GuideStone, Lifeway Research and Baptist state conventions have again teamed up for the Southern Baptist Convention (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, a resource used by churches of all sizes to determine applicable wages and benefits. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete at GuideStone.org/CompensationSurvey. The survey started on April 1 and goes until the end of June.

The survey’s 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 advocate 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.”

The compensation survey results are a valuable resource for churches of all sizes.

Davis Blount

Individual survey results can be contributed anonymously: Survey results are not reported individually. Lifeway Research will compile the results once the survey closes on June 30.

Survey respondents will receive advance notice of the survey’s availability.

Respondents should have the church’s average weekly attendance, church membership and 2022 annual budget. Additional information needed to complete the survey includes respondents’ annual salary, annual contributions to a retirement plan and annual church-paid 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.

N.C. Baptists have historically ranked among the leading respondents to the survey among state conventions.

“We are hoping for high participation from our pastors and staff from our N.C. Baptist churches once again this year,” said Davis Blount, who serves as a consultant for compensation and benefit services with the state convention. “The compensation survey results are a valuable resource for churches of all sizes.”

by GuideStone