Standing Commission on Clerical Compensation

Information for 2025

Report to the 241st Diocesan Convention announcing 2.5% COLA  for 2025.

The Standing Commission on Clerical Compensation (SCCC) is your Diocesan resource on compensation matters including reporting minimum compensation compliance under Canon 74. Working with congregations to ensure that clergy are adequately, equitably, and correctly compensated, we strive to exemplify the Marks of Mission by assisting clergy and their congregations in Proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom and Teaching, Nurturing and Baptizing New Believers.

The SCCC’s mandate also includes setting policies for Supply Clergy Rates, Clergy Sabbaticals, and to make its annual recommendation for the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to missions, parishes and institutions of the Diocese by November 1 of each year. SCCC is recommending to Convention 2025 a cost-of-living increase (COLA) of 2.5%. Further recommendations include:

1. A 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment over the cleric’s 2024 Cash Stipend in 2025 if greater than or equal to Base Cash Stipend. The greater of either the COLA or YCS increase is mandatory. It can only be waived by approval of the Standing Commission on Clerical Compensation. Waivers must be submitted by the affected cleric along with the appropriate clergy compensation worksheet.
2. Beginning in 2025 housing subsidy is combined with Cash Stipend for eligible clerics, applying the Cost of Living Allowance to the total stipend.
3. Supply Clergy minimum rates remain as they were in 2024: $225 for one weekend service, increasing by $100 per additional service; $325 for each service during Holy Week Triduum; $120 for a weekday service; variable rates for weddings and funerals ensuring at least $40 hourly.
4. Deacons under 72 years oldmust be compensatedat least $25/month, eligible for specific CPG benefits. Mandatory annual reporting of Deacon compensation due by March 1. The report form is found on the diocesan website here.

To fulfill our mission in the Diocese, the SCCC has created the annual Clergy Compensation Report which details current year compensation and benefits as well as the projection for the subsequent year. New forms for this report have been developed to incorporate the inclusion of the housing subsidy for eligible clergy. See the sidebar for links to the new reports for Full-Time Clergy and for Part-Time Clergy. The worksheets must be completed and submitted in Excel format (they cannot be completed in Numbers format on Mac). Paper or pdf copies will not be accepted.

PLEASE NOTE that a completed clergy compensation report is mandatory for all congregations and for each cleric serving, and is a required inclusion in the application for those mission churches seeking funding from the Board of Missions, and the application of any congregation seeking to meet with the Board of Consultation. The report must also be submitted to the Diocesan Benefits Administrator to update pension information with the Church Pension Group.

Questions on compensation matters can be emailed to the SCCC. In addition, ALL completed clergy compensation reports should be submitted as an email attachment to the SCCC.