Seven key points when dealing with translocal ministers.

Honorariums should be based on:

A. The level of anointing and blessing released on the congregation (extra should be given to honor what the Lord did in the service).

B. The amount of time spent ministering. Advising and or counseling the pastor alone should also be included as ministry to be compensated.

C. The number of services ministered. I give an amount per service preached.

D. The leading of the Lord.

E. The level of maturity and accomplishments of the guest minister. I will give a highly accomplished minister more than a relatively new minister. This is based on years of experience, wisdom, and respect. In scripture, finances and honor go hand and hand.

F. Give the honorarium the same day the ministry occurs. Some translocal ministers have sometimes waited weeks because of administrative problems or miscommunications.

G. Give according to the total time and sacrifice the minister made.

1. Give more to someone who traveled for hours.

2. Don’t take away from the honorarium to pay for hotel, food, or travel expenses. Reputable churches save enough money in advance for their guest ministers.

When a guest minister is scheduled to speak, the pastors should not have extra items on the agenda and should cut to a bare minimum all unnecessary announcements.

A. The church should announce the guest speaker at least 2-3 weeks ahead of time via email, pulpit announcements, and snail mail. Anything less than 2-3 weeks of announcements sends a message to the church that the minister is not that important.

B. The senior pastor should have a task force fasting and praying for the success of the event so that time and anointing isn’t wasted.

A. I send all guest speakers a four page guideline so they understand what is and what is not acceptable in our church regarding doctrine, fundraising, prophetic words, and length of time to minister. Guest speakers can’t read minds! This is the least a pastor can do to ensure that guest speakers are on point and acceptable to the congregation.

B. Pastor should fill in the guest minister as to the season the church is in (harvest time, evangelism, inner healing, vision casting, etc.) so the guest minister properly builds on the foundational themes already being laid in the church.

A. The church should assign them a good hotel. If the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, then a person should be assigned to assist them and take them out to eat for every meal needed. The person assigned to them should be mature and not a high maintenance minister who doesn’t know when to stop talking and asking advice.

B. The cell phone number of the person picking them up from the airport should be furnished ahead of time.

C. The itinerary should be furnished ahead of time.

D. Guest ministers should be escorted after their ministry is over lest they get worn out.

E. Pastors should find out any particular dietary needs of the guest minister before they arrive.