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Why is administration important?

Purpose
The SPRC is responsible for developing personnel policies and procedures for evaluating staff including clergy, hiring staff, setting salaries and supporting clergy and staff to excel in their leadership.

Typical Agenda
The SPRC is to meet at least four times a year with the appointed clergy. The agenda may include the following.

  • Bible reading or devotion and prayer.
  • Ask the following questions.
    • What has gone well since we last met?
    • What progress has been made on your individual goals and ministries.
    • What are you learning and how are you applying your learnings.
    • What will you focus on during the next quarter and what impact will your leadership have?
  • All clergy are excused except the lead pastor
    • Lead pastor updates the committee on any staffing issues and concerns.
    • Lead pastor shares any challenges, issues or concerns within the congregation and how the pastor is addressing the challenges.
    • The committee shares any congregational concerns and how the pastor and staff can address the concerns.
    • Pastor shares how the committee can support the pastor.
    • Closing prayer.
  • Charge/church conference and committee forms.
    Select the following links to complete SPRC forms.
    Clergy Appraisal to be completed by ???
    Clergy Compensation to be completed by ???
  • Resolving Conflict.
    Conflict is natural. When there is conflict within the congregation, the SPRC should select the following ling for resolving conflict. Resolving Conflict
  • Setting the Pastor’s Salary.
    There are congregations that have financial challenges. Clergy salaries also rank in the bottom five professions with college degrees in compensation. The SPRC is invited to do there best in light of their financial constraints. The following salary guide will help the SPRC to have a conversation about fairly compensating clergy.

A Guide for Setting Clergy Salaries Based on Public Education Model and Educators’ Salaries in the Region

EPA&GNJ will create and support a salary system that achieves greater equity based on congregation size and clergy ability and results so that income disparity across EPA&GNJ communities is not the determiner of clergy salaries.

The guide below is for setting full member clergy salaries for congregations that are giving 100% of apportioned EPA&GNJ shared ministry and billings. Full time associate pastors’ salary is generally set at the family or extended family size church.

All salaries throughout the guide correspond with educator salaries throughout the region. A beginning teacher, seasoned teacher, department head, principle of a small school, principle of a large school, superintendent of small school district, superintendent of a larger school district. The salary guide will be adjusted each year based on research of educator’s salaries.

When a pastor is serving a congregation that is part of the Journey of Hope equity shared ministry apportionments and billings program (congregations in low-income communities, and the pastor is achieving the benchmarks for developing or advancing or mastering, yet the congregation cannot afford to support the salary, EPA&GNJ through grants made by the cabinet will work to provide grants to assist with salary support.

The following is a guide and not a requirement. Congregations shall pay the minimum salary for all full-time clergy which is approved by the annual conference each year. SPRCs are expected to review a clergy person’s ability, effectiveness and fruitfulness as well as congregation’s financial capacity when making decisions about a clergyperson’s salary. The following guide can assist in making these decisions.

Type of Church Developing Advancing Mastering
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1/4 Time 12,500 13,125 13,781 14,470 15,194 15,954 16,751 17,589 18,468
1/2 Time 25,000 26,250 27,563 28,941 30,388 31,907 33,502 35,178 36,936
3/4 Time 37,500 39,375 41,344 43,411 45,581 47,861 50,254 52,766 55,405
Family - 50+ 50,000 52,500 55,125 57,881 60,775 63,814 67,005 70,355 73,873
Extended Family - 85+ 57,500 60,375 63,394 66,563 69,892 73,386 77,055 80,908 84,954
Program - 125+ 63,250 66,413 69,733 73,220 76,881 80,725 84,761 88,999 93,449
Larger Program - 250+ 72,738 76,374 80,193 84,203 88,413 92,834 97,475 102,349 107,466
Corporate - 400+ 87,285 91,649 96,232 101,043 106,095 111,400 116,970 122,819 128,960
Mid Corporate - 600+ 104,742 109,979 115,478 121,252 127,315 133,680 140,364 147,383 154,752
Large Corporate - 800+ 115,216 120,977 127,026 133,377 140,046 147,048 154,401 162,121 170,227

Stages

Developing Stage – A clergy person serves at or above entry level requirements and performs leadership tasks with competence, understanding and knowledge. A Developing pastor has room to grow in all essential functions of the pastoral leadership role. The pastor connects well with the congregation, leads through change and conflict, leads the congregation to achieve goals including the five areas of vitality and a Journey of Hope plan. The pastor has led the congregation to accomplish the following.

  1. Led the congregation to start or significantly grow an outreach ministry to connect with the community.
  2. Led the congregation to achieve 3 areas of vitality and continues to increase these markers yearly.
  3. Led the congregation to give 100% of apportioned shared ministry and 100% of billables.
  4. Led the congregation to develop a Journey of Hope plan.

Advancing Stage – A clergy person at the Advancing Stage does virtually all work with little or no supervision. The pastor identifies what needs to be done and completes tasks on time, is fully knowledgeable about ministry and is coaching and teaching laity and staff to carry out leadership and may be mentoring other clergy persons. The pastor’s leadership has accomplished the following.

  1. Led the congregation to effectively develop a significant new ministry that is engaging and including people from the community.
  2. Led the congregation to achieve 4 areas of vitality and continues to increase these markers yearly.
  3. Led the congregation to grow and strengthen congregation’s finances and the congregation is not spending principle from reserves to make budget.
  4. Led the congregation to give 100% of apportioned shared ministry and 100% of billables.
  5. Led the congregation to achieve significant goals and activities, including the Journey of Hope Plan to end the sin of racism.
  6. Led the congregation to the next band worship level (see the first column of the chart for worship bands) and/or grew the worship attendance by 10%.

Mastering Stage – A clergy person at the mastering stage is an outstanding pastoral leader. The pastor is capable of doing the most complex and technically demanding ministry activities with excellence, displays thought leadership, is involved in improving ministry activities and processes and makes decisions that have greater scope and impact. The pastor consistently exceeds expectations.

The pastor has led the congregation to accomplish the following.

  1. Led the congregation to engage in and accomplish a significant challenge (building project, capital campaign, community development project, partnership with other church and community organizations to address an important issue in the community, etc.).
  2. Led the congregation to achieve 5 areas of vitality and continues to increase these markers almost every year.
  3. Led the congregation to give 100% of apportioned shared ministry and 100% of billables.
  4. Led the congregation to achieve the congregation’s Journey of Hope Plan and has led the congregation to develop the next plan and begin to work on the plan.
  5. Led the congregation to grow 3-4 worship band levels and/or grew the worship attendance by 30%.

If your SPRC needs assistance in setting clergy compensation, contact your district superintendent.

Church/Charge Conference Administration