At the Coalition Meeting for Ohio Strengthening Families, sponsored by Beech Acres, we briefly discussed the financial costs/savings that Faith Based Organizations, including churches, provide for the community. Many years ago I ran a Faith Based Family Life Lay Counseling Center at College Hill Presbyterian Church. We had some 65 Lay Counselors/Helpers and saw hundreds of individuals and couples each month. One of my volunteers found a way to do the math on what those services would cost if done by government agencies or other paid services. I no longer have that data, of course, since it was done in the Eighties. However, I have come across some people whom are researching the same issues.
There is a book by Ram A. Cnaan, called, The Invisible Caring Hand that outlines recent research in different cities for the social replacement values of congregations. It is published by New York University Press.. Chapter 5 outlines the details of the study and might be helpful.
(For example, the cost per hour of clergy was computed at $20.00 per hour and for other staff at $10.00 per hour. These are very conservative numbers and are usually under reported by the church that is reporting. For example, the clergy might say, “Well, my secretary does some volunteering but we would say ‘There are no paid staff”. One cannot imagine any government or community agency reporting no paid staff hours. I suspect every minute would be logged.)
Cnaan also computes space, volunteer hours and costs, utilities, actual monies spent by the congregation on food, materials, etc. He also deducted the amounts collected by the church.
On page 100, Cnaan reports the following statistics.
The average size of the urban congregations was 387 but they ranged in once per month attendance from 80 to 7,000, including children.
The average value of congregational replacement costs per program per month was $15,306.72
The average church had four programs or some $184,000.00 donated costs per congregation per year.
Cnaan notes that these are just the fiscal implications and do not count the huge social and psychological benefits of the programs and ministries. The importance of developing both Human Capital and Social Capital in congregational life can hardly be overemphasized. (I wrote about this on the blog recently.)
Human Capital: The addition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors that one can use to improve his/her own life. Once taught, Human Capital can be transferred to other settings. Thus, teaching communication skills, conflict management, financial skills, leadership, planning, critical thinking, etc are used in marriage, parenting, workplace, community meetings, etc.
Social Capital: The developing of Networks of Volunteer Human Capital and good will to cooperate, plan, develop communities of support, and influence growth and change. This has been one of the most outstanding reasons why Democracy and Capitalism work in America. It can be traced back largely to the Free Church Movement in the Colonies and the Constitution that prohibits a State Church. State Church support in Europe fails to teach people how to develop Social Capital needed for Volunteer Communities necessary for a free society. It is the pooled relationships between and among individuals not just their specific traits and abilities.
So, Cnaan strongly supports the need for additional support for congregational social and personal growth programs. They are more cost effective and socially effective than government and community agencies. The spiritual values are not even computed so just imagine the additive influence of faith groups in America.
As you may know, I am often frustrated by the fact that so many churches and faith groups can do more and better jobs of developing Human and Social Capital. However, it is just a matter of degree for the job we are doing now is amazingly positive. Just visit Russia and the Eastern Bloc to see what happens to a society rejects faith based groups. My Friend Rich Femia is off to minister in Romania with one of his churches missionaries who works there with orphans, the destitute and the hopeless.
Galina and other Christians do more to improve the Human and Social Capital in Russia than all the Moscow leaders. Almost every airplane is loaded with short term and long term missionaries, all of whom do good works for the people.
Before the Communists were kicked out the programs for anyone who was sick, poor or abandoned were almost completely lacking. Now there are thousands of Christians who minister there all the year round. Communists and Socialists claim to care but in reality they spread destruction and despair wherever they go because of their godless and inhuman approach.
American is still the most compassionate and caring nation on earth and we do more for the world than all others put together. It can all be traced back to our faith traditions.
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