Synod Mutual Ministry Committee
May 2025
A meeting was called on May 13, 2025, to discuss the proposed bishop’s compensation for 2026. The finance committee met previously and made recommendations as to the compensation. The Synod Mutual Ministry Committee (SMMC) finds the proposed compensation package to be inflated.
| Compensation | Budgeted 2025 | Actual 2025 | SC -Proposed 2026 | SMMC-Proposed 2026 |
| Salary | $82,068.63 | $92,759.00 | $98,350.00 | $86,113.41 |
| Housing | $14,000.00 | $15,000.00 | $16,500.00 | $19,800.00 |
| Social Security Allowance | $7,958.00 | $8,936.00 | $9,475.00 | $8,773.55 |
| (Total Defined Compensation Subtotal) | $104,026.63 | $116,695.00 | $124,325.00 | $114,686.96 |
| Benefits (Pension, Medical, etc.) | $65,000.00 | $59,915.00 | $63,654.00 | $63,654.00 |
| Workman’s Compensation | $250.00 | $517.00 | $750.00 | $750.00 |
| Continuing Education | $2,000.00 | |||
| Total | $169,276.63 | $177,127.00 | $188,729.00 | $181,090.96 |
The SMMC proposes, for purposes of calculating total defined compensation, that
- the bishop’s salary for 2026 be set at $86,113.41 (in lines with the clergy compensation schedule, years of experience, an anticipated COLA of 2.3%, and the bishop differential coefficient of 1.5),
- housing be set at the fair market rental value of the bishop’s home, which is $19,800, and
- Social Security Allowance, calculated by formula, be adjusted to $8,773.55,
yielding a total defined compensation of $114,686.96.
The benefits and Worker’s Compensation have been left as calculated. With these changes in proposed compensation, the total for bishop’s compensation for 2026 comes to $179,090.96.
It was noticed that there is no line item for Continuing Education for the Bishop. The committee would like to propose that “Continuing Education” be an additional line item in the Bishop’s Compensation. The committee proposes that the line item be for $2,000. This would raise the total of the bishop’s compensation to $181,090.96. The committee anticipates recommending that clergy continuing ed be set at $2,000 for 2026, but fuller deliberation on clergy compensation will take place later this summer.
As ordered by Synod Council, the committee will take up clergy compensation guidelines, synod office staffing, and the bishop’s well-being after Synod Assembly.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ruth Bullwinkle, M.Div.
Synod Mutual Ministry Committee, Chairperson
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