Assembly Council has approved a pay-hike for national church executive staff to bring them in line with comparable positions in the Toronto area. As of Jan. 1, 2005, the church's top three general secretary positions — principal clerk, chief financial officer and general secretary of the Life and Mission agency — are receiving a clergy stipend of $82,300, up from $65,249. Non-clergy receive another 15 per cent to compensate for the clergy housing tax deduction.
The raise was first discussed in March 2003, when the church realized it could not attract qualified candidates for the position of CFO on the old pay-scale. A comparison of positions in other denominations and clergy in the Toronto area was undertaken and in November 2004, recommendations were presented to council and the decision was made to increase the pay. The personnel policy committee recommended all three general secretaries be paid the same. (Staff were not present for the discussions.)
Raises for associate secretaries are slated to begin next January and will be fully phased in by 2008. Associate secretaries who are clergy will earn $73,689, while lay or non-clergy will earn $84,742 to compensate for the income tax housing deduction.
Council has provided for increased funding for professor's salaries at the three Presbyterian seminaries, but has left the decision to the colleges. To facilitate the increase, grants to the colleges (taken from the operating budget of Presbyterians Sharing) will go up to 10.1 per cent in 2008 (or $166,570) from the current 8.6 per cent (or $54,440).
The increases this year and next will come from a surplus in the operating fund. The finance committee and management team have until March 2006 to create a new a budget to support the increases beyond 2006. The increases for executive, associate and professorial staff in 2007 will require $190,000. For 2008, $286,000 will be needed, representing about 2.8 per cent of the national church's expected budget for that year.
Rev. George Malcolm, a member of the finance committee, said it is hoped the changes can be accomplished without affecting program funding. Council has proposed a comprehensive policy for handling executive stipends in future that General Assembly will be asked to approve in June.
The independent Presbyterian Church Building Corporation and Presbyterian Record Inc., which are not funded by the church, have not said whether they will continue precedent and match their executive salaries to the new levels.
Amy MacLachlan
