I’ve done both.  Both hurt.  Both take way too long to heal.  With the broken leg I at least got sympathy and some crutches.  If I had to do it all over again, I’d rather not break the leg.  The right thing to do is still the right thing to do, no matter how much it hurts or how little others understand.

I’d only fire my friend if I was sure that it was best for the church. I’ve done it, and although it was the right thing to do it still hurts. However, once I was sure it was the right thing to do I’d do it quickly so that we could move on. Delaying the inevitable only makes matters worse. It demoralizes the entire team so that everyone stops pulling doing their best. If left alone it will destroy the entire team. Those called to lead must lead. We don’t have the luxury of passing the buck.

I’ve just done the friend thing; I’d definitely prefer the broken leg!

Fire the friend. that’s an easy one.

Assuming I had already laid groundwork for salvaging my friends job by honest communication and teaching and coaching, it sounds like it would be in all parties best interest to terminate the work relationship.  Hopefully we could retain a friendship, but not at the sacrifice of the church.

I fired a friend for breaking my leg once.  I would fire the friend

Unfortunately, if my friend was not pulling his/her weight, I would pull the plug on him/her.  I definitely do not want to see a bone sticking through my skin.

Bye, bye friend. If this person isn’t pulling their weight they are not in the best place either. It is painful but simple, the friend goes.

Can someone define pulling your weight?

This topic concerns me for several reasons:

1.  You would fire a friend so easily without giving room to improve, reconciliation(sp),
2. Expectations and evaluation.
3. The church seems to be seen more as an institution and business here rather than forgiving and helping relationships and the Body of Christ and the Kingdom as a whole.
4. It seems to be the easy way out. Fire someone rather than invest and try to change them. Heck, can you imagine Jesus firing Judas because Jesus knew he would betray him?
5. The ego and pride of the overseers seems rather arrogant does it not? No wonder some power hungry pastors fire some poor young kid because the pastor feels threatened by the youth pastor or the youth pastor’s youth group isn’t growing overnite or like mega church down the road.
6. Where is God in this?
7. How do you define pulling your weight again? Numbers? Growth overnite? Like mega church down the road! What? By whose standards?
8. It concerns me that some people are so easily to throw aside a friendship without consulting and working at it?
9. Where is the grace?
10. Where is the time for repenting and to be changed and transformed? Isn’t that whay ministry is about.

Again ...I’m kind of surprised but not really. With so many leaving ministry and so many youth workers being FIRED without second thought nor any real consequences ... I think the trend of disregard and disrespect for young pastors will continue unfortunately!

Gman, it is somewhat arrogant of you to assume none of those things on your list took place. Besides, several of the posters stated clearly that they were attempting to assure the atmosphere you speak of. If they don’t repent, respond, or reform, action must be taken. James 3 tells us that leadership is held to a higher standard..

“Can someone define pulling your weight?” I’d call it meeting the job description expectations.

I have never fired a friend before, but I have had to fire in the past. It is no fun, but when it comes to letting someone go, friend or not, if it needs to be done it needs to be done. I think I’d fire the friend in the nicest possible way, and be heart broken for a while. No hospital bills that way.

Sadly I will never be reading this publication ever again. It’s obvious that you have no consideration for the human body or feelings of those God has called us to love.

Fire away captain fire away