Faith-based social workers are experts at ethically integrating their spirituality into professional social work practice. These individuals honor the dignity and worth of all persons and utilize advanced aspects of integrating faith in all components of social work practice. By studying how faith and social work interact, these workers can make deep connections that have lasting impacts.
Job Responsibilities
Social workers who specialize in faith-based integration have a variety of potential career paths to consider, and with each comes specialized responsibilities. Primarily, faith-based social workers are able to address societal problems found within any type of social work program. This can include day-to-day tasks such as grant writing, program management and directing teams, but also extends to more robust responsibilities such as leading a business or nonprofit organization.
Due to the wide variety of work that faith-based social workers participate in, the work setting varies. Work may take place in an office or out in the field working directly with at-risk communities. The work can also be intensive, taking place on weekends, holidays and late into the evenings. Faith-based social workers are generally experienced in handling high-stress situations and are dedicated to doing quality work.
Pursue a Career in Social Work
Prepare to make a difference in your local community with one of CU’s accredited online social work degrees.
Explore DegreesFaith-Based Social Worker Salary
Because of the unique skill set and demand present across many different industries, faith-based social work is more relevant than ever. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects about 63,800 openings for social workers alone each year, and in 2022, the median annual wage was $55,350.1 And that’s just one career avenue for social workers.
Faith-based social work can also lead to highly lucrative positions that may seem less obvious at first. Organizations such as Catholic Charities, Lutheran Services in America, UNICEF, United Way and more are always looking for leaders to take the next step and make a difference. According to the BLS, the overall employment of top executives is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.2
Education Requirements
Those interested in pursuing social work will need at least a bachelor’s degree to begin. For more specialized fields like faith-based social work, one will need to graduate from a relevant master’s program to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to do the work effectively.
Campbellsville University’s fully online Master of Social Work will help students get the experience they need to achieve their goals as social workers, and with a concentration in faith-based work, they will be able to work in the fields that require that specific expertise. In this concentration, students study topics such as integrating spirituality and practice, nonprofit management, experiential learning and more.