Conflict? Ask Ken: When and How Should I Fire a Church Staff Member
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, January 06, 2005
- Viewed 180
- (53) comments so far
From the Lone Star State
Dear Pastor,
You have raised a number of excellent questions. Hopefully, others on this blog will offer their advice as well.
I am going to restate your questions because I see an even larger dilemma. Congregations, especially those your size, commonly describe life in the church as being part of a “family,‿ with love and acceptance being hallmark characteristics. Hence, even if a person is not gifted in a certain area and is asked to serve in a different area, such a shift doesn't affect that person's membership in the church.Â
The same, however, cannot be said about a paid staffer. For example, if an associate pastor was hired to run small groups and has no administrative skills to do so resulting in a floundering small group ministry, a shift out of that ministry often means leaving the church. Why? Because if the church needs to hire someone else to carry out what it considers to be a vital ministry of the church, it probably doesn't have the funds to find or create a new position for the displaced staffer. The larger dilemma is, how does one “let go‿ a staff member for shortcomings when the church promotes the full acceptance of all despite their shortcomings?Â
Should an announcement of resignation be made, it is a confusing and upsetting message to many in the congregation. That's when a number will come to the defense of the staff member. That's when stories of how this person helped during times of trial will surface. That's when the board or Sr. pastor are called into account. That's when, in defense of their decision, the board or Sr. pastor feel compelled to list the associates shortcomings. That's when matters begin to feel like a personal attack. That's when supporters of the associate pastor begin to list the shortcomings of the Sr. pastor and remind everyone that he is not being asked to leave. Yikes! The larger dilemma is, the principles that are called upon to apply to the goose, are not applied to the gander by the very geese who promote those Biblical principles!
How to Minimize This Problem
The Bible says that money is a root of all sorts of evil. Though I say this “tongue-in-cheek‿ as it relates to staff, the reality is, money plays a role in this issue as described above. Because certain ones in the church are paid to do their work, unlike the bulk of volunteers, a different standard is applied to those on staff. Generally speaking, “performance‿ takes a higher precedence than “relationship‿ for church staff, and members need to be made aware of this dichotomy.Â
Because of this, it is critical for churches to have clear job descriptions against which to measure performance. Just as important, and because the church is a grace-oriented institution, it must also establish performance improvement plans for staff members who fall significantly short on performance.
More can and will be said. Next week I will continue this discussion, specifically delving into the subject of performance improvement plans (which you raised).
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen‿ (Jude 24-25).
Your Conflict Resolution Consultant,
Ken
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Ken Newberger, an experienced church conflict resolution specialist, earned his Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, has ten years senior pastoral experience, and is in the dissertation phase for his Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Nova Southeastern University, one of only two accredited doctoral programs of its kind in the United States. If your church needs individualized help, please visit Ken's website or call 301-253-8877.
Dear Ken, I am the senior pastor of a church that averages between 150 – 200 for Sunday morning worship. I have a number of questions relating to letting another staff member go. Here they are: When is it OK to fire a ministerial staff member? What role should the pastor have? What can/should he do to make sure that person is treated fairly even in termination?
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Comments
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KEITH A. BECKETT on Thu, January 06, 2005
This is very interesting for I am going through this situation right now. I am being terminated in June. I am the Assistant to the Senior Pastor. The problem with this is it has nothing to do with my performance, and moral problems or anything like that. This “decision” was made by he church’s budget committee. They claim that the church is not making enough money. I am sad and disappointed, because I know that some of it is a personal attack. I am now candidating at another church to become the Senior Pastor.
Daniel on Thu, January 06, 2005
When the time comes to dismissing or firing someone it should not be a surprise to the person being let go. It is our responsibility as leadership to describe our expectations clearly to those we hire with a timeline up front as to how long it takes to learn the job and begin doing it fully themselves. During this training time the leadership must ensure proper feedback to the new hire that guides him or her to being successful in meeting leadership expectations. This feedback should continue throughout their stay. If this is done properly the new hire will know if their performance is up to par or not. This open feedback allows for discussion between both parties as to what should be done to correct a deficiency or to reinforce those things that are being done well. The hard part for many leaders is the ability to be honest in their evaluations and the lack of this honesty is what leads to shock and hard feeling when fired.
jr on Thu, January 06, 2005
After 18 years of being a pastor, here is my comment:
1. Keep it simple
2. Attack the problem, not the person
3. Have a senior board member do it
4. Be generous in comp. pay
Bernie Dehler on Thu, January 06, 2005
JR says:
After 18 years of being a pastor, here is my comment:
1. Keep it simple
2. Attack the problem, not the person
3. Have a senior board member do it
4. Be generous in comp. pay
My comment: looks good, but #3 looks like it could be cowardice. Esp. if the person feels slighted, and comes to you for help/support/understanding.
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Robert on Thu, January 06, 2005
I was recently “let go” from a staff position at a church. It was a humiliating experience for me and not handled well by the church. Let me tell you about it so this doesn’t happen to you. Out of nowhere, the pastor calls me into his office and tells me he’s letting me go. I am to clean out my office and leave right then. I was given 2 months severance. Just like that, I’m out of a job I had been doing well for 4 and a half years. No reason…no goodbye…just a “don’t let the door bump you on the behind on the way out.” This is the second church I’ve served in that’s done wrong by me. At least at the first, I was able to resign before getting the boot. I agree with alot of what’s been posted. Many pastors are not administratively equipped to lead a church and yet they are allowed to do so. They do not train staff. In fact, they hardly spend any time with staff except for the occasional meeting that is the biggest waste of time on the planet. This kind of stuff has to stop. I know I’m ranting. I’m sorry. It’s just unfortunate that church pastors and staff are behaving this way. It’s happening all over. I have many friends who used to be in ministry who are not now due to being treated like this. I am not in ministry at this time. Will I return? I don’t know. If I do…I know this much. I will try my best to stay away from a church staff position.
