Minimum Stipends and Travel Allowances

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UPDATE:

The task of setting minimum stipends and travel allowances now falls on the Ministry Committee of General Assembly. However, we will continue to publish the latest figures here…

MINIMUM STIPENDS 2024 and 2025

Here are the minimum stipends set for 2024 as decided at the Gen Assembly 2023.
As no minimums were set by the 2024 Executive, these continue for 2025.

Zambia

0 – 5 years

ZK 5038

6 – 15 years

ZK 5500

16 – 25 years

ZK 5875

26 – 35 years

ZK 6347

35 years +

ZK 6853

Travel

ZK 500

Pulpit Fee

ZK 653.23

Zimbabwe

0 – 5 years

US$ 300

6 – 15 years

US$ 312

16 – 25 years

US$ 325

26 years +

US$ 339

Travel

US$ 110

Pulpit Fee

US$ 70

South Africa

0 – 5 years

R 10 370

6 – 15 years

R 11 203

16 – 25 years

R12 080

26 – 35 years

R13 042

35 years +

R14 111

Travel

R8 194

Pulpit Fee

R700

Minimum Stipends 2022-2023

Here are the minimum stipends as agreed by Executive Commission 2022.

Zambia

2021 (for 2022)

2022 (for 2023)

0 – 5 years

ZK 4160

ZK 4580

6 – 15 years

ZK 4500

ZK 5000

16 – 25 years

ZK 4860

ZK 5341

26 – 35 years

ZK 5240

ZK 5770

35 years +

ZK 5660

ZK 6230

Travel

ZK 400

ZK 420

Pulpit Fee

ZK 350

ZK 350

Zimbabwe

2021 (for 2022)

2022 (for 2023)

0 – 5 years

US$ 100

US$ 104

6 – 15 years

US$ 108

US$ 112

16 – 25 years

US$ 117

US$ 121

26 – 35 years

US$ 126

US$ 131

35 years +

US$ 136

US$ 141

Travel

US$ 50

US$ 110

Pulpit Fee

US$ 15

US$ 30

South Africa

2021(for 2022)

2022(for 2023)

0 – 5 years

R 9 300

R 9 700

6 – 15 years

R10 000

R10 480

16 – 25 years

R10 900

R11 300

26 – 35 years

R11 750

R12 200

35 years +

R12 700

R13 200

Travel

R7 300

R7 665

Pulpit Fee

R500

R500

2021 (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Dear Brothers and Sisters

Warm greetings and salutations in the name of the Lord.

Due to Covid19 and the postponement of General Assembly, one of the matters that could not be addressed is the matter of Minimum Stipends for 1 Jan – 31 Dec 2021.

In February, prior to the Covid19 crisis, the Mission and Discipleship Committee prepared its report for General Assembly 2020 and included recommendations for Minimum Stipends to be adopted by General Assembly, but we all know what happened.

There have been enquiries about Minimum Stipends and so the Clerk of Assembly, the Convener of Ministry Committee and I have been in discussion and it was agreed that we would draft this email as an attempt to assist…

However, the following important points must be noted:

  1. These minimums have not been accepted by General Assembly and are thus simply guidelines and recommendations.

  2. These minimums were drafted prior to Covid19 and the realities of local communities have been changed radically by the economic havoc that Covid19 has caused and so these recommendations might be out of touch with new realities.

  3. Each Presbytery can set its own minimums provided that they are not lower than Assembly laid down. We therefore recommend that Presbytery’s consider MaD’s recommendations and set Minimums accordingly, but bearing in mind that they can’t be lower than the minimums adopted at Exec 2019. (These will be included below for clarity.

So, down below you will find:

  1. Our report (pre-covid) to General Assembly with minimum stipend recommendations. These are not adopted and therefore not binding.

  2. The minimum stipends adopted by ExComm 2019. These were adopted and are therefore binding.

We hope this is helpful.

As always I would like to remind Presbyteries and Sessions that these are Minimum Stipends and that we always urge congregations to look after their ministers as best as they can and not merely limit themselves to the minimum amounts.

