Clergy pay and expenses

Information on clergy remuneration, expenses and house for duty resources.
Vicar and parishioners with dogs walk past church on prayer walk Keith Blundy

The majority of clergy receive a stipend which is funded by the giving of congregations. It is paid in order to enable the clergy person to exercise their ministry without the need to take another job in order earn their living.  It is intended to provide adequately for a clergy person to live during their working years and into retirement. A significant number of posts are non-stipendiary.

From the introduction of common tenure an office holder who is occupying a full-time stipendiary post which is stated to be such in his or her terms of appointment shall be entitled to receive an annual stipend of an amount which is not less than the National Minimum Stipend. The NMS is also used to calculate the value of the clergy pension on retirement. 

The Archbishops’ Council sets the level of the NMS each year and recommends a National Stipend Benchmark (NSB) for incumbents and clergy of incumbent status.