• CACs Now Available for 2026
• Q2 Markets at a Glance Video

CACs Now Available for 2026

The Conference Average Compensations (CACs) for jurisdictional (U.S.) conferences are now available for 2026. This document contains a comprehensive list of the 2025 and 2026 figures, organized by conference name.

To accommodate the Church's advance budget planning needs, Wespath sustains a long tradition of calculating the CAC with a two-year lag. In other words, the 2026 CAC is calculated based on 2024 compensation data. There are no adjustments or projections to account for the 2-year difference.

Going forward, Wespath will no longer release CACs beyond the 2026 CACs since the Denominational Average Compensation (DAC) will increase at a known 2% per year. We will continue to work with conferences to leverage the available compensation data to calculate an average compensation that best serves conference needs.

To use the DAC and CAC figures properly, please remember:

• As one of the outcomes of General Conference (GC), the 2025 DAC was finalized at $80,003. GC also passed petitions eliminating moving expense reimbursements from the DAC for 2025 and going forward. The DAC will now be automatically adjusted annually by 2%; therefore, the 2026 DAC will be $81,603.


• The 2025 CACs were calculated based on the compensation rules in effect at the time of calculation and include moving expense reimbursements. The 2026 CACs do not include moving expense reimbursements.


• Wespath calculates the DAC and CACs solely for use by the UMC's U.S. pension and welfare plans for clergy. Any other use is strongly discouraged.


• In general, the DAC and CAC are averages of the compensation (as defined by the benefit plans) of full-time U.S. clergy who participate in the Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP) and/or the Comprehensive Protection Plan (CPP).


• The DAC includes the compensation of clergy serving local churches in the U.S., jurisdictional bishops and district superintendents, and clergy serving general agencies and other appointments in the U.S. extending the ministry of the UMC. Clergy in those extension ministries are included only if they participate in CRSP and/or CPP.


• The CACs include the compensation of district superintendents; they do not include the compensation of bishops and clergy serving general agencies.


• Plan compensation includes housing allowances, housing exclusions and certain tax deferrals, such as United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP) before-tax contributions and Code section 125 medical spending account deferrals. For clergy living in a parsonage, plan compensation also includes an amount equal to 25% of compensation.


• Plan compensation excludes amounts paid in lieu of a conference providing a group health plan.


• Plan compensation does not include moving expense payments effective with the 2025 DAC and 2026 CACs as per approved GC petitions.

Q2 Markets at a Glance Video

Q2 continued many storylines we have shared in previous quarters—the dominance of technology stocks, the rising cost of home ownership, and the resurgence of meme stocks. Managing Director of Investment Management Frank Holsteen provides an update on these topics in our latest Markets at a Glance video.

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