GuideStone Financial Services and LifeWay Christian Resources are conducting a confidential online church compensation survey through May 31. The data collected from the survey will provide, at no cost, the most accurate compensation information available to South Carolina Baptist churches.
As the director of the South Carolina Baptist Convention’s church retirement, insurance and administration office, Robert Grant receives weekly salary report requests from churches looking to fill a variety of staff positions. His office recommends compensation ranges based on specifics such as the church’s location, size, budget and staff needs.
“We have been using interdenominational resources and have to sift through a lot of information in order to provide an accurate salary amount to churches,” Grant said. “Now GuideStone and LifeWay are going to produce a Southern Baptist Convention-only product, so the next step is for SCBC churches to provide information through this survey so that we can maximize the benefit of the data.”
GuideStone reported that almost 12,000 churches participated in the last survey held in 2010. The agency would like to increase the number of respondents from every state convention in order to get a better baseline of information. A participant in the survey can expect to spend about five minutes to enter each employee’s salary information. Basic church information (resident membership, average attendance, and annual budget) is entered only once.
This year’s survey also inquires about a church’s total personnel expenses compared to the total church budget. “This would be helpful information to the church that asks how much of its overall church budget it should be paying versus a personnel budget,” said Joel Rister, director of relationship services, financial solutions and services at GuideStone.
The survey findings will be provided online and will be accessible free-of-charge to SCBC churches through the GuideStone website. After entering resident membership, average attendance and annual budget, a church can receive a customized salary report for specific ministerial and office positions reported by other churches with similar characteristics. GuideStone provides reports when there are at least three matches for a church’s demographics. If there isn’t sufficient GuideStone data, a church may have to turn to less accurate regional or non-Southern Baptist salary data.
According to Rister, compensation is important because Christians are charged by God’s word to take care of those who minister. “We want to be fair to those on church staff in their compensation and, whether ministerial or non-ministerial, remember that church staff members may have families. The GuideStone survey is a ministry to our churches. It’s why we’re here – to serve those who serve the Lord,” he said. “I would also encourage churches as a greater body of believers to see this as helping other churches in their state convention and across the SBC.”
Janice Parham, office manager for First Baptist Church, Clover, completed the survey and said it took about 30 minutes to enter information for five staff positions. She said she participated in order to help other churches, citing rising insurance costs and other factors that impact a church personnel committee in its work. “It’s hard to know how much a church should offer for salary and benefits,” she said. “The more churches that participate in the survey, the easier it will be for personnel committees to get the information they need to do their job.”
Grant added, “Our churches want and need this information, and they will reap the benefits from this survey.”
To participate in the online GuideStone compensation survey or obtain information about the process, go to www.guidestone.org/compensationsurvey. To contact GuideStone directly with survey questions or concerns, dial 888-98Guide (888-984-8433). For other questions or SCBC assistance with entering information, contact the church retirement, insurance and administration office at 800-723-7242, ext. 6400. – SCBC