May God bless and Strengthen you in these challenging times!

Theo Groeneveld (Mission and Discipleship)
in consultation with
Sipho Ncapayi (Ministry)
Vusi Mhungo (Assembly Clerk)

 

Mission and Discipleship Recommended Minimum Stipends for 2021:

The setting of minimum stipends is always difficult. We listen to those on our committee who are most familiar with the contexts and take their advice seriously. It must be emphasised that these are NOT recommended stipends, these are recommendedminimums. All congregations are urged and challenged to remunerate their ministers as generously as possible. The committee is proposing an increase of around 10% for Zambia, 2% for Zimbabwe, and 5% for South Africa. The currencies are Zambia Kwatsha, US$ for Zimbabwe and Rand for RSA.

The situation in Zimbabwe is incredibly fluid. With hyperinflation the US$ grows stronger all the time. The amounts here were proposed and accepted by Zimbabwe Presbytery meeting in March 2020, however, by Jan 2021, these figures may be completely irrelevant.


RECOMMENDED MINIMUMS 2021 (Not accepted by Gen Assem)

Years Zambia Zimbabwe RSA
0-5 4160 100 9300
6-15 4500 108 10000
16-25 4860 117 10900
26-35 5240 126 11750
35- 5660 136 12700
       
Travel 400 50 7300
       
Pulpit 350 15 500

MINIMUM STIPENDS ACCEPTED BY EX-COMM 2019

Zambia 2020
0 – 5 years
ZK 3790
6 – 15 years
ZK 4100
16 – 25 years
ZK 4420
26 – 35 years
ZK 4770
35 years + ZK
5200

Travel Allowance:
ZK 400
Pulpit Supply:
ZK 350

Zimbabwe 2020
0 – 5 years
US$ 840
6 – 15 years
US$ 907
16 – 25 years
US$ 980
26 – 35 years
US$ 1060
35 years +
US$ 1140
Travel Allowance:
US$ 150
Pulpit Supply:
US$ 50

South Africa 2020
0 – 5 years
R 8800
6 – 15 years
R 9600
16 – 25 years
R 10370
26 – 35 years
R 11200
35 years +
R 12150
Travel Allowance:
R 7000
Pulpit Supply:
R 500

2020 (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Zambia 2020
0 – 5 years ZK 3790
6 – 15 years ZK 4100
16 – 25 years ZK 4420
26 – 35 years ZK 4770
35 years + ZK 5200Travel Allowance: ZK 400
Pulpit Supply: ZK 350
Zimbabwe 2020
0 – 5 years US$ 840
6 – 15 years US$ 907
16 – 25 years US$ 980
26 – 35 years US$ 1060
35 years + US$ 1140Travel Allowance: US$ 150
Pulpit Supply: US$ 50
South Africa 2020
0 – 5 years R 8800
6 – 15 years R 9600
16 – 25 years R 10370
26 – 35 years R 11200
35 years + R 12150Travel Allowance: R 7000
Pulpit Supply: R 500

2019 (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Zambia  2019
0 – 5 years  ZK 3 500
6 – 15 years  ZK 3 800
16 – 25 years  ZK 4 100
26 – 35 years  ZK 4 400
35 years +  ZK 4 800Travel Allowance:  ZK 350
Pulpit Supply:  ZK 350
Zimbabwe  2019
0 – 5 years  US$ 840
6 – 15 years  US$ 907
16 – 25 years  US$ 980
26 – 35 years  US$ 1 060
35 years +  US$ 1 140Travel Allowance:  US$ 150
Pulpit Supply:  US$ 50
South Africa 2019
0 – 5 years  R 8 400
6 – 15 years  R 9 100
16 – 25 years  R 9 800
26 – 35 years  R 10 600
35 years +  R 11 500Travel Allowance:  R 6 600
Pulpit Supply:  R 500

2018 (1 JAn – 31 Dec)

