Where the pastor lives can be one of the most sensitive issues in the parish. Whether called parsonage, rectory, or manse, historically most churches provided a living space for their pastors.

Over the past few decades this has been changing.   It is becoming more common and accepted for a minister to live in their own home.

As with everything there are pros and cons for each living situation. Here are a few:

Pro Parsonage:

• In case of uncertain or short pastoral appointments, one is spared the hassle of purchasing and selling a home.

• It takes at least five years to amortize a home.  In other words,   after five years the value of a home will have increased enough to get back the amount you spent in terms of home cost, realtor and financing expenses.  One could perceivable make losses.

• Less worrisome living--no electric, maintenance, or fuel bills to worry about (also: often a housing allowance that is granted instead of the free parsonage does not cover all of the housing expenses).
  

Pro Home Owning:

• More Privacy--especially as compared to living in a parsonage that is near or attached to the church building (many pastor's in these situations feel bothered by frequent, unannounced visits and requests to unlock the church, etc.)

• Less points of tension with the congregation (the condition of the manse is often a point of contention

• Higher quality of living--remodeling and modifying one's own home is much easier than getting the board to approve a change (often parsonages are kept in neutral color and design themes like "parsonage" beige carpets, walls, and drapes.

• Home owners build equity.  Typically after 30 years, an mortgaged home is paid off which means more security, and better living comfort in retirement.

• There may be certain tax advantages to owning a home.

Do you have any insights or advice on this topic?
 

Your Thoughts:

Date: 20 Mar 2002

Contribution

I shared my pet story on on the "funny parsonage stories" page.

I think the issue of pets could also be a pro-housing allowance argument, as some churches have a no-pet policy for their manses; yet clergy families have the same interest in and need for pets than any other family....FYS

Date: 20 Mar 2002

Contribution

As a single pastor, living in the parsonage is a real blessing. I get to live in a place close to the church with plenty of rooms (one for my cats, one for my home-movie theatre, one for guests).

Date: 21 Mar 2002

Contribution

I,ve done it both ways- a big! part of it depends on how well the parsonage is kept between pastorates (I'm Presbyterian, so there can be a while between pastors- those of you in call as opposed to an appointment systems will know what I mean)One church had a beautiful manse away from the church, which was a good situation. But another church had a small outdated manse, which had not been kept up-they said they were waiting for the next pastor. A lay friend of mine asked me what that said about what the church thought about the pastor (not much, was his reply)Here, I own my home, and while it probably costs me more (and yes, it does cost the church more for a housing allowance than for a thirty year old manse)but I like the privacy and the ability to do what I want with my home. The other issue is equity-where do I live twenty years from now if I retire then? A manse situation does not allow even the chance of building up any equity at all. What does a retired pastor who has always lived in a manse do then?

Date: 21 Mar 2002

Contribution

into thy hand I commit my spirit

Date: 22 Mar 2002

Contribution

I love living in our parsonage - it is twice the size of whatever house we could afford on our own. The people who decorated it have teriffic taste and they keep up-to-date on repairs. We have a dog and are agreeable to repairing whatever she destroys when we leave. Privacy isn't much of a problem ... actually I would like it if people would drop in and vivit more.

Equity is a problem. We're looking for a house to buy and rent out so that when we retire we won't be homeless.

kbc inb sc

Date: 22 Mar 2002

Contribution

Being in an appointive system, our denomination is returning to the parsonage system after briefly straying from it for a couple of years. We have the best of all worlds, we live in a 9 room house overlokking the ocean, but the house was in real bad shape when we arrived. Much work has been done but much more is needed. The location is beautiful.

We also just finished designing and having a retirement home built. This place is on a lake near a mountain with a ski area. We escape to the "camp" whenever we can, it is all heated year round. It becomes expensive but we are beginning to built equity. I like our own home as we can do as we wish without a committee to vote it up or down. We have the best of both worlds. A W-G rocky coast Me.

