It IS difficult, as stated by Ken, when you have to fire a staff member.  Even though we measure on a performance level because they are paid, there still exists the relational link in the congregation.  Some will cheer and others jeer when you “fire” a staff member.

As a Senior Pastor of 23 years, and now a district pastor, I have found it is better to have a staff member “self select out” than to fire them.  I have faced this several times, and it has worked in all cases but one.

How do you get them to self select out?  By having a system of accountability.  You must do constant performance reviews, and stick to them.  I used a 10 question performance review that they would fill out, we would then go over together, and both sign off on for each 4-6 month period. It was designed to get their feedback and offer my feedback as well, a two way conversation on their concerns as well as mine.

The FIRST question in the review was, “What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishments in the past___ months (the blank being the number of months since their last review)?  The LAST question in the review was, “What do you hope to accomplish in the next ___ months?

When we met for the review the last question from the last review should match closely with the first question from this review.  I would not always accept their answers cart blanche for the last question in the present review.  I would often alter or add a MEASURABLE goal for the next ministry period which we would then discuss in the next review.

After missing on a specified area two or three times in a row, a staff member would realize on their own that they were not living up to the expectations of the job.  They would be looking and usually resign before the third time, self selecting out. 

That saves face for everyone involved and avoids the polarization the occurs when you have to go to the leadership team or congregation with a firing tecnique.

William wrote:
“In our denomination, if the Sr. Pastor resigns, the entire staff tender their resignations pending the hiring of a new Sr. man. The new pastor can choose to keep or dismiss.”

That seems totally inconsistent with Christ’s teaching.  There seems no way to get that kind of method from Scripture.  Yes, as you say, it seems to totally go against the Shepharding and Discipleship concepts, some of the most critical tasks of a quality Senior Pastor (Senior Servant).

...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247

On the other hand—what does a staff member do when the Senior Pastor is not “performing?” When the church is in decline yet the Senior Pastor is determined to stay 5 more years until retirement. When he seems to be content with “maintaining” the status quo.

Good word from Ken and others. Wrongful dismissal of employees in churches has been the number one claim among the top Liability Insurance carriers for churches the last three years running; therefore, churches should make certain they are covered for such matters in their church liability insurance policy. Most companies do not make it part of the normal umbrella package, but can make the wrongful dismissal of employees an endorsement to the policy for an additional premium fee.

As Ken points out it is vital to have a complete job description for the position and it is absolutely imperative that the church hire a person who is genuinely qualified to fill the position. It is alarming the number of churches that do NOT have written job desriptions and too often hire individuals they like rather than someone who “fits the bill,” so to speak.

Furthermore, it is imperative that the employee understands the job description and his or her boundaries. Follow-up on job resumes may go a long way in preventing the firing of the employee since a simple resume follow-up may show the person is NOT qualified for the job opening.

Work agreements or contracts are a must for paid staff these days and it is, therefore, adivisable that an attorney with employment expertise be sought out in assisting the church to properly draw-up all employment policy and contracts.

Written handbooks are encouraged not only for paid staff but for all volunteer staff as well. Much more to say but churches, no matter the size, should put employment matters in order at the start and not when letting a worker go.

As an Associate Pastor for 19 years, it has been my experience that there are some situations that cannot be restored or repaired. In these moments, Associates have to go to the Sr. Pastor honestly, share their observations, trying to bring resolve. If there is no change in the situation, Associates should find other work.

I had to do this at my last church. It was painful. It was like a death in my family. I had to move away from my retired parents, my in-law family and other “perks” that my family prefers. All of this because of a Sr. Pastor’s reluctance to apologize to my wife for an ADMITTED sinful attitude toward her.

Sad part was that the church Board, well aware of the situation, took his side. At that point, I was dispensible and GRACIOUSLY the Lord found us employment 1500 miles away.

About to become Sr. Pastor, I have committed myself to making every effort to make “the team” concept work. In the words of “Good to Great” (which I would HIGHLY recommend reading) You have to get the right people on the bus, in the right seats, before you can identify and pursue the church’s mission.

That means, ocassionally, somebody has to move on. In my case, that was me. I did not fit on that bus, with that driver, headed in that direction. So, I got off the bus.

The miraculous part is that the conflict with the Sr. Pastor and his family and mine lasted for almost one year. No one in the church had any indication there was a conflict. Keeping it private and the church protected from the stress sustained the church. My wife and I are proud that our sitiuation did not spill over into the church at large.

Moved from Florida, Living in Kansas,
Tom

Having had to twice manager staff out of posts I think there is some unrealism in saying “It’s the fault of the people who hired” as if this was a science not and art, and even more in saying “for the sake of relationship you have to make it work.” I have relationship with the underperforming staff member, but I also have relationship with the other staff who are filling the gaps this person leaves and becoming stressed; I also have relationhip with the congregation who are paying his salary and wondering why the work is not up to scratch. Those relationships force me to make the tough call.

Some practical suggestions. Usually someone can be managed out with the right support, counselling, and some financial help - much better than dismissal. Secondly, you need to agree strictly what you and the staff member are going to say about his departure and then neither of you deviate from it. You can do this, painful though it is, without causing ructions in the chruch.

