Pastors and Employees Invited to Complete Compensation Survey

GuideStone^®, Lifeway Research, and Baptist state conventions have teamed up for the SBC Church Compensation Survey. Normally a biennial survey, the 2020 survey was canceled due to the pandemic; it was last conducted in 2018. Pastors and church employees are invited to participate in the brief survey.

“If churches participate in this survey, the data generated can really help other churches and pastors better know how to establish salaries and benefits at levels consistent with similarly sized SBC churches and churches within their region,” said Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Associate Executive Director Tom Stolle. “I believe that the most valuable assets of any organization are its people, and this survey can be an important tool used to better love and care for a church’s staff. I encourage as many churches as possible to invest a few minutes of their time in completing this survey. The results will bless and strengthen others.”

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete at GuideStone.org/CompensationSurvey, available online through June. The results will be available in August, in time for many churches considering their 2023 budgets. The survey is the largest free church compensation study available in the United States.

“We honor the Lord and strengthen the church when we give proper financial support to those who serve,” GuideStone President Hance Dilbeck said.“GuideStone is committed to advocating for pastors and local church employees. We pray this compensation survey will challenge each of our churches to provide appropriate compensation and to do so by following best practices.”

Individual survey results may be completed anonymously. Results are not reported individually. After the survey closes on June 30, Lifeway Research will compile the results. Respondents will receive advance notice of the survey’s availability.

Those completing the survey should have the church’s average weekly attendance, church membership, and 2022 annual budget. Additional information needed to complete the survey includes yearly salary, contributions to a retirement plan and church-paid annual insurance premiums, annual housing allowance, Social Security offset, and the rental value and utilities for church-provided housing.

Southern Baptist church ministers and staff have until June 30 to complete the online survey.

Roy Hayhurst is director of denominational and public relations services for GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.