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:
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These minimums have not been accepted by General Assembly and are thus simply guidelines and recommendations.
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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.
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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:
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Our report (pre-covid) to General Assembly with minimum stipend recommendations. These are not adopted and therefore not binding.
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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: |
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: |
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: |
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 5200 Travel Allowance: ZK 400 |
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 |
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 |
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 4 800 Travel Allowance: 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$ 1 140 Travel Allowance: US$ 150 |
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 11 500 Travel Allowance: R 6 600 |
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
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