“This is assuming the pastor’s wife spends at least twenty to thirty hours a week caring for needs and souls of the church, which I believe is mandatory for the wives of pastors.”
I don’t know if I have ever seen this practiced, but wondered for those that have. What does it look like for a Church where the Pastor’s wife (and Elder’s wives for that matter) spend that kind of time ministering to the congregants? It seemed like it would be impactful on so many levels. But I agree with the thought that Elder’s doing pastoral compensation should take into account the pastor’s wife’s work. Can the counter argument also be used? I had a previous Pastor whose wife was highly compensated for her work, and who was not involved in the life of the Church except on a very superficial level. Should the Pastor’s compensation be decremented because his wife effectively made enough for the household to live very well?