Moving to a five-day working week for the welfare of clergy

Posted on July 20, 2025 
Filed under Australian dioceses, Opinion

“We have always made clear to our new clergy that their stipend is not a salary for ‘services rendered’, but rather an allowance so they don’t have to work for a living.

Set free from that burden, they are able to adopt that particular lifestyle which is ministry—that is, giving of themselves to shepherding their sheep and seeking the lost. …”

– Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder shares his thoughts on the advantages of having a five-day working week for clergy.