Diocesan Youth Ministry Directors 2005: A National Portrait

A Report Produced for the
National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry
January 2005

Charlotte McCorquodale, Ph.D.
Leigh Sterten
Ministry Training Source
Springfield, Missouri

Executive Summary

This study for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry was conducted by Ministry Training Source as a follow-up to the 2000 Study of Diocesan Youth Ministry Directors completed by the NFCYM. The 2005 survey instrument was based upon and adapted from the 2000 survey instrument designed by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University.

Diocesan directors were asked to complete the web-based survey which was posted on the NFCYM internal network server. Directors also had the option of completing a written version of the instrument, only 2 directors took advantage of this option. A total of 122 directors completed the survey instrument, which was a lower response rate from the 2000 study in which 141 directors completed the study. Forty-seven percent of directors, who participated in the 2005 survey, also participated in the 2000 director’s study.

The survey was divided into two parts. The first part was designed to gather data about the diocesan director and the diocesan office responsible for youth ministry, as well as about youth ministry programs and personnel in the diocese; the second part was designed to assess the attitudes of the diocesan directors on various issues and concerns they face.

Diocesan Level Findings

  • The average age of directors is 44 years old.
  • Directors are predominantly lay persons at 94%, this includes single (31%), married (54%), and religious sisters and brothers (9%) with 6% being priests.
  • On average, diocesan youth ministry directors have been in paid youth ministry for an average of 14 years, and in diocesan work for 8½ years. They have served as diocesan director for an average of 6 years.
  • The highest level of educational attainment has decreased some since the 2000 study. The majority of diocesan directors have a master's degree (60%), this reflects a 17% decrease since the 2000 study (77%). Currently, 35% of diocesan directors have a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree and 5% have a doctorate degree which is a 1% increase from the 2000 study.
  • Forty-six percent of directors are female and 54% are male. This is an increase by 7% of females in the director’s position from 2000.
  • The majority of diocesan youth ministry offices are staffed by at least one full-time professional and one full-time secretarial support person; however, there has been a decrease in full-time secretarial support staff from 82% in 2000 to 57% in 2005.
  • Budgets have increased since the 2000 study. Sixty-eight percent of diocesan youth ministry offices have budgets over $100,001, an increase of eight percent. Twenty seven percent of these offices have budgets exceeding $250,001.
  • Salaries have increased significantly, with one in five diocesan youth ministry directors earning $50,001 or more. The average salary is $40,722, an increase of nearly $10,000 from the 2000 study.
  • There is a disparity between the salaries earned by female and male directors. The overall salary average is $40,772. For lay women, the average is $40,451 and for lay men is $46,000. The average salary of a female director is less than the overall average salary for all directors.
  • Although the vast majority of diocesan youth ministry offices are funded by diocesan subsidies and revenue from programs and fees, there have been sharp increases in the number of offices that rely on grants or fundraising efforts. The percentage of directors that rely on grants, fundraising, or other sources has more than doubled since the 2000 study.
  • Only 42% of diocesan offices of youth ministry are responsible for adolescent catechesis directly which may indicate the need for continued education about comprehensive youth ministry.