I have a problem with #3. Some people are re-treads and need to be given opportunities despite past failures, and big ones too.

Other quotes from the article itself I didn’t like:

“My wife is almost always a better judge about people than I am.”

“There is often a reason someone is looking for a job. “

“When I’m trying to talk myself into liking someone, it’s best to move on.”

All of these quotes just reak of human social wisdom to me. If nobody ever takes on the “difficult” people, the people who are hard to like, or who have failed, or even who might not necessarily make the best first impressions, you have a whole bunch of people left over who God loves and wants to use for His Kingdom! What do you do with those people? This sounds like High School social caste systems. Very exclusive and difficult to crack. This is what is wrong with church. It bothers me because I have been that guy. I’m tall, so I can be intimidating at times(especially to women), I’m a little shy, which can make me seem disconnected and anti-social, and EVERYONE looks for a job every now and then. If everyone lived this way, you’d have a very short supply of ministers and volunteers working, and I don’t know if I would have ever found my destiny in Christ if others had taken these approaches.

It amazes me how people think about ministry and church sometimes. I’m not anti-megachurch or anything, quite the opposite. I think this blog and Ed Young’s video from a few weeks ago should give everyone pause about how hard-hearted and cynical we can become in the midst of church life, and how heavily we need to guard our hearts and maintain pure intimate relationship with The Lord. When we commune with Him, we look at people the way He does.

God loves his “Bad News Bears” too, and we should embrace them and help them find their place in the Kingdom.

Mr. Morris, I heartily agree!
I came from a church where as a volunteer, I was told I would NEVER get a job in ministry.  God had bigger plans, but this church lost a lot of very dedicated volunteers who were judged “not worthy”.

I think #3 is important, if that person has bounced around a lot and not stuck with anything.  References are essential, we’ve had people who lied on resumes for instance.  In conjunction with #1 and #2, #3 makes sense.

If we are using a business world criteria for “success” then that may be a big issue and something we need to re-evaluate.  In that context #3 would be harsh and unacceptable.

But in the context of someone with a history of starting things they don’t finish, or repetative sin that they don’t deal with… say an anger problem, etc.  Then it makes sense to consider their past “success” or “unsucess”.  I frankly, don’ t like the use of this word.  Because I think it’s a measurement by the worlds’ business standards.

The church is not a business.  And I heartily disagree with those who try to make it so.
And God may call a person to a ministry that seems in the world’s eyes to not be successful.  We’ve been in at least one of those… it ended negatively.  But it was the non Christians in the church who wanted us out, because too many youth were becoming Christians.  In God’s eyes that was a very successful ministry.  To the world, we were let go and fired, and were unsuccessful.

I heard leadership described in this way… being FAT. 
-Faithful
-Available
-Teachable

Without any one of these character traits, it’s impossible to be a leader.
And that’s held true for me in the last 28 years of staff ministry.

Several comments from a Human Resources Director.  Being a workaholic is not what I consider a good trait.  I prefer someone who knows how to manage their time instead of having to work all of the time.  Balance in life is more important to me when I am looking for staff members. I do not want my staff to burn out; rather keep a balance and a fresh perspective on work. 

Also, I believe God does give people tough past situations and likely failure to get them ready for their real purpose He has for them.  I am one.  I experienced a number of setbacks through hard economical times, wrong situations, positions I was not suited for, and etc.  However, God has used each one of those situations to teach me something so I would be ready and qualified for where I have been employed for the past 20 years.

Finally, I believe that the positive attitude of a staff member is more vital than any other quality.  If a person has a positive and willing attitude, I can teach him how to experience success, whether he is Christian or not.  There is nothing that creates more havoc in a department or companies those horrible attitudes.  There is no place in the workplace for that. 

God Bless.