Thanks to Carol MacFarlane in Berkeley and Jean Wilcox in Marin for calling our attention to the fact that one version of the compensation grid in circulation is somewhat confusing about the salary recommendations for Directors of Religious Education of small congregations.

The UUA has not had a recommended salary amount for DREs serving congregations of fewer than 150 members. It may be that pay for DREs of small congregations should be linked to a fair hourly rate more than to the size of the congregation. Sometimes RE enrollment in a small congregation can be as high as 80 to 90. It has been widely recognized that many DREs have historically been paid for fewer hours than they actually devote to their duties, which is a way of paying less than has been agreed upon. Some congregations may need to take a fresh look at the amount of time their DREs actually work as compared to the number of hours for which they are paid. Anything less than twelve hours per week is generally not going to be adequate.

Please refer to the report on Basic Compensation Ranges for Professional Staff Positions. This report includes salary amounts approved by the UUA Trustees effective 7/1/97. See Also this chart.

Questions from local congregations can be directed to the Compensation Consultants in each district as well as Atlantic Canada, Western Canada, and Ontario/Quebec. The Canadian Unitarian Council has a Compensation Committee studying employment patterns of Unitarian congregations in Canada. You may contact them at eccuc@web.net.