A recent Christianity Today International survey shows the compensation package paid to the average pastor (including salary, housing allowance/parsonage, life/health/disability insurance, education and retirement) in the USA has declined in 2009 by 2.4% for lead pastors to an average of $70,806. The average for senior pastors who lead multiple pastoral staff declined 0.5% to $80,745. The average for solo pastors was down 6.6% to $56,189, which means solo pastors lost more than $300 per month in salary and benefits. In 2008, pastors received a slight bump up in salaries. The decline, in part, was caused by wage freezes in many congregations. -Christianity Today, ChristianNewsWire, Pastor’s Weekly Briefing 18/o9/09