The board of trustees has approved a $7.4 million budget for 2026, anchored by a projected giving base of $8.1 million. Of this, $4.6 million (57%) is allocated to staffing and contracted services — a meaningful increase from $4.3 million (52%) in 2025, driven by the strategic addition of five new positions throughout the year.

This staffing increase reflects a deliberate investment in ministry infrastructure — specifically in Formation, Connections, and Development leadership — which positions RSF for sustained ministry health and the upcoming capital campaign.

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and independent church consulting research consistently identify 50–55% as the healthy range for staffing and contracted services as a percentage of total operating budget. Major metropolitan cities occasionally surpass this threshold due to cost of living or other factors. Exceeding the 55% threshold should be carefully considered, as it could severely limit the church's ability to carry out ministry. 60% and above creates structural fragility — any giving shortfall translates directly into personnel decisions.

The 2026 figure of 57% reflects partial-year costs for hires made throughout the calendar year. When all five new positions are fully annualized in 2027, total staffing rises to approximately $4.8 million (59%) — still within range, but with no room for additional hires without a corresponding increase in giving.

Five new positions are part of the 2026 staffing plan. Due to the timing of hires across the year, 2026 reflects a partial-year cost of approximately $400K, with full annualization reaching $555K in 2027.

Margaret Hong (Nov '25) — Executive Assistant
Full year realized in 2026. Provides senior operational support across the executive function.

Heather Casimere (Feb '26) — Pastoral Resident
50% of salary offset by the Made to Flourish (MTF) Grant, reducing net cost to RSF. Limited to a 2-year term.

Sam Roberson (Mar '26) — Connections Director
Directly addresses the strategic priority of congregational connection and integration.

Development Director (Q1 '26)
Required for the upcoming capital campaign. Contracted as a 3-year term position.

Tim Chaddick (Jul '26) — Formation Pastor
The most significant single hire, beginning July. Full-year impact begins in 2027 and is included in board-approved staffing projections.

An optional church-planting candidate is under consideration. Adding this role would increase total staffing, pushing the 2026 staffing ratio from 57% to approximately 58–60% — exceeding best-practice levels and the upper end of trustee board guidance.

Beyond the budget ratio, RSF is relatively staff-heavy by a second measure: the ratio of staff to congregation size. Both ECFA guidance and Hammer's 2025 Church Salaries & Staffing Guide identify staff-to-congregant ratios as a parallel indicator of organizational health — and by this metric, RSF's staffing density warrants the same careful diligence as the salary-to-budget ratio. The recommendation is to consider staff reductions and role reassignments as a means of creating capacity for future strategic hires and redirecting resources toward higher-impact ministry. If giving goals are not met or a market downturn reduces giving, staff reductions would likely become necessary.

Finance and Operations recommends the following as the long-term target allocation framework for RSF's operating budget:

Staffing & Contracted Services: 50–60% — current position is healthy. No new permanent positions should be added in 2026 beyond those already approved without a corresponding giving increase or a term-limited structure.

Ministry Operations: 15–20% — currently at 33%, which reflects our investment in program delivery, events, and care. This is above target and warrants ongoing review as staffing fully matures.

Facilities: 10–15% — currently at 10%, within the ideal range. Building initiatives are funded separately through capital campaign proceeds and should not be drawn from the operating budget.

Tithe / Missions: 10–15% — currently at approximately 7%. This is below the recommended level and reflects a prioritization of ministry build-out. Finance recommends a phased increase as giving grows.