PAROCHIAL REPORTS
Every congregation is required to complete an annual statistical report – called the parochial report – and file a clergy compensation form.
Parochial reports and clergy compensation forms are transmitted to parish offices in January and must be filed with the diocesan office by March 1. Parochial reports must be signed off on by the vestry. For your convenience, forms are also posted online in early January each year and can be found at the bottom of this page.
The parochial report is designed by The Episocpal Church, and is divided into several sections: Membership, Attendance and Services, Stewardship and Financial Information, Clerical Service, and Outreach Questions.
A resolution of the 1976 Convention states that “the salary and allowances of each diocesan and parochial ecclesiastical position be published annually in the Journal.” For this reason, the Diocese of Washington also gathers clergy compensation information.
To request an extension for filing or password reset, please contact Emily Blecksmith, Convention and Data Manager, as soon as possible.
A compilation of the statistics from the parochial report can be found in the tables at the back of the annual Journal.
FORMS
Forms should be submitted online but may be downloaded and mailed in if necessary.
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- Parochial Report (past and present reports) | Online filing (You can access historical documents through 1998.) | 2024 Parochial Report Fillable Form
- Clergy Compensation Form for 2024
- Please note all forms and instructions for The Episcopal Church’s parochial reports can be found on their website.
INSTRUCTIONS
NORMAL OPERATING INCOME
Any costs that go into the regular operation of the church are considered to be part of Normal Operating Income.
NO NEGATIVE AMOUNTS OR CENTS
Do not insert any negative numbers in the Parochial Report. Round all numbers to the nearest dollar.
COMPENSATION FORMS
Cash Salary should be total of salary before any designation of salary for housing. [Cleric X is given a salary of $24,000 and housing of $12,000 but cleric X wishes $8,000 of salary to be housing with a resulting salary of $16,000 and housing of $20,000, the amount in the table/form should be $24,000 salary and $12,000 housing.]
Utilities Allowance is additional cash paid as fixed dollar amount for actual expense. It is used in the accepted formula for the value of houses owned by the church such as rectories.
Value of Church-owned Housing is computed on the same basis as it is for the Church Pension Fund: 30% of cash salary plus utilities and SECA allowance.
Equity Allowance is cash that may be paid to clergy who live in church-owned housing.
Cash for Housing is the dollar amount provided in place of rectory, vicarage, or other church-owned property. In some cases, it includes utilities. Separate from cash salary, if given.
Total Compensation is the sum of cash salary (including any allowance for clergy self-employment tax of FICA), utilities, and housing.
Allowances are reimbursement rather than compensation. They are most commonly payments for the use of a personally-owned automobile for church business, and sometimes, for entertainment and other official expense.
Contact: The Rev. Canon Andrew Walter