Date: 23 Mar 2002

Contribution

Like A W-G from the rocky coast of Maine, we too have the best of both worlds. We live in a 5-year-old parsonage on a lake and own a big old farmhouse in not far from here that we are renovating for "someday." It's a great place to escape to, we can work on it and go "home" to a clean, finished home at night, and will have a home when the day comes to retire that we will own outright. So yes . . . best of both world . . . and blest! RevMom from Maine (Hi A W-G!)

Date: 23 Mar 2002

Contribution

As a single woman living in a parsonage has immense value. I do not have a spouse that helps with a mortgage payment, but it also makes me VERY itinerant. Many clergy with spouses who have good jobs are "tied" to a certain metropolitan area and thus the usually good appointments. It's a big problem sometimes.

Buying a home at this point is out of the question. Even if I was assured I would stay here for 5+ years. Being out of seminary only 2 years, I have no savings and live at the lowest level of clergy salary. What type of home would I be able to afford?

RAP in OH

Date: 23 Mar 2002

Contribution

I am strongly pro-home ownership, and anti-parsonage.

The parsonage system dates to a time when preachers were paid in things like a sack of beans and a side of beef. I thank God that my congregation no longer sees fit to pay me thusly.

What I see is retired age preachers, or preachers in their late-50s, who are just now buying a "retirement home" after 40 years of living in a parsonage. I think that's corporate sin on the part of our churches to not allow a minister to build up equity in their own home.

A paid-off home is one of the major benefits of retirement for most people but, unfortuately, not most preachers. That's why so many of our colleages are forced to continue to work, past the mandatory retirement age.

Date: 25 Mar 2002

Contribution

Done it both ways - like having my own place, but having recently felt forced into mobility we now have a house to sell while making mortgage payments without the housing allowance (we moved into a parsonage.) One additional thought about retirement and purchasing a home - in our judicatory (ELCA) one's entire pension compensation can be considered as "housing" therefore not subject to federal income taxes as long as the expenses support the income. Not a bad deal - though if you have no other income in retirement you might be on the losing side. MB in OH

Date: 27 Mar 2002

Contribution

Don't underestimate the bad effects of parsonages on preachers' kids. When the trustees do all the maintenance, the children do not have the usual opportunities to learn basic home skills (how to fix a toilet, snake a pipe, patch a wall...). PKs in parsonages also never see their parents making a mortgage or a rent payment. My husband and brother-in-law were raised in parsonages, and as adults both were rather shocked to discover how much work goes into maintaining a home in the "real world."

Our congregation recently sold off our parsonage. We'd been renting it out for the past several years anyway, because our previous pastor preferred to buy his own house and build some equity. The housing market in a specific area has to be a factor in this decision, of course, but in general I think parsonages are a bad idea.

Janet in MD

Date: 27 Mar 2002

Contribution

In my former ministry site, I often rewarded myself if I finished my sermon by noon Friday. I would disappear and take in a movie, or go to the local Botanic garden. Sat. was my day off, since it was my child's and my husband's but sometimes there were congregationalscheduling conflicts with that. But I was very intentional. Eighteen years ago my internship supervisor, Steve McKinley, once told me my child would have one mother, my husband one spouse, whereas congregations have had pastors before you and will have pastors after you are gone. That put everything in perspective. Still, I took some flack in some congregations because they were used to pastors (sorry brothers, usually male) who forgot that the Messiah already came! I encourage my brother colleagues to be consciencious about their families, or lacking a traditional family, your circle of supportive friends, and to delight in them, and allow them to refresh you and let your c congregations know you need that time, even if you are not married. A female Lutheran pastor, now divorced, but with a circle of friends.

Date: 30 Mar 2002

Contribution

We found that owning a home gave us a certain respect among lay people and even among some extended family, who think that having a mortgage makes you a real adult. Some people think the parsonage system means that you haven't lived in the "real" world, where you have to pay bills. Unfortunately for us, we were unexpectedly asked to move by our bishop only four years after purchasing our home. Now, nine months later we are still carrying the mortgage while trying to sell - we may lose money on the sale. C. Bowers

Date: 30 Mar 2002

Contribution

I am amazed that any parish would even try to prohibit pets from the parsonage. My dog may be a little rough on the house (and even rougher on the lawn, I'll grant you that) but she also forces me out for walks, offers me unconditional love, shares affection with everyone she meets, and provides many sermon illustrations. She makes me a better person, not just a better pastor.

