Stipendiary ministry costs to be aligned with membership trends

General Assembly has agreed that, until further notice, the costs of supporting stipendiary ministry should be brought into line with the trend in membership numbers across the church.

The move departs from the previous policy of reducing the target number of stipendiary ministers in a given year by the same percentage as the reduction in membership (which in practice has meant a reduction in the target year by year of three per cent). The change in policy reflects increases in the costs of ministry due to stipend increases and the greater contributions now required to maintain the Ministers’ Pension Fund – which have opened a gap between the largest element of Assembly’s budget income (M&M giving) and spending to support stipendiary ministers.

The policy would automatically slow down the reduction in minister numbers again in line with any upturn in membership, or once a healthier economy began to relieve pressure on the Pension Fund.