(RNS) — In Congress this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill, called the Clergy Act, that would help to ensure that religious leaders who serve and encourage American congregations and communities can have a financially secure retirement. By allowing clergy who have opted out of the Social Security system to opt back in, the legislation will ensure that these crucial workers can continue to help the rest of us.
In the United States, clergy can opt out of Social Security. Some clergy make the decision to opt out during the early stages of their careers, only to realize it was a mistake, and by and large an irrevocable one.
To help clergy who mistakenly opted out, Congress has opened opt-in windows for clergy in the past, passing legislation in 1977, 1986 and 1999. U.S. Reps. Vince Fong and Mike Thompson and Sens. Katie Britt and Maggie Hassan have proposed that Congress do so again, introducing the Clergy Act in January. More than a dozen lawmakers have signed on to co-sponsor the bill.
Clergy who decide to opt back into Social Security after the passage of this bill would resume making contributions to Social Security and be eligible to receive a proportional amount of Social Security benefits once they retire. All Americans would benefit from its passage. The Congressional Budget Office suggests that allowing in an estimated 4,000 clergy who have opted out of Social Security would raise federal government revenues by $77 million.
But the far greater benefit would come in helping thousands of clergy to remain in their jobs. Definitive research shows that the presence of faith-based leaders in society has been among the most reliable predictors of a country’s social stability. In his influential 2000 book “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community,” Robert Putnam credits religious organizations for building the social networks and norms that make society functional. Religious institutions, he writes, “are the single most important repository of social capital in America.”
More clergy correlates with better outcomes all over the world. Researchers have observed that “areas where Protestant missionaries had a significant presence in the past are, on average, more economically developed today, with comparatively better health, lower infant mortality, lower corruption, greater literacy, higher educational attainment especially for women, and more robust membership in nongovernmental associations.”
Bolstering clergy’s retirement outlook would go a long way to lift spirits at a challenging moment. In a 2024 report titled “I’m Exhausted All the Time,” the Hartford Institute for Religion Research showed that because of relational disconnects and increased congregational conflicts, nearly half of clergy have considered leaving their current job — and more than half have considered leaving the ministry altogether.
In an article published earlier this year by MinistryWatch, Congressman Fong described the importance of the Clergy Act, saying, “Our faith leaders are pillars of strength in our community, offering guidance, hope, and compassion. We are grateful for their selfless service, and it is only right that we stand with them now.”
I could not have said it better myself. Congress would do well to pass the Clergy Act sooner rather than later.
(Christopher Wells is executive director of the Church Alliance, which advocates on behalf of 34 member organizations that provide retirement and health care benefits to employees serving a wide range of Christian and Jewish religious denominations. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)