I am SO lucky to be in a beautiful, well-cared for rectory where folks have been encouraged in the past to call before dropping over to visit. But I do wonder what will happen when I ask the board to consider things like fencing the yard-- not essential for maintenance of the house, but something the dog and I would both really like.

Date: 30 Mar 2002

Contribution

some charges in UMC expect the parsonage left better thn when you arrived. We replaced carpets & painted and this little Ohio Church went to the DS to get the house painted, new carpet in the remaining rooms. This was not so funny Ohio preacher

Date: 30 Mar 2002

Contribution

We have lived in places where buying a home would not have made good sense financially. We simply would not have been certain to sell a house when we left. Also this is the first time we have been in the same place for 5 years. Whether to live in a manse or buy a home depends on where you are. We haven't had problems with congregations about the manse or their willingness to maintain them. It would have helped if the people where we live now had told us when we came that they had primed all the walls white so we could paint whatever color we wanted. Sue in Cuba Ks

Date: 01 Apr 2002

Contribution

I feel that church members shouldn't be their pastor's landlord. It puts us in an intractable dual relationship and puts people in your life in a way that isn't very appropriate in my mind. in addition you miss the tax deduction a true housing allowance allows. In addition it is a deterrent for many entering the ministry who don't want to call a committee to get their terlet fixed!

Date: 03 Apr 2002

Contribution

The parsonage is great stewardship for a congregation and lousy stewardship too. I'm in the ELCA. A recent article in our denominational magazine indicated that Lutheran clergy are the lowest paid clergy in the Christian church except for our poor RC priests. Providing a parsonage allows the congregation to pay a pastor a non-living wage. I made $19K right out of seminary. After tithing, taxes, student loan payments and grocery bills my family would run out of money several days before the next payday. So it was true that when every other week another member of my congregation sent their kids to the parsonage to sell pizzas for the band, Christmas decorations for the scouts, spaghetti dinner tickets for the cheerleaders, lillies for the youth group, coupon books for the FFA, popcorn for the scouts, raffle tickets for the hockey team, cookies for the girlscouts, etc., not to mention inviting my wife to every sales party in the yellow pages, we had to mumble an embarrassed apology about not having any money. Contrary to what many people think, living in a parsonage is not the same as winning a free dream home in some sweepstakes. It is a way for a congregation to get a pastor for far less than a just wage. Even now, 8 years into my ministry, I am paid a bit more but I have so little in my actual takeparsonage pay that what I do on my vacation is find activities closeby that cost less than $50 for the five of us and then return to the parsonage in the evening because we can not afford a motel room and then we have to make it look like we're not home or we get the inevitable request to do some sort of church related work ("since I saw the light on or the tv on I knew you were home."). It is amazing to what extreme the church members will hop to it to fund a parking lot or leaky roof repair but to what extent they will neglect the proper care and maintenance of the very important congregational asset known as the pastor (support staff too). A parsonage is penny wise and pound foolish stewardship of congregational resources.

Date: 08 Apr 2002

Contribution

I guess I've got still another take:

My husband, daughters, and I go "housing" for fun sometimes on Sunday afternoons. There are some times, I confess, that I really HATE not having a place of my own. I'm nesting and want to settle, but have vowed to submit to itineracy.

Date: 12 Apr 2002

Contribution

I currently am living in a parsonage owned by my church and am loving it. It is twice the home that we could afford (my husband is also a pastor). The head of the property committee told us "it is your home, and you are to decorate it as you see fit". We treat it that way. We painted the walls and have truly made it our home. I would never even consider asking permission to do these things. Major changes, yes, but not cosmetic changes. No one has complained yet.

One of the things I asked for in my salary package was an equity allowance to be invested in a housing equity fund. My husband is also investing half of his housing allowance into a housing equity fund administered by the ELCA board of pensions. I think that denominations should make this mandatory for congregations who provide a house.