I have to disagree with the assessment that the root of this conflict should come down to money. I will admit that the concept of good stewardship over the congregation’s finances is high on the list, the real issue is leadership.

The Senior Pastor should be leading both his staff and his congregation. He should know the new hire’s strengths and weakness, disciple him in the areas that need improvement and develop the kind of communication the associate needs to engender trust and growth. By doing this he creates an atmosphere where the is able to discuss his concerns about this person’s job performance based on integrity and the worth of the associate. In the absence of this foundation, the associate will feel threatened by constructive criticism and in a congregation as small as the one stated above, division and discord are sown.

Regarding the congregation, the Sr. Pastor needs to be honest with them as well. When the time comes to fire a staff member he should be honest with the congregation without going into details. The presence of truth, presented in a way that honors the integrity of the staff member uproots division and discord. Guess what, the congregation does not need us “spinning” staff transitions. They deserve our best and can handle the truth. I would be so bold as to say that the Pastor who transitions a staff member and is concerned more with the response of the congregation than what is best for the flock and for the staff member is not being true to the call of leadership God expects from his Shepards. Psalm 78 speaks of this two fold emphasis needed in this type of leadership ...

“So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.”

On this BLOG I often proclaim that we must be who God has called us to be. Not CEO’s, not idea men, not even religious men. We must be true to the core of our calling as Pastors. Lead our flock, be it congregations or staff. Regretfully, we do well in hiring people but we don’t do so good in the transition out. That is a reflection on our leadership more than anything else.

This is a very real issue and many churches with a multiple person staff, deal with this situation in different ways.  My 27 year background in the business world has possibly given me a different perspective than those who have been pastors their entire working career.  For me, the bottomline is to do everything possible to help those who serve the Kingdom in the local church.  That means evaluations that are honest, training that is helpful, assistance that is meaningful, and encouragement that is empowering.  When someone is unable to “cut it” - whether they are paid staff or volunteers - we must deal with the situation assertively.  It will not go away on its own.  After all efforts have been made to help the pastor/volunteer and no meaningful progress has been made, then it’s time for the difficult discussion regarding the future of the person in question. 

Here are some good steps to take:
1.  Honor and affirm the person - their gifts, abilities and passion. 
2.  Help them understand what brought them to this point.  If you have a file of past discussions, or help given, or written evaluations it makes this part much easier.
3.  Honor God and honor the person being let go, by releasing them to do something God has created, gifted, and even purposed them for.  Honor God by being a good steward with the resources He’s given, in this case, the church.
4.  Help them make an exit that both honors them, as a person, and honors God.  This is often difficult because these things can get messy. You cannot contol what they say before they exit, even when you think you have an agreement, don’t be shocked when this agreement breaks down and accusations are being thrown. Stay above it and take the high road. This is critical!
5.  Overall, understand that just because someone has a great heart for God and desire to serve Him in the local church, doesn’t immediately qualify him/her for any and all ministry opportunities. This is one of the toughest parts of being a leader. 
6.  It’s best for an elder or chairman of the church board to make the announcement to the congregation and then allow him/her to be the lightening rod.

