Sample letter for church leaders

 

 

Dear Pastoral Relations Committee/Budget Committee,

As the time nears for preparing church budgets for 2010, you are no doubt considering pastoral compensation.  I am writing to encourage you to include Ministers Council Membership as a pastoral expense to be covered by your congregation.

Why is this important for churches?  There are many reasons.  Continuing education opportunities offered by the Ministers Council at the regional and national levels will help your pastor be prepared for continuing service in changing times.  Your investment in your pastor’s continuing education is multiplied as Ministers Council members are eligible for grants as they participate in Together in Ministry colleague groups and for continuing education scholarships through our regional Ministers Council.

The Ministers Council offers a wealth of resources for ministers and congregations including guides for Pastoral Relations Committees, model church-minister agreements, worship helps and ideas for special services, information on legal issues for churches, and more. 

When it comes time to call a pastor or other staff member, you want to be sure that the person whom you call will serve with integrity.  The Ministers Council is responsible for the Code of Ethics for American Baptist clergy.  We work to insure that our church leaders are people with high ethical standards.

We offer support, encouragement, and a network of colleagues to ministers.  All of this and more not only benefits your pastor or staff person, it benefits your congregation as its leaders are better equipped and supported in ministry.  Consultants who work with pastors and congregations report that pastors who participate with colleagues in groups like the Ministers Council are less likely to burn out and tend to stay in a place of ministry longer.

If not already a member, we encourage you to cover the cost of this year’s dues for your pastor and ministerial staff to join the Ministers Council by returning the enclosed form.  If  this is not already included in your budget, we encourage you to include $50 for membership dues per staff member in your 2010 budget.

Serving together,