It is merely a matter of time before the salaries and compensation packages of the Executive Elders become public. Members have asked what those salaries are, but no answers have been forthcoming. Some members who have asked have in return been asked to leave the church.
To prepare the reader for the eventual news of how much Mark Driscoll, as lead pastor is paid, as well as Sutton Turner and Dave Bruskas, I thought that I would give you the comparative salaries of some key top executives who run some pretty substantial organizations.
| Organization | Top Executive | Salary | Benefits | Total | Total Revenue |
| World Vision | Richard Stearns | $405,975 | $50,743 | $456,718 | $1,009,722,239 |
| Samaritan’s Purse | Franklin Graham | $440,927 | $181,325 | $622,252 | $456,140,314 |
| BGEA | Franklin Graham | $205,919 | $34,722 | $240,641 | $106,000,000 |
| Medical Teams Intl | Bastian Vanderzalm | $156,652 | $28,892 | $185,544 | $150,000,000 |
| Doctors without Borders | Sophie Delaunay | $142,015 | $15,977 | $157,992 | $200,000,000 |
| YMCA | Niel Nicoll | $456,633 | $44,552 | $501,185 | $93,700,000 |
| Average | $258,303 | $50,887 | $309,190 | $287,937,508 |
Note that the average revenue for these groups is $288 million dollars per year. The average salary and benefits for the CEO is $309,000.
To put this in perspective, Mars Hill Church’s revenue in 2013 was just over $20 million. This is a fraction of the average of the above organizations.
So, when you eventually hear what Mark Driscoll earns, keep in mind that the average leaders of the above large nonprofit organizations, who are managing organizations substantially larger than the size of Mars Hill Church in every respect, earn an average of $309,000 in salary and benefits per year.
Musings from under the bus. 
Several years ago our church also was convinced by the pastor that salaries should not be made public. Not too long after that, the entire budget was only shared in catagories with total amounts of how much was spent in children’s ministry, worship, salaries, etc. Then, the elders and deacons were taken out of the decision-making process and they now have an executive board of the senior pastor, his brother, the business manager, and a bank vice-president. While the congregation “votes” on elders and deacons, it is suspected that the votes are not considered and the leadership hand-picks the people who are put into those positions. This summer, in their letter to the congregation (which still gets to “vote” on the budget – though, again, no one really believes the “votes” matter) they said there substantial raise in the budget for salaries was due to bringing them into line with the salaries of other church staff of churches of similar size. Well, there’s a big difference between a church of 2500 attenders in Atlanta or Chicago or Los Angeles and a church in southeast Iowa. Yet there was no mention of demographics, cost of living comparisons, etc. Still, 2500 people giving blindly. It boggles the mind.
Ellen- I think you’re a bit mistaken on the congregation being able to vote…
I’m not referring to Mars Hill. I’m referring to my former church here in Iowa.
That’s going to be interesting.
2013:
Mark: $750k (salary increased $200k in both 2012 & 2013 – In 2011 it was around $350k)
Sutton: $330k
Dave: $250k
This does not include housing allowances or additional bonuses or benefits.
If these numbers are true the “elders” should be ashamed of themselves.
Jack, I too am interested in the evidence for this.
@jack can you share your source, pretty please?
I remember listening to a Driscoll sermon a few years ago where Mark claimed that his salary was only around 70K. I don’t remember which sermon though, but if Jack’s numbers are accurate, then Mark out and out lied to his congregation.
“2013:
Mark: $750k (salary increased $200k in both 2012 & 2013 – In 2011 it was around $350k)
Sutton: $330k
Dave: $250k
This does not include housing allowances or additional bonuses or benefits.”
If these are accurate, 200K increase, for what, screwing up and being a clown.
Based on the figures above I am appalled that Franklin Graham makes so much.
Surely he couldn’t get that much plus expenses for charitable work?
money isn’t the root
of all kinds of evil
it’s the love of money
that is so corrupting
and that’s why
here at this church
we hate the love of money
we preach against the love of money
we teach against the love of money
we screech against the love of money
but money itself
with all the wonderful
beautiful
luxurious
creative
fulfilling
empowering
things it can do
for God
and the gospel
of course
of course
of course
well something so wonderful
so powerful
so great
something so pure in and of itself
we cannot help but
love love love
so much that we want
as much as we possibly
can get our hands on
don’t judge us if we do a few
shady or sinful things to get it
don’t look down on our enthusiasm
if we twist a few verses
if we spin God’s story
and our own
or if we refuse to tell you
just how much we actually make
our hearts are pure
we just want pure innocent money
to do God’s work
to spread the gospel
of course
of course
of course
Yes, please cite source on Mars Hill salaries, otherwise it doesn’t help the conversation.
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Pastors’ salary should be whatever the collective church can afford with full transparency.
Church structure should be set up so the pastor receives what a church board agrees to pay.
If your a member of a church whose finances are controlled by the Pastor, you need to leave!!!