Inside the grassroots campaign to standardize 12 weeks of paid family leave for PC(USA) pastors
(Clockwise from top left) Hailey Malcolm, Bethany Benz-Whittington, and Contina Lundy—three leaders of the grassroots movement to secure 12 weeks of paid family leave for PC (USA) pastors. (Courtesy photo)
This spring, Presbyterian Church (USA) ratified an amendment to its governing document, mandating a minimum of 12 weeks of paid family leave for called and installed pastors at congregations. The historic vote was the culmination of a six-year general assembly process, and also of grassroots church advocacy.
In 2014, the general assembly approved an overture “encouraging” six weeks of paid family leave across the denomination. That left it up to councils to decide what amount to provide, if any.
Voices against requiring a standardized minimum claimed that the Family Medical Leave Act already supported young families and that an outsized financial burden would be placed on small churches. Some national agencies argued church assets shouldn’t support paid family leave because of fiduciary responsibilities to preexisting church programs, investors and pensioners.
