The Pastor

The SPEI

The Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Inventory (SPEI) is a proven tool used by The Pastors Institute to provide better resources for pastors. The SPEI was designed to allow pastors self-evaluate and anonymously express what they believe they need to be better pastors.

The survey is comprised of 50 Likert Scale questions and can be completed online in less than 10 minutes. Over 1100 pastors have completed the SPEI, and it is now being used to measure the effectiveness of a nationally based development program funded by The Lilly Endowment.

The SPEI is not a diagnostic tool. It is a self-assessment inventory designed to measure the characteristics directly related to the nature and demands of pastoral ministry. It has been designed to help pastors sustain pastoral excellence.

The SPEI measures:

Fulfillment: indicates the extent to which a pastor feels emotionally, spiritually and professionally satisfied. A high score might indicate the pastor feels challenged and fulfilled by pastoral ministry. A low score might indicate that the pastor feels ineffective and frustrated. It also might be an indicator of burnout or fatigue.

Connectedness: indicates the willingness and effectiveness of a pastor in developing relationships that provide support, friendship and authenticity. A high score might indicate that the pastor feels supported by family, congregation and denomination. A low score might indicate feelings of being alone and detached from anyone with whom the pastor can be authentic. It also might be an indicator of a leader’s difficulty in recognizing or discussing weaknesses and struggles.

Proficiency: indicates how skilled and effective a pastor feels in leadership and normal pastoral duties. A high score might indicate the pastor feels well trained and possesses the skills needed to be an effective pastor. A low score might indicate feelings of not being a good leader or not being fully equipped for pastoring.

Self-care: indicates a pastor’s habits that affect social and personal health. A high score might indicate the pastor is self-disciplined regarding time and personal habits. A low score might indicate the pastor is concerned about the use of time and energy. It also might indicate that habits have developed that are unhealthy.

Non-parish life events: indicates how a pastor feels regarding issues of home, family and finances. A high score might indicate the pastor feels life is well balanced. A low score might indicate feelings of concern regarding indebtedness and retirement income. It also might indicate pastoring may be negatively impacting the pastor’s family.

The SPEI is available for pastors' groups regardless of whether The Pastors Institute provides other resources. SPEI results can be provided in aggregate or individual form. The Pastors Institute assures individual confidentiality.

NOTE: The inventory was designed as a result of a grant received in 2003. The grant was generous enough to allow the Institute to standardize the SPEI using a representative sample of 388 pastors from 30 denominations. The Cronback's Alpha score for the SPEI is .94, much higher than the .77 generally considered an acceptable reliability coefficient. The tool also has high validity as indicated by face validity and content validity analysis.