The rates given by the Catholic Church in Australia;

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5acea6725417fc059ddcc33f/t/669dd6fc804c9f5cf253610d/1721620220659/20230722+CRA+National+Ministerial+Stipend+Rates+2024-2025+Revised.pdf

Just reading some of the comments here. I will reply to some now and others later.

Armchair Critic,

<<Does the youth pastor have a wife / husband and kids and a car and rent or home repayments, and registration, insurance, cost of schooling, birthdays and christmas and all the things normal people have?>>

Well perhaps if the priest in question was not living such a sinful life in the bedroom we may not be having this discussion involving such a point.

Perhaps if the pastor did not have such a desire for materialistic items and lived a basic life also and not focusing on extravagant birthdays and Christmas celebrations either we may not be having this discussion.

It must also be noted, that a pastor that is married also is not able to remain focused on church activity, its followers and God because he has to remain focused on his wife/partner which will naturally become a distraction from his godly duties.

As pointed out a basic stipend should suffice, alongside donations and support from your church congregation and anyone else in the wider community. You shouldn't be doing it for the money - and should be able to show so by your activity/actions.

Hi NathanJ,

Firstly, you did not say 'Priest' in your opening comment.
You said 'Youth Pastor'.
Pastor's have wives in Christian churches.
Priests in Catholic churches take a vow of celibacy.
- Two completely different kinds of church leaders.

"Perhaps if the pastor did not have such a desire for materialistic items and lived a basic life also and not focusing on extravagant birthdays and Christmas celebrations either we may not be having this discussion."

A lot of Christian church pastors have wives.
Kenneth Copeland does along with his fleet of jets.
But as for showering gifts upon your loved ones on birthdays and Christmas, and going on a family holiday for example, this is what you do for loved ones, even if you have to pay off the credit card debt for a couple of months.
What is life if you can't make the ones you love happy?
True love is selflessly doing things to make the ones you love happy, because it makes you happy to see them happy, and damn the expense.
(Within reason of course)

"It must also be noted, that a pastor that is married also is not able to remain focused on church activity, its followers and God because he has to remain focused on his wife/partner which will naturally become a distraction from his godly duties."

I think you're going a bit far here, and missing the whole point.

Human beings aren't meant to spend all their lives alone.
We are supposed to find someone to love that loves us back equally.
The husband takes care of his wife, and the wife takes care of her husband.
It doesn't have to mean the wife distracts her Pastor husband, but assists him in going about his tasks while also taking care of the family.

Man and woman are meant to be together, to experience love, to love one another and to have kids, and raise and love them and be there for them the best they can too.

ttbn said;

"the spouse is also expected to provide voluntary services in the parish." Not in the Catholic Church, not to every bloke in the parish! The "wife" is only expected to provide housekeeping and personal services to Fr Fookemup, so he stops interfering with the alter boys. A perfectly satisfactory arrangement all round.

Good movie worth a watch "PRIEST" 1994, staring Robert Carlyle

What good is a Youth Pastor who doesn't have kids?
We're talking about young teenagers 13 to 17 in the church youth group.
Were talking about Christian 'Family' Churches.
Different story entirely if you're a young female Sunday school teacher for the little ones.
This is a job for big sister, who, now grown up has spend years around her younger brothers and sisters and takes care of them from a Christian family that already knows well the bible and bible stories.

What good is a childless celibate person to young adults, many of which have raging hormones and young love and crushes for members of the opposite sex?
You need a more well rounded person who can connect with young people to take on this role.

"As pointed out a basic stipend should suffice, alongside donations and support from your church congregation and anyone else in the wider community. You shouldn't be doing it for the money - and should be able to show so by your activity/actions."

That's what $1200 a week is these days.
How much do you think a full trolley of groceries is to feed a family of 4 each week these days?
You said the wife would be a distraction, no.
Expecting someone to do this job for next to nothing, whilst their own family suffers and expecting them to spend all their time begging for food and donations, well that is the distraction.

When they pass around the church bag around to place tithings into, there's not enough room in there to put in tins of soup.
Family's are encouraged to give 10 percent of their earning to God.

$1200 a week before tax is barely enough to look after a family, but just enough that the person doesn't have to go begging or see his own family starve.
How much do you think a child care worker gets paid?

And to the rest of you Christians, who think because I often criticise Christians and Jews that I don't know how a Christian Family Church works, you're wrong, I know.
My stepmothers father was a church elder and my father, after he married my stepmum used to do the sound and audio at the church.

I went to church, I went to Sunday school, I went to youth group.
Only for about 2 years when I was in grade 8 and 9.
I would even see them go to bible study sometimes on week nights as well, when they would send me to youth group.
I know how it works well enough, and I know how these people think.
I have a huge Christian family on my stepmums side.