Budget Planning  

Honoraria

I want to follow God’s leadership related to speaking and travel, regardless of financial issues.  But because many church leaders ask for guidance about honoraria and love offerings, the following statement is provided.

Like many, I have taken a significant salary decrease in order to train ministers and leaders through the seminary.  In reality, we expect our teachers and professors to earn part of their livelihood through a broader ministry of traveling and speaking.  In earlier positions, love offerings were just a nice supplement – now they are basic.

Due to tithe, offerings, and taxes, 30% of love offerings never appear in the family budget. As an example, a love offering of $1,000 actually benefits the family with $700.

My desire to be a fully devoted father and husband places a ceiling on the number of events I can accept.  Thus, each of those events I am able to accept becomes an important part of financial support for the family.

• To date, most love offerings for out-of-town, weekend events have ranged from $800 - $2,500. 
• To date, most love offerings for local events have ranged from $300 - $500 on Wednesdays and $500 -$1,100 on Sundays.

With that background, I trust churches and conferences to do what is fair.

Honorarium Check

Receiving the honorarium at the close of the event is typical.