absolutely thrustworthy!

I studied approximately 6 years and earned a BTh at an interdenominational Seminary and a MDiv (Equivalent) at the Seminary of a German Evangelical Freechurch. This was followed by a three-year Probation Period. Then I was ordained as a Pastor in my congregation, the "Freie evangelische Gemeinde. But as a Pastor you must always learn. In my Opinion, it is the most interesting Profession in this world. And you have so powerfull tools like the Logos Bible, which makes your preparations very comfortable. I enjoy it very much.

Greetings from Cologne, Germany! [:)]

Hermann Fritz 

Rich DeRuiter

Bo Hong said:

Hi, I am curious to know how much is the cost of becoming a Pastor.

I live in Toronto, Canada.

Thanks

It costs you sleepless nights, countless hours of study, hours upon hours of prayer and intercession, the weight of unreasonable expectations, the mantle of too much responsibility, the heavy burden of authority, the (sometimes unfair) criticism of those who disagree with you or simply don't like you, weariness, self-doubt, facing your inadequacies on an almost daily basis, family time, three-day weekends, interrupted vacations, and much more.

But the rewards (which you didn't ask about), make it all worth it (IMHO, of course).

Jack Hairston

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/849013#Comment_849013

I have been told that the retirement package is out of this world.

Josh

Bo Hong said:

Hi, I am curious to know how much is the cost of becoming a Pastor.

I live in Toronto, Canada.

Thanks

Rawlings School of Divinity (Liberty University) can be attended fully online and is regionally accredited. They offer highly discounted block pricing if you enroll full-time (only $2,750 for up to 5 courses a semester is an amazing deal!). They are one of the few accredited schools that don't charge high prices for those who want a M.Div.

http://www.liberty.edu/online/masters/divinity/

Myke Harbuck

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/849021#Comment_849021

Josh said:

Bo Hong said:

Hi, I am curious to know how much is the cost of becoming a Pastor.

I live in Toronto, Canada.

Thanks

Rawlings School of Divinity (Liberty University) can be attended fully online and is regionally accredited. They offer highly discounted block pricing if you enroll full-time (only $2,750 for up to 5 courses a semester is an amazing deal!). They are one of the few accredited schools that don't charge high prices for those who want a M.Div.

http://www.liberty.edu/online/masters/divinity/

amen brother. I highly recommend this school!! 

Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/849006#Comment_849006

Thank you for sharing Pastor Fritz - what a lovely testimony and you certainly gave honour to  our Lord in what you wrote.  Keep well  Paul

KJ Niblett

Bo Hong said:

Hi, I am curious to know how much is the cost of becoming a Pastor.

I live in Toronto, Canada.

Thanks

Bo its more about calling than training.
In my own experience I was called by a local church 4 hours away from where i live with ZERO theological or ministry training.

Once I was in the roll after a year, I then started formal theological training via distance and intensives.

Mark Barnes

Bo Hong said:

Hi, I am curious to know how much is the cost of becoming a Pastor.

I wrote an article on the cost of training minister in the UK, back in 2008: https://www.markbarnes.net/2008/09/who-pays-to-train-our-ministers/

Hermann Fritz

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/849099#Comment_849099

Dear Paul, thank you very much for your kind reply. Our good Lord Jesus be also with you!

Hermann 

TCBlack

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/849013#Comment_849013

Rich DeRuiter said:

It costs you sleepless nights, countless hours of study, hours upon hours of prayer and intercession, the weight of unreasonable expectations, the mantle of too much responsibility, the heavy burden of authority, the (sometimes unfair) criticism of those who disagree with you or simply don't like you, weariness, self-doubt, facing your inadequacies on an almost daily basis, family time, three-day weekends, interrupted vacations, and much more.

Yes.  Just yes.

Linval London

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/849013#Comment_849013

Rich DeRuiter said:

It costs you sleepless nights, countless hours of study, hours upon hours of prayer and intercession, the weight of unreasonable expectations, the mantle of too much responsibility, the heavy burden of authority, the (sometimes unfair) criticism of those who disagree with you or simply don't like you, weariness, self-doubt, facing your inadequacies on an almost daily basis, family time, three-day weekends, interrupted vacations, and much more.

But the rewards (which you didn't ask about), make it all worth it (IMHO, of course).

Amen to that brother!

James Chandler

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/849030#Comment_849030

Me too. I am two classes shy of my MAR.

Mike Childs

If God has called you, it is a great life.  After over 40 years as a Methodist pastor, I still love what I do.

Different churches have different requirements for their pastors.  Trust God to open doors and provide, and He will.

The only I advice I can give is to love God, love God's Word, and love God's people.  Do that well, and everything else will work out.