However, not all pastors are ready to buy a house, considering the lack of permanency in some church pastorates. For example, after working in the denominational headquarters of the Church of the Nazarene, Mark Graham accepted a call to a pastorate halfway across the country. The salary package included a parsonage. A year later, Graham left the church and returned to Kansas City to work for the denomination. He was a bit disappointed that the pastorate hadn't worked out, but he was very thankful that he and his family had lived in a parsonage.
Most pastors move often.
In a 1997 survey of pastors, George Barna found that the average pastor stayed at a church for five years. Other surveys list an even more frequent turnaround. This may translate into a better salary package for a pastor. When a church owns a parsonage, the church is generally responsible for repairs and maintenance on the property, freeing up the pastor for other duties. Moving to another pastorate is easier, quicker, and smoother than buying and selling a house.