We routinely keep you posted on results of Presbyterian Panel studies that include responses from members, elders, and clergy, and recently we've filled you in on surveys of commissioned lay pastors and new members. In the midst of this Year with Education, we have information about another important group in the denomination--Christian Educators. At the request of the Workgroup to Study the Role and Status of Christian Educators in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), we recently surveyed individuals in the PCUSA who are members of the Association of Presbyterian Christian Educators (APCE). Why APCE members? Because there is no other database of PCUSA educators. Thus, these results must be viewed in light of the fact that not all educators join APCE.
Who are the denomination's educators? As the table shows, like PCUSA members, they are predominantly female and married, although they are somewhat younger than members and elders. While a sizeable minority of educators have at some time been affiliated with another denomination, all but 2 percent are currently Presbyterians. The average educator has been a Presbyterian for 36 years.
Like pastors, almost all educators are college graduates and many have advanced degrees. Four in ten educators with master's degrees have an M.Div.; another 40 percent have a master's degree in religious or Christian education. Few have a doctoral degree.
| Educators | Members | Elders | Pastors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 85% | 61% | 47% | 18% |
| Median age | 47 yrs | 55 yrs | 55 yrs | 48 yrs |
| Currently married | 74% | 77% | 87% | 89% |
| Retired | 5% | 30% | 27% | 1% |
| Ever affiliated with another denomination | 42% | 59% | 60% | 40% |
| Completed high school (or more) | 99% | 96% | 97% | 99% |
| College graduate | 93% | 59% | 70% | 99% |
| Advanced degree | 64% | 24% | 33% | 99% |
Most Christian educators are neither ordained nor certified. Less than one- quarter are certified (as either Christian Educator, Associate Christian Educators, Minister of Christian Education, or Enrolled Educational Assistant). One-third are ordained elders (only 3 percent currently serve on session); 14 percent are ordained deacons (1% currently serve on board of deacons), and 24 percent are ordained Ministers of the Word and Sacrament.
Eight in ten educators serve local congregations; of these 98 percent serve a PCUSA congregation. Outside congregations, educators serve presbytery, synod, and General Assembly level offices (13 percent); seminaries and other educational institutions (3 percent); and other organizations. Two-thirds of all educators work full-time. Most receive a variety of benefits: three-quarters receive annual vacation, a continuing education allowance, time off for continuing education, employer-paid Social Security contributions, and paid holidays. A majority receive sick leave and a professional expense allowance. Four in ten of those serving local congregations, but 60 percent of those serving elsewhere, receive pension and medical insurance coverage through the Board of Pensions.
Christian educators typically serve in medium- and large-membership PCUSA congregations: 58% serve congregations with more than 500 members, while only 11% of all PCUSA congregations are that large.
Among educators serving in congregations, 73% attend session meetings and 63% attend presbytery meetings, but only 30% have vote at presbytery.
Email the author: Deborah A. Bruce
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