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New study questions policies on clergy salaries
2003-035-5
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
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[Episcopal News Service]
Rather than relying on competitive free-market forces to determine clergy salaries, churches should provide all pastors with sufficient compensation to enable them to live out their call in relative comfort, according to a new study by Pulpit and Pew Research Project at Duke University.
'How much should we pay the pastor? A fresh look at clergy salaries in the 21st century' was written by Becky McMillan, associate director of the project, and Matthew J. Price, director of analytical research at the Episcopal Church's Pension Group.
In their report, the authors compare Protestant and Roman Catholic clergy salaries in 'an effort to illustrate and highlight the differences and underlying rationales between free market and more centralized, collective decision-making approaches to setting salaries for pastoral leadership,' according to the news release from Duke.
The research examined clergy salaries among Protestants as set by church policy, as determined how much autonomy individual parishes have in setting salaries. Churches with so-called 'connectional' polities--Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Episcopalians--have little autonomy over salaries and are subject to some degree of centralization--guidelines or requirements to pay pension and health care benefits, for example.
For those parishes with more 'congregational' polities--Baptists, Pentecostals, United Church of Christ and others--more freedom is available in determining clergy compensation and therefore they represent a more market-driven approach.
'Generally, in all but the very largest churches, salaries for clergy in Connectional polities are higher than those paid to clergy in Congregational polities, even when controlling for pastor education, experience and congregational wealth,' according to the Duke release. 'Regardless of polity, only a small percentage of pastors earn what most Americans would consider a professional level salary.'
The report also highlights the fact that, while regional differences in salaries are not large, clergy salaries across the country have split between small and medium-sized churches that struggle to pay clergy even a modest stipend and larger churches that pay high, competitive salaries. The smaller churches are increasingly forced to move toward part-time clergy or those with less education and experience. 'The report raises particular concern over the state of salaries for African-American clergy, the restricted upward mobility of women clergy, and the growing burden of debt incurred by clergy to fund their theological education,' the release said.
In the second half of their report, the authors explore the impact of compensation on the sense of call and commitment, arguing that low salaries make it difficult for clergy to be true to their call, forcing some to consider other professions or forms of ministry.
The Episcopal Church was represented on the project by William Craddock, director of CREDO Institute, and Bishop Clay Matthews of the Office of Pastoral Development.
(Full text of the report is available at http://www.pulpitandpew.duke.edu/salary.html.)
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