Why this Task Force was Created?
At the 2023 Virginia Annual Conference session, a lay member named Ms. Terrie Chaplin (MV) expressed genuine concern about the financial well-being of our clergy, which led the Conference to adopt the amended motion to:
“Amend the report from the Equitable Compensation Committee to increase the minimum salary by $1,000 for full-time clergy in each category for 2024.”
Out of that same concern, a motion by Rev. Dr. Janine Howard (NV) was passed by the 2023 Conference to create our Task Force when she moved that:
“A work group be created by the Annual Conference to study housing allowances for clergy and make recommendations to create consistent and equitable practices for setting the allowances, further suggest that conference commissions related to advocacy, Clergy Excellence/Board of Ordained Ministry, Equitable Compensation, CFA (and other as deemed necessary) be included in the study.”
The Challenge
Clergy housing allowances range greatly due to the following factors:
– Geographic location/cost of living
– Years of service
– Salary range
– Finances available within each local church
– Lack of standardization across the conference and across districts
Our Goal
To review our current housing allowance practices and recommend a new way forward which is equitable to both local churches and clergy.
Below you can read the report and look at the statistical findings.
Statistical Findings
– Average Salary Data
The Continued Work of the Just Compensation Task Force (2024-2025)
Last year, the VAUMC Annual Conference voted for the Just Compensation Task Force to continue its work, focusing on “studying salary statistics, including documented inequities regarding clergy status, district, gender, race, ethnicity, and years of service.” Rev. Dr. Mike Nelson made a motion to also include parsonage standards. The motion was seconded and added to the task force’s work.
The task force met five times throughout the year to continue this study.
Its membership included:
First Name | Last Name | Representing |
Timothy | Barth | Chair of Commission on Disabilities |
Eduardo | Carrillo | Member of Commission on Ethnic Minority Concerns and Advocacy |
Jessie | Colwell | Director of Clergy Excellence |
Bill | Davidson | Retired Clergy |
Jenny | Day | Co-chair commission on Status and Role of Women |
David | Dommisse | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
Tom | Durrance | Chair of Equitable Compensation Committee |
Brad | Duty | Staff of UM Foundation/Financial Advisor |
Tammy | Estep | Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry |
Doug | Forrester | District Superintendent of Valley Ridge District |
John | Fuller | Executive Director of Pensions and Benefits |
Christy | Haga Turner | Clergy Spouse |
Hung Su | Lim | Asian Americans Minister’s Association |
Chris | Malak | Data Manager |
Cindy | Martin | Lay Representative |
Mike | Nelson | Parsonage Committee Subgroup Chair |
Laura | Stratton | Young Clergy Woman |
Steve | Summers | Assistant to the Bishop and Chief Operating Officer |
George | Warner | Chair of Cross Racial/Cross Cultural Committee |
The results of this study are included in the Just Compensation Task Force’s Report, which you can find here.
See the materials listed below, which are referenced in this report.
Report on the Findings from the Analysis of VAUMC Clergy Compensation
Updated policy on “Minimum Standards for a Parsonage”
To see what changes were made to the updated policy on “Minimum Standards for a Parsonage,” read the Parsonage Sub-Committee Report for the Book of Report here.