Survey: Female pastors double over past decade

Female pastors are far more numerous in mainline Protestant churches than they were a decade ago, but that does not mean they are better compensated. Those are the findings of The Barna Group, a Christian research organization. A little more than 600 pastors were surveyed, matching the sample size of an identical study done in 1999. Surveyors found that there are twice as many female senior pastors as a decade ago, jumping from 5 percent to 10 percent. Fifty-eight percent of women in the overall pastorate belong to mainline Protestant denominations such as the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Women in the top clerical position are likely to have more education than their male counterparts, although they are usually leading smaller congregations. Salaries are also lower as male pastors surveyed make an average of $48,600 compared to $45,300 for female pastors. Link: Barna survey on female pastors: http://www.barna.org/barna-update