Organist honorarium

I'm just curious as to the average reimbursement that organists may be getting for playing for a service. Our congregation is in the process of possibly modifying our policy in this area. We currently pay the organist/pianist $30 per service. Thank you.

I do not believe I will be able to help you much with your congregation’s assessment and planning. It has been years since WELS last surveyed congregations regarding the honoraria they provide their organists. A number I can reference is what the Synodical Council recently approved for reimbursing congregations when their “personnel need to be away from their vocations while serving the synod voluntarily for a specified term” – $82 for a single service.

If you are not able to find a common or average honorarium for organists or pianists to use as a guide for your purposes, perhaps you and your congregation could simply take a philosophical approach to the reimbursement you provide. Maybe you could arrive at a reimbursement figure by asking and answering questions like these: “What value do we place on having organists/pianists to assist us in our worship? At a time when many congregations within and outside our fellowship struggle to find and retain organists/pianists, what does our reimbursement say to our organists/pianists? How can we show our appreciation for the time our organists/pianists commit to finding music for Sunday services, practicing it and then playing it in our worship services? What does the amount of reimbursement say about the excellence in worship for which our congregation is striving? Are there ways our congregation could help organists/pianists build a music library?”

A worship and music leader in our church body has made this observation: “Honoraria or salaries for organists are best understood when related to goals set for music in worship. A congregation wanting to encourage excellence and creativity may set higher rates than a congregation (maybe without really thinking about it) being content in the status quo.”

God bless your congregation’s worship life and your management of his resources. May he guide you as you imitate King David’s actions: “I will sing and make music to the Lord” (Psalm 27:6).