During the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly
in Greensboro last month, I attended a workshop led by Bo Prosser, CBF
Coordinator of Organizational Relationships, and Gary Skeen, President of the
CBF Church Benefits Board. They
announced the launch of an initiative by CBF to address the economic challenges
facing pastoral leaders which is largely funded by a grant from the Lilly
Foundation.
One of the most striking parts of the meeting was the report
of a survey of 642 pastoral leaders on the topic. Four pressing concerns were identified from
this data.
First, those surveyed carried a heavy debt load. Of those surveyed, 67 percent carry a debt
that equaled up to two times their annual salary. Student loans or educational debt made up 41
percent of respondent debt.
Second, health benefits are limited. Forty-four percent of the participants did
not receive medical benefits from their employers. Of this 44 percent, half were employed by a
church with an annual operating budget of $101,000 to $500,000.
Third, retirement benefits are not being addressed. Three out of five participants did not feel
prepared for retirement.
Fourth, financial advisement is lacking. Only one of four participants had met with a
financial advisor to address these concerns (which is in itself a concern).
My recent blog on “The Topic Churches Avoid” on the economic
challenges of ministers has received the most “hits” in three days that any of my posts have ever received. It is now the second most accessed post of
the almost 1000 I have written. This
touches a nerve. We have a problem, don’t
we?
I applaud those who are attempting to address this challenge
and encourage both pastors and church leaders to be proactive in addressing the
topic we want to avoid.
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