There is never a clear cut solution for a church when de-hiring a staff member. We are concerned about the spiritual aspects of the person’s life. We have pastor/staff personality conflict and shortcomings (who’s fault is it?). We have church leadership not giving a clear and precise job description (because they, in most cases have no clue what that description should be). We have church member/staff personality conflict issues (Pastor Bubba didn’t say good morning to me on Sunday). And as Christians, having received the grace of God, want to be graceful and merciful to our brothers and sisters in Christ; therefore, giving every opportunity to succeed (of course not all Christians are merciful).
The secular world generally does a better job. Secular business leaders have a defined outlook and business plan. They know what they are selling, the profit needed to keep the business running, and a business plan that spans 5 to 10 years of closely “tangible” and achievable goals.
They know what it takes to meet the customer’s demands and they hire individuals with the qualifications to meet those demands. A hiring process is developed with well defined employee job descriptions. There are quarterly evaluations that assess the employee’s achievements and shortfalls to provide accolades and performance improvement plans for the shortcomings. If the employee receives a poor evaluation there are balances in place that will provide continued service for the company until poor performance options are exhausted. If there is not any improvement in the performance, the employee/employer relationship is terminated.
The secular employee; however, has a weapon that we paid church staff members don’t and shouldn’t have-the age, race, gender, disability, whatever you can conjure up, “card” that can be pulled anytime termination is a possibility. It doesn’t matter if the employee is inept or incapable in his position because whatever he did or can not do is not his fault (no accountability). Hopefully we, as Christians, will never use this vile tactic.
The problem with many churches is twofold. When a pastor/staff search committee is formed it is either with a group of people that are aware of how important a well defined job description is (business people), or by a group of folks who know what they want, yet do not have the business savvy to implement.
The job descriptive, savvy bunch, search committee folks many times set up a job description that is impossible to meet. “The pastor or staff person will commit 20% to this, and 40% to that, and 30% to whatever, and the remaining 10% to whenever. They have already scared this guy (I mean me) off because I was part of the business world in which job descriptions and dedicated time percentages did not always jibe. Believe it or not there are many variables in the business world and in doing work for the Lord. Many times, (and I don’t see much of this in the church) common sense, yes I said common sense, must be used to determine if I should shave 10% off the “whatever” and apply it to the “whenever”.
How do we measure ministry staff accomplishments? First pastor, are you a communicator? Do you have regular meetings with your staff? Do you ask questions like, “How was your week? How are things at home?, How is your prayer life?, Can I pray for you?, What do you believe God is asking you to do this week/this year?”
How do you, pastor, define success? How do your Deacons/Elders, or your charter member/tenured folks (you know…the people who own the building?) define success? Your definition, hopefully, will be very different from your tenured, we have all of the answers, church members. You are hopefully looking at the spiritual growth of those that you and your staff are serving (youth, young adults, older adults etc.) Your tenured church members are looking at numerical growth, how nice your staff person is, and just general personality conflict issues they may have.
Here is the bottom line for all of us “Ex Officio” pastors. We must know our staff and make sure our staff is keeping us informed weekly of what they are doing (I don’t like to be blindsided).We must discipline with love. We must stand up for them and support them.
We do not have total control over our congregation and our livelihoods may be at stake if we contradict the patriarch deacon or matriarch charter member who is ready to “trash can” a paid staff member. But it is our duty as a pastor to seek first God’s guidance and stand up for our staff even if we receive tremendous pressure or even threat of our own termination from our critics.
I was incorrect with my opening statement. There are signs in determining when firing is necessary. If your staff member never shows up at church during the week or on Sundays, if he/she is living in unrepentant sin, if he is not really gifted to teach or preach, or if he is generally not a people person, then it is time to talk-with the exception of unrepentant sin, the other firing signs are obvious.
As for the staff secretary? If she is late for work everyday and can’t use a computer, or if she habitually hands you the Sunday bulletin on the Monday after the Sunday Service and Says,” Sorry the bulletin is late again"… then it is time to talk. These firing signs are not hard see.
Of course, there are a million other sinful variables. Maybe God can help. Hey…That’s a good idea! I’m glad I thought of that!

I meant to add the following to my previous post.
I appreciated the suggestions on performance review - especially the one about how one ends with goals for the next period of time and begins with what significant accomplishments happened during the previous period of time. 

If the two don’t agree, then there has to be discussion about why not, and what took precedent. 

As a Senior Pastor, I am finding that I need to humble myself to be accountable to the team for my own goals to be set, and to report on their accomplishment.

Personally, I have been in two churches as a youth pastorwere I felt betrayed by the pastor. The first of these two churches was a urban church with declining membership because the community was becoming a poorer community. Here the pastor did not take me in and assist me with what the church was wanting and left me out to dry. This church I was inexperienced at (I was 19 when going on staff). The very next church God sent me too I was there for two years. I had been without a ministry for a year and a half before going on staff at this church. However, My wife and myself joined this church before going on staff to heal from the previous church. At this church though, after two years of serving on staff the pastor quit commmunicating with me and two weeks later the personnel committee asked for my resignation with a three month severance. I had the option of staying and fighting, but I was going to support my Pastor, and if I did fight then it would have lead to a split in the church. (Later I had several people who told me that they wanted to join me at my next church and I told them that they needed to serve where God lead them and that our church was doing God’s work and that the Pastor was an incredible man.) I gave my resignation, but they informed me that I would have the next night (a Wednesday night) to say my goodbye. I was not able to have any closure. As Wednesday nights the youth had their own service I went and told the youth. I was not able to tell their parents nor anyone else in that church who I had developed relationships with. If a church decides to make a change, then the Pastor must communicate with the person. Let them know that this could be coming. Let them plane ahead. A severance is nice and extremly helpful, but it can take more than 3-4 months to find a new place of ministry. I was fortunate because God sent me to a new church home 1 month later. (my family has been there 2 1/2 years now.) I do support my previous Pastor and that church to my friends and in public, however the hurt that my wife and I felt still continues to this day, as we felt part of that family and were yanked away from it. Relationships develop. If you make a change, let their be some closure for the church and the the departing staff member. We are all in the same buisness. We all serve the same God. We will all be together again. Keep the Body, the Church unified.

Jason

All of your comments are on target.  Having been hired and also having hired, I find the most important part of the process is on the front end.  We usually have to hire without enough information and without a pre-existing relationship, so we don’t generally have a good picture of who we are getting.

I have found several tools helpful in the process of staff relations and the hiring process:
1. Thoroughness in all of my functions (interviewing, references, directions, training, relationship building,etc.)
2. Love in all my dealings with people.
3. Explicit in instructions, job descriptions, expectations, etc.
4. Teamwork and delegation with accountability for them and me.
5. Bringing other people in the church into the process (personnel committee, deacons, elders, staff members, etc)
6. Making the front door small so the back door is not so large (make it hard to be on your staff).
6. Pray, Pray and pray some more.