This page summarizes the information that was presented at our first parish conversation. Please review it to help you respond to the related survey questions.
Ministry Models
This section describes the ministry models that we would like you to reflect on.
1. Full or part-time priest
This is the familiar model where a seminary-trained priest supports the worship and ministries of the congregation. This person could come to us through an advertised public search (the Rector model), or we could ask the Bishop to recommend a candidate who would serve with us for a trial period before being formally installed (the Priest-in-Charge model). This could be a full-time position, or some fraction of full-time, regardless of how the person is recruited.
2. Team Based Ministry (aka Total Ministry)
In this model, after at least a year of discernment, a team of lay people are called from the congregation to support all the ministries of the church on an unpaid basis. This team goes through a 3-4 year training program, after which they are fully equipped to lead worship and support all the ministries of the congregation. A seminary-trained priest in the diocese would be available as a resource for the team. During the discernment and training period, the congregation would be served by supply or interim clergy.
Financial Summary
Our current budget affects how many hours of paid clergy support we can afford.
In our 2022 budget (which maintains the clergy compensation category from previous years) reflects the cost of a seminary-trained priest serving at 70% of full time.
Our total annual clergy compensation is currently $79,490. This include salary, pension, insurance, and all other benefits required by the diocese.
All of the other expenses in our budget total $94,783.
Cost of a new full-time or part-time priest
Clergy compensation levels are set by the diocese. There is some room for negotiation with pieces of the benefits package, but we should use the diocesan figures as a baseline.
Clergy salary recommendations (but not benefits like insurance) vary according to a person’s years of experience, so we are giving a range of values reflecting between 5 and 24 years of experience.
Total compensation:
Full time (100%): $107,707 to $113,286
70%: $84,613 to $88,526
50%: $69,217 to $72,011
Where does the money come from?
Nearly all of our operating income comes from pledges and other regular gifts. About 3.5% comes from income from our endowment. Our budget is very lean, so there are no obvious expenses that we could eliminate to dedicate more to clergy compensation.
As you can see, staying with a 70% clergy support model would require a modest increase in giving; around $7,000 more per year.
Increasing to full-time clergy support would require a roughly $31,000 annual increase in giving, or a significant addition to our endowment.