Today a Car is essential for a minister to use in the work of the church. It is a wise thought that a congregation provides that Ministry tool to their pastor. It is important for the following reasons. Church Purchase a Car for the Pastor
- Increase Visitation Ability / Increased Evangelism potential
- Increased Time spent doing Ministry ( By Foot you can visit 1 close family, by a car several families in the same time frame)
- Pastors need to respond to Many Flock emergencies
- Pastors are not always mechanically inclined / their gifts are more in ministry
- Truthfully most pastors use their cars to minister to their flocks.
- A decision to make sure that transportation is available is a flock wide use.
- It is wise for a church to provide an incentive for their pastor to use this tool to amplify his ministry
Deuteronomy 25:4, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain”
Table of Contents
Generally, Pastors Salaries are Not High
Pastors’ salaries are dependent on the congregation’s size and ability. Pastors’ salaries are also dependent on where they live. Some communities are poorer than others. Preachers United States’ pay varies by state. See this article. from Zip Recruiter.
Generally, a pastor’s attitude toward pay is different than most people. Their Heart lives, ministries are God Driven, irrespective of Money. They still need money but are not driven by it.
Is it Wise for a Church Purchase a Car for a Pastor?
Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
Galatians 6:6(NIV)
You may be wondering, “can a church purchase a car for a pastor?” Is it okay for the members of the church to make contributions so that the church can buy a car for their pastor? Shouldn’t pastors buy their own cars with the money they get paid with?
- Car’s Can be bought from Preachers Salary
- The church can give the pastor a Mileage allowance
- The church can give a car as a gift
- The church can give a car as a part of their salary
- Members can give Minister a car ( I have seen this a lot)
- Fund Raiser for this purchase – for those who voluntarily feel the importance of this tool.
- Church buys its own vehicle and the Pastor has use of that vehicle.
Some of us have been asked by our church leaders to contribute money to buy the pastor’s car. But we are struggling with the idea of purchasing a car for the pastor. Some have been bold enough to ask other members and church leaders about this. But some of us have struggled with this inwardly and have decided to look for answers in other places.
The truth is, there is no definite answer to this question. Some people will tell you yes without a second thought, while others think doing so means exploiting church members. We need to approach it in different angels. First of all, the church needs to be clear about one thing. You need to determine whether the car will be a gift for the pastor or whether it will be a church car that the pastor can use even for their own personal use if they don’t own a car.
In this article, we will look at the positive and negative side of purchasing a car for your pastor (that is as a gift or a church car). First, let us look at why it is okay for the church to buy a car for their pastor.
Why it is Okay for Churches to Purchase Cars for their Pastors
The Pastor will use the Car for Ministry Purposes
The truth is whether it is a church car or a gift, your pastor is going to use it to serve the church. If it is a church car, then there will be times he/she may use it for personal reasons, but most of the time, he will use it for his pastoral duties. Buying your pastor a car will help him/her get around faster, and they will be able to reach their congregants in cases of emergency.
Imagine having a pastor who has to travel miles to pray for a sick church member in the middle of the night and yet they have an old car that keeps breaking down. Pastors move around a lot, and a good car will come handy.
Most Pastors Depend on the Church for their Finances
You may wonder why can’t the pastor get money from their salary and buy their own car. But if we are, to be honest, most pastors get very little pay. Pastors in mega-churches or with businesses may not find it hard to buy a car. But the same cannot be said about other pastors, especially those that are either starting out in ministry or have small congregations.
Given that pastors have to move around a lot, it may not be possible for them to save enough money within a short time to buy a car that will serve them well. In situations where the pastor cannot afford, the church can purchase a car for their pastor as a gesture that they appreciate him and understand what he is going through. Or they can buy a church car so that the pastor can be using it.
Now that we know why it is okay to purchase a car for a pastor, let us look at the flip side.
Taxes need to be Considered
Any gift or offering given to pastors by the congregation will be taxed according to the law. The church needs to be aware of this as you plan to purchase the car. But why is that? Anything that the church gives to the pastor is considered as compensation of service by the taxman and will therefore be taxed as wages. The pastor may be required to include the cash value of the car that you buy him as a gift in his taxable income.
It would be better if the church bought the car and then gave the pastor to use to avoid additional costs that come up because of taxes.
It may be a Source of Conflict
Many congregants may not come out and say that they are not happy about buying the pastor a car, but some of them will not be happy with the idea and maybe offended. It is better to buy a church vehicle and allow the pastor to use it that way, the church will avoid conflict that comes with buying the pastor a car as a gift. This is more so if the pastor has his own personal car.
It will not settle well with members, especially those that don’t have their own cars or are struggling financially.
Members shouldn’t be divided along the lines of who is for the pastor and who is not. The pastor should be a unifying factor.
In short
Yes, a church can purchase a car for a pastor
(1Corinthians 9:11), “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”
but there are a lot of things that need to be put into consideration. First of all, the church should determine whether they are buying it as a church vehicle or whether they are giving it to the pastor as a gift. Knowing this from the on start will make things easier.
Secondly, the church leaders should bring the issue to the church as a suggestion, especially if it is a gift so that they can get feedback from the congregation. That way, you will avoid conflict and division that always comes up because of such matters. If the pastor has a good car, this idea may not be great as some people will feel exploited.
Pastors move around a lot because they do not serve within the church building alone.
They have been called by God to serve people in the communities that they live in.
Remember, the pastor is a unifying factor in the church. People should not divide themselves into groups because of him/her. The decision to purchase a car for a pastor should not be imposed on congregants. Each member should be given a chance to voice their opinion. If the majority are okay with it, then those that are willing can make contributions to the purchase of the car.