Job Satisfaction in Religious Education

Religious educators hold ministry positions in almost all major denominations. To many, these jobs are viewed as idyllic; imagine working all day with fellow believers in a church setting! However, in many denominations, little research has been done to confirm such joy and satisfaction. Research in job satisfaction has become a routine form of assessment to determine the satisfaction of employees in order to insure their physical and psychological well-being. Many variables of satisfaction or dissatisfaction have also been associated with reasons for workers leaving their jobs. In this book, Directors of Christian Education in the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod were surveyed to determine if they were satisfied with their jobs; to provide an opportunity for Directors of Christian Education to evaluate their ministry skills and share what additional competencies, if any, might be added to their education to enhance job satisfaction; and to seek information regarding their likelihood to leave ministy in the next three years. The results are somewhat surprising! In addition to this research, the author offers recommendations for keeping these workers for the future.