Every once and a while I like to update our members as to the amount that it costs to fully support our missionaries. The fielding cost is the total of all expenses necessary to support a missionary for a month including wages, health insurance, rent, etc. Since insurance premiums and rents rise each year, the fielding cost increase each year even when wages do not increase.
The two main factors affecting fielding costs are family size and location of service. WMPL allowances are directly related to the size of missionary families. Since a larger family receives a higher allowance from WMPL as well as incurring higher insurance costs the fielding cost for a family can be considerably higher. Location also plays a role in fielding costs as wages differ from field to field based on adjustments for cost of living. Rents also vary widely depending on which country one serves. Rent in urban areas around the world can rival rent expenses in the U.S. while rent in rural areas can sometimes be free! WMPL has kept rent/housing expenses low in the U.S. by providing WMPL owned living accommodations for Home Staff and many furloughing missionaries. Health care for WMPL staff living in the U.S. is more than double that of our overseas personnel.
Single serving in the Philippines
2002 |
2005 |
2007 |
|
Wages |
620 |
610 |
730 |
Insurance/housing |
355 |
450 |
585 |
Total Fielding Cost |
975 |
1,060 |
1,315 |
Family of four in Bangladesh
2002 |
2005 |
2007 |
|
Wages |
1,450 |
1,620 |
1,560 |
Insurance/housing |
790 |
1,049 |
1,254 |
Total Fielding Cost |
2,240 |
2,669 |
2,814 |
Family of four on Home Staff
2002 |
2005 |
2007 |
|
Wages |
1,570 |
1,675 |
1,675 |
Insurance/housing |
1,140 |
1,430 |
1,860 |
Total Fielding Cost |
2,710 |
3,105 |
3,535 |
As you can see from the chart above fielding costs have risen dramatically over the past five years while wages have not changed so much. Everyone is aware of the rising costs of health insurance which is the single largest factor in rising fielding costs. In 2007 wages, for the first time, became less than of total fielding cost for our Home Staff, this due almost entirely to health insurance premiums. During the last five years fielding costs have increased an average of 4.2 percent each year. Wages increased an average of 1.6 percent per year and during the same time inflation in the U.S. was about 2.4% annually. Health insurance alone has averaged 8.5% annual increase for WMPL over the last 5 years.
If you have any questions regarding the fielding cost of any particular missionary please feel free to email me jdahl@wmpl.org with your request or call 612-871-6843. Thanks again for all of your generous support.