I'm curious to know what the average annual pastoral book allowance is for the pastors on the PB. If you're not a pastor, but know the amount you give to your pastor, please feel free to chime in.

I'm very thankful for what I get ($500/yr). Thing is, I tend to spend the whole amount pretty quickly each year (By next week, I will have spent the whole amount for this year already!). So many good books being written and books coming back in print these days!

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Pastor Steve Bradley
Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA)
www.trinityrpc.org
www.sermonaudio.com/trinityrpc
www.reformedvoice.com/trinityrpc
Riva, MD

I get "paid" by donation and split this into a smaller portion for "personal funds" and a larger portion for "ministry funds" and usually spedn some from both to buy books.

I probably spend 500 on books every year and have another 300 books graciously sent to me as gifts every year (many from YOU GUYS!!! THANKS FRIENDS!). I am counting MP3 audio books as books also and I am increasingly increasing the amount of these and decreasing the amount of hardcover books (hard to move when one moves several times per year).

Over here, these books are SO welcome. And, they are not merely for pleasure or entertainment, but are very much like AMMUNIATION, FOOD, and SPIRITUAL VITAMINS.

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

Since I'm the one who (as deacon) helped determine your book allowance, I'll send you a pm. BTW, I think at the very least some account should be made annually for rising book prices (and lots of good new Reformed titles on the market).

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Andrew Myers
Husband of Jessica, Father of Jackson, Katie and Samuel
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church of Northern Virginia
Warrenton, VA USA
Editor, The Matthew Poole Project

"On land, at sea, at home, abroad, / I smoke my pipe and worship God." -- J.S. Bach

During my pastoral years, my book allowances varied greatly. Our congregation of 100 in attendance was much less able to provide a decent amount than the congregation averaging more than 500. I actually "cheated" a bit by combining conferences and books in the same account. My predecessor loved expensive denominational trips back east; I craved the latest books. By putting the two accounts together it permitted me to build a large library over the years rather than taking junkets to boring meetings.

One word of warning. Besides the allowance, I always purchased more books out of my "own pocket." With five kids this led to some pretty stupid, yet predictable, consequences. No matter how much you think you need every book imaginable the sins of covetousness and materialism apply to "ministry tools" as well as they do to men's toys (e.g., boats, cars, motocycles, etc.). When I left the pastorate (after 22 years) for my current ministry, away went about half my books (2,500/5,000).

My present preference for computer books is not because I like straining my 54 year old eyes. It is partly due to the embarrassment at wasting so much of our family's meager resources on my "hobby" over so many years. Getting tons of good books for pennies on the dollar in electronic form represents a decent way to balance a desire for exhaustive resources with the realities of family budgets.

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Dennis E. McFadden, Ex Mainline Baptist (in Remission)
Atherton Baptist Homes, CEO
First Baptist Church of Alhambra, Member, Transformation Ministries (CA)

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I receive $800 a year which I believe is very generous. I am grateful to receive anything at all; it is a undeserved gift from the Lord through His congregation.

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Rev. Daniel Kok
Pastor of Grace Reformed Church (URCNA)
Leduc, Alberta CANADA
Church Blog

"there is no creature, either in heaven or on earth, who loves us more than Jesus Christ"
Belgic Confession, Article 26

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

$500 to $800 is common. I have asked many other deacons this very question, so I feel tthat this is probably a fairly acurate number.

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Kevin Rogers
Sovereign Community Church, PCA
Moncton NB

I am a recovering bibliophile, I now only buy books I will read and reuse, the others, are in a library. I do, however, buy more research materials now - dictionaries, theologies, et al. I just scored Aristotle's s vol. set by Oxford and Thomas Aquinas...these are classics.

Still recovering from the fall off the wagon last week, though.

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John
Evangelical Free Church, no offices held
Langhorne, PA

[B]δός δοξαν τῳ θεῳ.[/B]
[B]ιδου ποιω τα εσχατα ως τα πρωτα.
הבל הבלים[/B]

All ordained pastors in Sovereign Grace Ministries get an unlimited book allowance.

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Jacob
Sovereign Grace Ministries
Covenant Fellowship Church
West Chester, PA

"Grace renews nature; glory perfects grace." ~ John Owen
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