The Church Staff Compensation Study is a joint effort involving GuideStone, Lifeway and the state conventions. GuideStone conducts the survey, LifeWay tabulates the results and the State Board of Missions produces a valuable resource for church leaders and staff in our state.

Normally a biennial survey, the 2020 survey was cancelled due to the pandemic. It was last conducted in 2018. Therefore, this is a very important year to know how our churches and church staffs are faring after the years of COVID.

Pastors and church employees are invited to participate in the brief survey, a resource used by churches of all sizes to determine wages and benefits. All participation in the survey is anonymous, and no one taking part in the online survey will be identified individually.

The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete at GuideStone.org/CompensationSurvey. The survey is currently being conducted and will end on June 30.

Lifeway Research will compile the results once the survey closes. When the survey results are published online, those who participated in the survey will be notified first. The notification will come via email but, again, the email address is only for notification and is not in any way tied to the survey answers that were given. Individual privacy is maintained at all times.

Survey results will be available in August when many churches are crafting their 2023 annual budgets. The survey is the largest free church compensation study available in the United States.

How to Get Ready to Take the Survey

Please have these figures available:

·                   the church’s average weekly attendance.
·                   the number of church members.
·                   the amount of your church’s 2022 annual budget.
·                   the amount of your annual salary.
·                   the amount of annual contributions to a retirement plan provided for you.
·                   the amount of annual church-paid insurance premiums provided for you.
·                   the amount of your annual housing allowance.
·                   the amount of any Social Security offset provided for you.
·                   the rental value and utilities of any housing the church provides for you.

Again, Southern Baptist church ministers and staff have until June 30 to complete the online survey. To participate, please click here.

For any questions about the survey, contact State Missionary Lee Wright at (334) 613-2241.