By the way, clergy couples beware. Many congregations have the attitude that if one's spouse's congregation provides a parsonage, the other can cut it's housing allowance. This happened in a very subtle way at my husband's first call.

One disadvantage is taxes. We must pay Self Employment tax on the fair rental value of the parsonage and we get none of the tax advantages which come with home ownership. I am willing to bet that the tax differences are quite significant.

RWH in MD

Date: 12 Apr 2002

Contribution

I've lived in both a parsonage (manse as we Presbyterians have called them in some locations)and we have owned our own home. There are pros and cons for each living situation. In my first parish, I served as a co-pastor of four congregations. Believing that living in one community versus another where there was already a vacant parsonage might enable that congregation to grow, a small two bedroom home was rented for us where we had our own natural sky-light through the bedroom closet, the walls had been patched with grocery sacks before being painted, a skunk had moved into the garage, the floors all sloped to the center of the house, one genteel elderly lady came to our home one day and commented about the wall paper fading around objects of a previous tenant that it looked like a doggie had vomited on the walls, and one day I awakened to find that as I walked across the carpeted floors that I would be bitten by flees which had hatched from previous tenant's dogs and laid their eggs in the carpet. We look back and bless the Lord for living there for a short time. In one parish I served, my brother-in-law needed to store some things at our home for awhile. One day my father-in-law backed up to our garage door with a horse trailer behind his pickup. We made the comment that within a few minutes that a certain parishioner would be calling to see if we were moving or what was up! Sure enough being true to form she did. She made the comment once when we parked our cars in the garage and closed the garage doors, that she never knew if we were home or not. If you are going to live in the parsonage, some ideas that we've found to make it our own home as a part of the moving package that any redecorating of the parsonage needing to be done would be selected by oneself or one's spouse (in that case my wife got to make the parsonage more of her home than someone else's decorating preferences.) In another parish, we rented a home from a parishioner who was firmly attached to the former pastor who had retired in the community. I believe it is never to rent from a parishioner. Sometimes as has been our experience with owning our own homes, there are parishioners that have been gracious enough to help paint, do minor electrical and plumbing repairs which I am not skilled enough to be able to do for relatively nothing. Because of my wife's personality, we will probably not ever prefer to live in a parsonage again. Buying your own home can be a costly investment or else it can be a costly detriment as well. The same community where we rented, we finally solved the problem by purchasing a home which we loved a beautiful Sears and Roebuck home (1918 Victorian style). Believe me that was difficult to leave behind and when we did move it was also difficult to sell for what we needed. We ended up breaking even but barely. In smaller communities (less than 2000 pop.) which are rather isolated from larger communities preventing them from serving as bedroom communities, it is difficult for a pastor to buy and sell a home when needed. I would encourage churches in smaller communities to own and keep up a nice (4 bedroom) parsonage to attract pastors and their families to such communities.

Date: 18 Apr 2002

Contribution

Title: Existence of clergy housing allowance threatened Date: April 10, 2002 Disciples News Service Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) E-mail: news@cm.disciples.org Web: http://www.disciples.org

Contact: Mariane Scott, secretary/director of communications Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (317) 634-4504 e-mail: mscott@pension.disciples.org

02a-27

INDIANAPOLIS - Pastors who claim part of their income as housing allowance are encouraged to contact members of Congress to prevent the elimination of this long-standing tax benefit.

Unless Congress acts soon, a federal court appears poised to strike down the clergy housing allowance as unconstitutional. The result would cause an unprecedented tax increase and burden for clergy, who can exclude from taxes a portion of income they attribute as housing.

If you value your clergy housing allowance tax exclusion, contact your U.S. Senator and Representative by telephone, e-mail or U.S. Postal Service today. Tell them:

* A pending court case is threatening to increase taxes on ministers by eliminating our clergy housing allowance tax exemption.

* Congress can act to prevent the loss of clergy housing allowance. Without prompt action, clergy may be forced to pay an unprecedented $500 million more in taxes annually.

* Clergy housing allowance has been part of our tax laws since the early 1900s. This is important to me because . . .

