Mike VanLaan
I previously served (as a volunteer) for many years at Friendship Christian Reformed Church, in Byron Center, MI, as the church administrator -- I am very much interested in church administration, church culture, and how we get things done in the best way in doing the work assigned to the Church. In addition to being a retired military officer, I have previous experience as a facility manager for a large hospital, an operations manager for a construction company, and, then, as a business owner. I also have previous experience as a deacon and as an elder, to include a term as Council President. I have been a delegate to Synod one time.
I am married, with two grown children (both married). Grandchildren are one of the my greatest enjoyments in life right now.
Posted in: Unordained Staff Compensation
We, too, have used the national survey data -- primarily through the National Association of Church Business Administrators (NACBA) -- which includes regional information as well. The limitation with this survey and with the information in Richard Hammar's book is that it lacks good information on the local market. That is why, particularly in the Grand Rapids area where we have several CRCs, it seems that we could work together to provide good local information. I'm just not sure how to make it happen. If nothing else, the NACBA survey and/or the Compensation Handbook for Church Staff are a great place to start.
Posted in: Unordained Staff Compensation
Rick: I think your approach is a great one. It combines the national data ("Church Compensation Handbook") with a local analysis. How did you contact the churches in your classis (e-mail, phone call, letter, ...), who did you contact (church treasurer?), and what kind of response did you get? How do you ensure you are comparing similar jobs? Also, do you think this is worth the effort each year, or just do it every two or three years?