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Directors, Religious Activities and Education
Coordinate or design programs and conduct outreach to promote the religious education or activities of a denominational group. May provide counseling, guidance, and leadership relative to marital, health, financial, and religious problems.
Other titles employers use
Adult Ministries Director · Campus Ministries Director · Children's Ministries Director · Christian Education Director · Religious Education Coordinator · Religious Education Director · Senior Adults Director · Women's Ministries Director
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Develop or direct study courses or religious education programs within congregations.
- Identify and recruit potential volunteer workers.
- Select appropriate curricula or class structures for educational programs.
- Schedule special events, such as camps, conferences, meetings, seminars, or retreats.
- Counsel individuals regarding interpersonal, health, financial, or religious problems.
- Collaborate with other ministry members to establish goals and objectives for religious education programs or to develop ways to encourage program participation.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, persuading and creative work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Creative
- Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Subjects to know
- Philosophy and Theology
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Psychology
Useful strengths
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.4 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.5 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.2 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 1.5 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 54%
- A certificate or some college 21%
- A two-year degree 14%
- A master's degree 10%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Office suite software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Spreadsheet software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 10,600
- Job openings each year
- 1,060
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 8.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 10,600 | 1,060 | 8.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 9,910 | 940 | — |
| Florida | 9,450 | 920 | 4.1% |
| Alabama | 7,750 | 770 | 7.5% |
| Tennessee | 5,570 | 520 | −3.1% |
| Indiana | 4,350 | 420 | 1.9% |
| Georgia | 3,920 | 380 | — |
| Illinois | 3,420 | 330 | 1.5% |
| North Carolina | 3,100 | 310 | 6.2% |
| Ohio | 1,980 | 190 | 4.2% |
| Minnesota | 1,660 | 160 | — |
| Oregon | 1,180 | 120 | 10.3% |
| Colorado | 1,150 | 110 | 5.5% |
| Connecticut | 1,060 | 110 | 11.6% |
| Michigan | 990 | 90 | −2.0% |
| Virginia | 730 | 70 | 5.8% |
| Maryland | 660 | 60 | 3.1% |
| South Dakota | 500 | 50 | 6.4% |
| Montana | 470 | 50 | 9.3% |
| Mississippi | 440 | 40 | 12.8% |
| South Carolina | 360 | 40 | 9.1% |
| North Dakota | 330 | 30 | — |
| Iowa | 320 | 30 | 6.7% |
| Washington | 290 | 40 | 20.8% |
| New Jersey | 190 | 20 | — |
| District of Columbia | 160 | 20 | 6.7% |
| Utah | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Nebraska | 70 | 10 | — |
| Nevada | 70 | 10 | — |
| Kentucky | 40 | 0 | — |
| Puerto Rico | 40 | 0 | — |
| Idaho | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of California-San Diego
- Degrees each year
- 722
- Admit rate
- 25%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 126
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
James Madison University
- Degrees each year
- 415
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Regent University
- Degrees each year
- 86
- Admit rate
- 41%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
University of California-Berkeley
- Degrees each year
- 257
- Admit rate
- 12%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of California-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 237
- Admit rate
- 9%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Calvin University
- Degrees each year
- 30
- Admit rate
- 71%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
University of California-Davis
- Degrees each year
- 190
- Admit rate
- 42%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Compare every college offering pastoral counseling and specialized ministries