Zambia  2018
0 – 5 years  ZK 3 300
6 – 15 years  ZK 3 500
16 – 25 years  ZK 3 800
26 – 35 years  ZK 4 100
35 years +  ZK 4 400

Travel Allowance:  ZK 300
Pulpit Supply:  ZK 300

Zimbabwe  2018
0 – 5 years  US$ 840
6 – 15 years  US$ 907
16 – 25 years  US$ 980
26 – 35 years  US$ 1 060
35 years +  US$ 1 140

Travel Allowance:  US$ 150
Pulpit Supply:  US$ 50

South Africa 2018
0 – 5 years  R 8 000
6 – 15 years  R 8 600
16 – 25 years  R 9 300
26 – 35 years  R 10 000
35 years +  R 10 800

Travel Allowance:  R 6 200
Pulpit Supply:  R 500

2017:

Zambia
Travel Allowance: ZK 300
Pulpit Supply: ZK 300
0 – 5 years ZK 3090
6 – 15 years ZK 3340
16 – 25 years ZK 3600
26 – 35 years ZK 3890
35 years + ZK 4205

Zimbabwe
Travel Allowance: US$ 150
Pulpit Supply: US$ 50
0 – 5 years US$ 840
6 – 15 years US$ 907
16 – 25 years US$ 980
26 – 35 years US$ 1 060
35 years + US$ 1 140

South Africa
Travel Allowance: R 5 900
Pulpit Supply: R 500
0 – 5 years R 7500
6 – 15 years R 8130
16 – 25 years R 8780
26 – 35 years R 9485
35 years + R 10240

You are requested to remind congregations within your bounds that above amounts are minima and that you as a Presbytery are encouraged to set your own minima which should be the same as, or above those of the Assembly. Congregations may not pay Stipends below these minima and are encouraged to pay more, as they are able to do so.

2016:

Zambia
Travel Allowance: ZK 275
Pulpit Supply: ZK 275
0 – 5 years ZK 2 915
6 – 15 years ZK 3 150
16 – 25 years ZK 3 400
26 – 35 years ZK 3 670
35 years + ZK 3 965

Zimbabwe
Travel Allowance: US$ 150
Pulpit Supply: US$ 50
0 – 5 years US$ 840
6 – 15 years US$ 907
16 – 25 years US$ 980
26 – 35 years US$ 1 060
35 years + US$ 1 140

South Africa
Travel Allowance: R 5 500
Pulpit Supply: R 500
0 – 5 years R 7 000
6 – 15 years R 7 565
16 – 25 years R 8 170
26 – 35 years R 8 903
35 years + R 9 760

You are requested to remind congregations within your bounds that above amounts are minima and that you as a Presbytery are encouraged to set your own minima which should be the same as, or above those of the Assembly. Congregations may not pay Stipends below these minima and are encouraged to pay more, as they are able to do so.

MINIMUM STIPENDS AND TRAVEL ALLOWANCES
The General Assembly set the following scales of minimum stipends for South African congregation:
2014            2015
0 – 5 years           R6 148             R6 516
6 – 15 years         R6 589            R6 984
16 – 25 years        R7 238            R7 672
26 – 35 years        R8 399            R8 903
over 35 years        R9 208            R9 760
It was further agreed that the travel allowance for 2015 should be increased to R5227 per month for ministers working in South African congregations (R4 840 in 2014) and that the pulpit fee should be R480 per service in 2015 (R450 in 2014).
The minimum stipends for Zimbabwean congregations stand as follows (per month):
2014            2015
0 – 5 years             US$ 792        US$ 800
6 – 15 years           US$ 861        US$ 870
16 – 25 years         US$ 899        US$ 910
26 – 35 years         US$ 931        US$ 940
over 35 years         US$ 963        US$ 970
The travel allowance will stay the same at US$150, and Pulpit Supply will stay at US$45

The minimum stipends for Zambia
Minimum stipend: increase from ZK2500 (2014) to ZK2750 (2015)
Minimum Travel: stays at ZK250
Pulpit supply: stays at ZK250