A survey of Protestant ministers and churchgoers shows significant differences in the ways the groups would spend an unexpected surge in income in their church.
The top priority for ministers was to improve church facilities. About half as many laypeople agreed, but they would also want to retire church debt and help the needy.The studies, conducted by Ellison Research, compared responses to companion surveys of 504 Protestant pastors and 1,184 congregants who attend church at least once per month. The survey found that 31 percent of pastors would spend a “sudden financial windfall” on buildings or facilities, compared to 17 percent of lay people.
Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, said the differing priorities were a reflection of perspective, with “the typical layperson (having) very little idea of what it takes to run a ministry, and ministers sometimes (losing) sight of what’s important to people in the congregation.”
Spending on social programs was a priority for 18 percent of laity but just 6 percent of pastors. Evangelism was identified as a concern for both groups, with 26 percent of clergy and 25 percent of laity saying money should go toward those efforts. Pastors leaned toward local evangelism over international or domestic programs. Laity were equally divided among the three.
The survey also concluded that only 1 percent of ministers would raise staff pay or benefits. Sellers said “virtually all ministers are thinking first about their church, their community, or the world at large before their own needs.” (RNS)
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