* Please support corrective legislation to prevent the courts from eliminating our clergy housing allowance. U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad (Minnesota) is a sponsor of a bill being introduced to the House to preserve clergy housing allowance.

* Thank you for your time, interest and support to preserve clergy housing allowance . . .

Contact Information

If you need contact information to reach a member of Congress:

U.S. House of Representatives * By telephone call (202) 224-3121 * By internet see www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html

U.S. Senate * By telephone call (202) 224-3121 * By internet see www.senate.gov/senators/senator_by_state.cfm

You may find e-mail as your most effective method of contact.

Background

Until recently, a long-standing Internal Revenue Service ruling has limited the amount of income that clergy can exclude as housing to the fair market rental value. In a recent Warren v. Commissioner, 114 T.C. 23 (2000), a taxpayer challenged this limit and won in U.S. Tax Court. The IRS appealed this decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Rather than deciding the narrow interpretation in the Warren decision, the court has turned the case into one that challenges the constitutionality of the clergy housing allowance.

Without intervention, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals could strike down clergy housing allowance as unconstitutional as early as this spring 2002. If this occurs, clergy of all faiths could face an immediate tax increase of $500 million annually.

The Pension Fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has followed clergy housing allowance issues and the recent court case very closely as a member of the Church Alliance, an ecumenical coalition of 32 pension boards from Protestant, Catholic and Jewish denominations that promotes legislation to strengthen church benefit programs. Currently, the Church Alliance is working with members of Congress, the courts and federal agencies to clarify the statue that clergy housing allowance is limited to the fair rental value of a house. Securing the original IRS interpretation would settle the pending court case without adverse tax consequences on clergy.

You will find further information on the ELCA Board of Pensions web site at www.elcabop.org.

-- end --

Date: 26 Apr 2002

Contribution

As a fifty year old entering the ministry I am hoping to have a parsonage. AFter 30 years of my own home, for a time, it will be nice to have a parsonage. Hoping to join the rocky coast of Maine folks. KS in PA

Date: 29 Apr 2002

Contribution

We have always lived in parsonages (35 years) and been in rural or very small town settings. It might be hard to find what you want to purchase in a small market. Once I had an interview in a small community where there were a total of 5 houses on the market, ranging from 50K to 250K. What a choice! Sometimes we hate the color of the walls or carpet, but since they are not ours, we put up with them. If it were ours, we would feel compelled to change, and the costs might be quite high. To say"It's not ours' can be very freeing. Fortunately we in the ELCA have something called "Housing Equity" which is an additional tax-sheltered fund, which will help us to buy of home in retirement. The downside of that is that we will have no house buying experience, and will have tough choices to make. JRW in OH

Date: 13 Jun 2002

Contribution

Hi,

I've done both. Love having my own place for privacy, but in this expensive urban area (SF Bay Area) -- all I can afford is a small one-room apartment. My housing is much more modest than most of my parishoners, and is too small for having "public" and "private" zones, so I don't have church folks over.

I have a great fantasy -- that denominations pool their parsonages and other given residential properties. Set an independent (not local parish driven) board of maintenence and rental, and then offer these properties for us by clergy. And, that pastors be paid some "equity offset" -- to use for buying property of their own post-service years. I think something like this would be the best of both worlds -- but, I am a dreamer. We're all way too tighly clutched to our property to imagine sharing across such lines. There are solutions to be had that both honor the unique role of clergy and allow for our privacy, just housing, and future residential needs. Kathryn in CA

Date: 20 Jun 2002

Contribution

We've owned our own home and had a parsonage, and currently I find myself on the "pro parsonage" side of the arguement. We live in a brand new, 4 bedroom house, which the church decided to build last year during the vacancy so that the pastor would live in the school district and not have to worry about selling a house once they left. The downside is the neutral colors of walls and carpets, and the inability to do some creative "trading spaces" kind of decorating. That is about it though. We have a better house then we could afford, and our congregation respects our privacy. We, too, are putting money into the ELCA equity fund so that we'll be able to buy a house in retirement. I think the "tax advantage" of home ownership is greatly exaggerated - you don't make up on taxes what it costs to borrow the money. Through an equity allowance interest is working in our favor. I believe savy churches, during this time of clergy shortages are going to take a look at their housing - old parsonages need to be replaced, not just have another coat of paint slapped on them. Especially now that my husband and I are "middle aged," our hope is that we won't have to buy a home until retirement. Oh, and one more advantage, we don't have to cut our own grass!. Lisa in Central IL

