The Rev. Brad R. Braxton, senior pastor of Riverside Church, in New York, resigned this week after less than a year on the job, in part because of a controversy about his compensation, reports the City Room, a New York Times blog.

The church fight is the latest in a series of incidents in which the public has expressed concern about a nonprofit leader’s pay; some charity experts expect such scrutiny to grow during the recession.

The Rev. Braxton was appointed in September to lead the church, but some congregants objected to his annual compensation of $600,000, including a $250,000 salary and a housing allowance. According to experts on American churches, the compensation was well above average but within the range for senior leaders of similar-size churches in other big cities, writes Times reporter Paul Vitello.

To be sure, the reverend’s pay was only part of the dispute, with some members of the church arguing that the new leader would move River Side away from its progressive activist roots.

Given the economic tough times, many nonprofit executives at large organizations feel pressure to limit their pay, and some have opted to forgo bonuses or have their salary reduced, according to a Chronicle article.

What do you think? Does it seem there is more public concern about nonprofit compensation? Should charity executives reduce their pay during the recession?