Many churches are right now preparing for their upcoming budget year. With that preparation comes the discussion of compensation for pastors and church employees. Like many Americans, churches are feeling the pinch when it comes to their monthly budgets. They want to be able to provide generously to the staff, but are not always able to due to the churches health or may not know what a good compensation package even looks like.
Lifeway Research along with GuideStone and Southern Baptist state conventions, including Indiana, conducted a study to help guide churches as they think about compensation packages. This study was done between April 1 and June 30, 2022 and included responses from 6,671 full-time senior pastors, staff ministers, and office and custodial personnel.
According to the research, compensation for full-time Southern Baptist senior pastors has remained flat over the past four years, while the total package has decreased. On average, a Southern Baptist church spends close to half of its budget on employee compensation packages. Several factors come into play when determining the pastor’s pay. These include the size of the church, experience, education, and location. In a previous Lifeway study, they found that 41% of pastors say they’re worried about their family’s financial security and 18% say financial stress is one of the greatest concerns they have in ministry. This study is a great tool to make sure your pastor and employees are being taken care of.
If your church is interested in this study or other compensation planning resources, please check out the links below. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our Financial Operations and Stewardship team.
www.lifeway.com/compensationsurvey
www.guidestone.org/compensationplanning