Date: 21 Jun 2002

Contribution

Dearest Pastor Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ , Praise the Lord . we all are okay by the grace of God ,we hope you will be okay by the grace of God. we are praying for you lord use you all over the world & Specially for the Pakistan for his Glory. Dear Pastor I want to tell you about my Ministries work that is running in Pakistan . we are working all over the Pakistan Cities and Villages .we arranged the Healing Crusades & Pastor Leadership Training Seminars in different areas of Pakistan Country . 45 Pastor are working with our Ministries they working with responsibility in own Churches ,our all Pastors and Ministries running self-support by the grace of God. We hope you will help us with Fiancé for the Jesus Glory in Pakistan. In this way we invitation to you first you visit & see our Ministries out reach work in here in Pakistan we go their where their all most Pastors cannot Visit in Back area of Pakistan & we want to do work with you in future for the Kingdom of God. In the world part of this areas of Pakistan ,Pastors your need for the preparing the Peoples for the Lord Second Coming in the world. We are working between the Muslims Peoples for the Jesus Christ. We hope you & your Executive Committee give us good response in here in Pakistan because we all Pastors and our Congregations, Daily Praying for these Projects. You also praying for us God open the Door for you his glory working in Pakistan with us to you. God bless to You & your Executive Committee & Congregations I want your quick & Positive Response in here in Pakistan for the Jesus Glory. I want to leave with this prayer Matthew 28 : 18-20 Your bro. Founder & Chairman International Eternal Life Ministries Of Pakistan Rev, Pastor Anwar Masih Fazal 76/5 Modern Colony Kotlakhpat Lahore/Pakistan Tel : 92-42-5867055

Date: 21 Jun 2002

Contribution

Dearest Pastor Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ , Praise the Lord . we all are okay by the grace of God ,we hope you will be okay by the grace of God. we are praying for you lord use you all over the world & Specially for the Pakistan for his Glory. Dear Pastor I want to tell you about my Ministries work that is running in Pakistan . we are working all over the Pakistan Cities and Villages .we arranged the Healing Crusades & Pastor Leadership Training Seminars in different areas of Pakistan Country . 45 Pastor are working with our Ministries they working with responsibility in own Churches ,our all Pastors and Ministries running self-support by the grace of God. We hope you will help us with Fiancé for the Jesus Glory in Pakistan. In this way we invitation to you first you visit & see our Ministries out reach work in here in Pakistan we go their where their all most Pastors cannot Visit in Back area of Pakistan & we want to do work with you in future for the Kingdom of God. In the world part of this areas of Pakistan ,Pastors your need for the preparing the Peoples for the Lord Second Coming in the world. We are working between the Muslims Peoples for the Jesus Christ. We hope you & your Executive Committee give us good response in here in Pakistan because we all Pastors and our Congregations, Daily Praying for these Projects. You also praying for us God open the Door for you his glory working in Pakistan with us to you. God bless to You & your Executive Committee & Congregations I want your quick & Positive Response in here in Pakistan for the Jesus Glory. I want to leave with this prayer Matthew 28 : 18-20 Your bro. Founder & Chairman International Eternal Life Ministries Of Pakistan Rev, Pastor Anwar Masih Fazal 76/5 Modern Colony Kotlakhpat Lahore/Pakistan Tel : 92-42-5867055

Date: 11 Jul 2002

Contribution

I lived in a parsonage for 17 years while serving a congregation in Western NY. To insure I had some equity, the congregation bought me a PAID UP life insurance policy and gave it to me. When I left for a parish that had no parsonage, I had the cash value from the life insurance policy to make my down payment. I am most grateful for the creative thinking of the church leaders in my previous parish!

