Joshua, a full-time church worker in a southern city, earns an average monthly salary of just over RMB 3,000. By the end of 2024, after accounting for living expenses such as food, housing, and transportation, Joshua found he had almost no savings.
His situation is likely a true reflection of the financial reality faced by many full-time church workers in China.
Though Shouldering Overwhelming Medical Costs for Father’s Cancer, Joshua Gets Timely Assistance
Earlier this year, Joshua’s father was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, requiring immediate hospitalization. The initial treatment costs amounted to RMB 240,000. Due to past medical expenses and other circumstances, his parents had little savings. As the family’s only child, Joshua was left to shoulder the burden with a low salary.
Thankfully, upon learning about his father’s diagnosis, church leaders and some compassionate believers proposed a fundraiser to help him.
Joshua said, “On one hand, I’m deeply grateful for the church and so many believers who were willing to help. But to be honest, I’m personally not very comfortable with this type of assistance. I feel that instead of waiting to raise funds when full-time workers or their families face emergencies, it would be better to raise their salaries. That way, even if the church and believers don’t step in, they’d still have money to handle such situations.”
He added, “On the one hand, I feel indebted to believers who contribute. At the same time, I’m also afraid that I might become more greedy. Earning less than RMB 4,000 a month on the front lines, we’re suddenly given a large sum of money. Even though it’s for my father’s medical treatment, which believers and I understand, it’s still easy for me used to poverty to feel unsettled when I come into a large amount of money.”
Indeed, cases of Christians or even pastors misappropriating funds and disappearing have occurred in Chinese churches, sometimes in multiple locations.
Should Full-Time Church Workers Be Paid? And How Much?
For diverse reasons, decades ago, Chinese churches lacked both the funds and the concept of paying those who served in ministry. Even today, many long-time Christians still hold the belief that God’s calling is holy and that focusing on money disqualifies one from serving.
In a bygone era, this mindset largely preserved the purity of the Chinese church and helped it endure hardship and darkness. However, times have changed. Today, many churches acknowledge the need to pay at least full-time workers. But how much should they be paid? Older pastors believe that it is already generous to pay church workers and they shouldn’t be paid too much. Younger pastors, on the other hand, tend to advocate for higher wages for workers.
“Take my church as an example,” Joshua said. “In terms of salary, there’s been significant improvement compared to the past. But the problem is, we can’t just compare vertically with our own history and think, ‘ It’s fine as long as it’s better than before.’ We also need to compare horizontally—how much do other churches pay their workers? How much do companies and businesses in society pay their employees?”
He continued, “If you want young people to serve full-time, shouldn’t you address their family concerns? If you only give them a minimal salary, how can they support a family and serve the church without worry?”
For instance, a full-time worker earning RMB 3,000 a month can barely cover their own living expenses. But what about marrying, having children, raising them, or dealing with illnesses? “In reality, many churches have money—some even have a lot of money. So why not provide better treatment for workers?”
Some argue that keeping salaries low prevents workers from being bound by money. However, Joshua sees it differently, “Giving low salaries to full-time workers makes them more likely to be constrained by a lack of money.”
Churches Need Clear Pay Systems for Workers
As an outsider serving in a city far from home, Joshua speaks from the perspective of a non-local full-time worker.
“That’s great if the church can provide housing. If not, then the church worker has to rent a place to live, which might cost RMB 2,000 a month. If his monthly income is under RMB 4,000, half of it goes to rent—what can he do with the rest of the money? For a single worker, it’s manageable with a simple lifestyle. But for a married worker with children, such a salary is a drop in the ocean.”
He believes churches need to establish clear salary systems and provide fair compensation for full-time workers.
“Does the church care about workers? On a personal level, I think many leaders and pastors care deeply. However, the care and support system for workers is incomplete or poorly implemented. Does the church and its members have love? Of course, they do, and often show great love in specific situations. But this love usually only manifests during personal crises and fades after the crisis passes—until the next one arises. Systematic care for full-time workers, especially regarding salaries, is, in my view, far from sufficient. Churches in China urgently need to align with global and societal practices.”
In the real-world timeline, the Chinese church has entered the 21st century alongside Chinese society. Yet, according to Joshua, due to elements like the "theology of suffering," the Chinese church also operates on an invisible timeline. On this timeline, many things remain stuck in the last century—such as the idea that “poor people are more religious, and wealthy people are ungodly .” This concept once had a widespread influence on the entire Chinese church, and even today, it continues to subtly impact the Chinese church. It plays a decisive role, especially on the important topic of the salary and benefits of full-time church workers.
While this belief is no longer explicitly preached, and even older pastors rarely express it openly, it still subtly influences churches. However, in reality, such a concept still "reigns and rules" in the church. When hiring full-time workers, church leaders and pastors won’t outright say they intentionally pay below-average wages—but in practice, that’s often what happens.
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Abigail Wu