Date: 22 Jul 2002

Contribution

As a minister for the Uniting Church in Australia, we have a system designed to ensure that housing is available at retirement which works similarly to superannuation. Each month, a portion of my stipend goes to a housing fund which is tax-free. I can, before retirement, borrow against those funds and combine them with a low-interest church housing loan to purchase a house for retirement, but I have to pay interest on the savings I borrow against (or tax if I leave the ministry). After retirement, these savings are available to purchase housing with a discounted tax rate. This scheme, along with the usual option of provided housing or manse allowance offers a fair amount of flexibility.

Date: 23 Aug 2002

Contribution

Someone said: I think that's corporate sin on the part of our churches to not allow a minister to build up equity in their own home. I agree. When I was ready for another appointment we were adament that the next church would not have a manse so we could buy and build equity. Most couples today both work. Ideally, you look for a home that is halfway for both. My husband and I live both 30 minutes away from our respective places of work. 30 minutes is not long wait to wait for the minister in an emergency. The congregation understands -- they're in the same situation -- although the older ones wish we lived in the community. Rev. Helen in Ontario

Date: 26 Aug 2002

Contribution

I could never afford a house in the community where I am ministering, based on the housing allowances paid by my denomination. The housing allowance is based on either fair rental value or a percentage of salary, whichever is less! Because I'm still pretty new at this (graduated from seminary 6 years ago), my salary is not high enough for the allowance to have me living in adequate housing in this town. A stupid policy, and one that pretty much guarantees that rectories will continue for some time...

Fortunately, my rectory is a fair distance from my church, and not outwardly identifiable in any way. My biggest concern in terms of privacy was when I was about to take maternity leave, but everyone was really good about respecting the time I was taking for my daughter, my husband and myself.

Date: 03 Oct 2002

Contribution

A lot of great opinions have been given hereand I add one more. For small town churches a parsonage works great. The church I am at often gets young pastors just out of seminary and only stay for a few years. In this small town there are only a few house for sale at a time and they are usually run down small houses or they are large farm estates. It would be very difficult for a pastor to quickly come in and buy a house and even more difficult to sell it when he moves. Most likely, the person buying the house would be the new pastor! Sometimes a parsonage is the best option! In Christ, Rev. Steve Richardson

Date: 03 Oct 2002

Contribution

I had one other thought. The way the parsonage and its residents are treated speak volumes about the congregation and its self-understanding. If the congregation keeps a nasty parsonage, but place high expectations upon the pastor ( & family) then will most likely treat the pastor the same at the office. It is an attempt to contol and manipulate. It says im in control of my relationship to God and therefore you. If a congregation has a heart for God and God's people then they will seek the best for its spiritual leader. If the church does not take the effort to fix the parsonage, they will not take the effort to grow or change as individuals. "This is the way it is going to be and you (pastor) will not change it!" is the message behind the broken heater. Your choice is to stick it out or shake the dust off on your way out of town.

In Christ, Rev. Steve Richardson

Date: 05 Oct 2002

Contribution

I'm a pastor who owns a home in a town I moved from in May of 2000. I currently live in a parsonage. This past month I found out the house's foundation shifted and now no one will touch it for the cost we paid for it. We are now hoping to get out from under. We could lose all our equity. I've lived in four parsonages since I've been in the ministry and I grew up in parsonages. I'm convinced that it's the way to go. My father is now retired and making payments on the house they own. The payments are being made from his ministers pension. Many times my father has said they are better off financially now then they ever have been before. Yes there are advantages to owning a home but like so much in life, there are no sure things, except Christ.

In Christ's way - Rev. Jim Wakelin Bloomfield, Iowa

Date: 5/3/2003

Contribution

I am looking for an available rectory or parsonage to purchase, in the suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, preferably in Washington County. Contact: Bob Faust, 278 Cambria Court, Woodbury, MN 55125 rjfaust@minn.net or telephone 651 739-8950. I have a townhome which I will sell if I can locate a suitable rectory or parsonage.