Dennis Logie on Thu, January 06, 2005
I was intrigued by the pastor who called in a wife of an ineffective employee. I wonder how often things could be resolved if we involved a spouse earlier in the discussions.
I know of a case where a pastor of a new church was not only inflating figures for attendance and calling, etc., for an offsite sending organization, but also, sadly, embezzling money. When the wife was involved in reviewing the performance, she was shocked at her husband’s lies about attendance and work put forth, and horrified at the suspected embezzlement. She herself insisted on his resignation and insisted on repaying all the money (with help from family). Had she been involved earlier, the situation might have been reversed (although an embezzling pastor is probably in the wrong vocation). Certainly the damage to the new church would have been limited. Don’t know what happened to the marriage!
I also know of an associate pastor who got caught up in discouragement which resulted in laziness and unwillingness to initiate anything new. His wife was unaware of the expectations for him, and that he was failing in his role. She only saw the decline in the quality of his work, but he blamed opposition, people moving away, etc.
When she heard the perspective of the senior pastor, she saw clearly her husband’s failings and was able to light a fire under him. He improved, his ministry prospered, and he went on eventually to successful ministry elsewhere. Had this not happened, he likely would have been released.
eh on Thu, January 06, 2005
I was a staff mememer of chuches for twenty five years and have seen this develop into one of biggest issue facing staff members of my memory. Many of my friends have been “let go” by a pastor who has a CEO mentality and the church usually goes along without hesitation even if they know what is going on. I have difficulty when I see a church “call” an individual and a “pastor” fires the individual. It can happen to anyone at anytime regardless of how good a job an individual may be doing. It is often a “personality conflict”. I also have difficulty when a church calls a new pastor and the entire staff is encouraged to resign. Who are we serving a “pastor” or our Lord. I feel in time an unyhappy staff memember will do what is best for him or herself. IT is a sad day when this happens to individuals in what
I consider a very unchristian way. As I have heard many times and found it to be true=-==Christian are the only ones that shoots their wounded. just my thought.
Dave M on Thu, January 06, 2005
I disagree with Greg Fell’s advice on using a “self out” method. His approach can force a self-induced elimination due to a simple raising or lowering of the job expectation bar. This is a great manipulator tool practiced in the corporate world perhaps but I find it unethical in the Ministry that is reaching a lost and dying world for Jesus Christ. No one can live up to the expectations of another who is seeking to find fault with them…and then saying, “see, they finally see that they are not living up to the expectation.”
When the person who is forced out (under the guise of self elimination) realizes the noose tightening was a sham ... and passes that information to peers, I ask, how long before everyone else starts wondering when they are next.
Dave
JB on Thu, January 06, 2005
I was let go 2.5 years ago from a church in which the ministry was growing and things were looking good. On a Monday morning the pastor called me in and said that “the personell committee has had a meeting and decided to let you go”. He also told me that I should think about another line of work as he didn’t think I belonged in ministry. This was 4 months after this church ordained me. It is true that many pastors do not have good administrative skills…I don’t think that what happened to me was a good thing (obviously!) but God has used it to make me a better Christian and has (stangely) strengthened my calling into vocational ministry. To everyone who has had this terrible experience please allow God to help you forgive the pastor (impossible to do without God’s grace!) and be sure of your calling that GOD has placed on your life. Sorry for the rambling…hope this helps.
Russell Reed on Thu, January 06, 2005
I have read many of the comments concerning the firing of a church staffer. I’ve been in ministry for nineteen and one-half years and I pastored for eight of those years. I am presently a member and associate minister of a very large church here in the Houston area.
I would like to offer this suggestion. Many times we hire individuals in the church based upon the appearance of their resume and there references, without consideration as to whether or not the person is anointed of God to perform the tasks in which we are hiring them to perform. Education is good and that’s an important factor, but I have discovered that when one is anointed to do a work for God he or she can be trained to perform the detailed duties if the church would simply implement a training program for the individuals we place on our staff. Let’s remember that the church is a Christ-centered institution and does operate under the principles of love and acceptance. However, there is also the business side of the church that must remember that the Bible reminds us that,“God’s business is done decent and in order.” Train the person not only in ethics, and etiquite but also in the skills required to perform their job. The secular world spends countless resources for training, where as in the church we feel that once we hire someone to do a job, that this is the end of the process. Training on a continuous basis will eleminate the need to dismiss someone who in the eyes of the congregation has become an important and vital member of the family and the staff. Training! Training! and more Training! Hopefully after we invest properly in the lives of our staff members, we will see God bring forth a marvelous return.
Russell Reed
Houston, Tx.
bb on Thu, January 06, 2005
I’m still on staff, so this recent email message from a friend is not for all eyes. I don’t agree with it totally but it was so profound that I thought others might benefit from it. Feel free to post it if you wish, but please leave off the names for obvious reasons. As a background statement, I might mention that I have been seeking a full-time Min of Mus position for quite a while, but have had very few interviews and even fewer second interviews. It’s difficult for me to understand because I have considerable education and experience.
__________
Things don’t look good for my future as interim Min of Mus at FBC. I’ve heard of some underground rumbling. As happens all too often, nobody will confront me directly with concerns they have. I have to read between the lines (which I’m not good at). I’ve gone directly to several people, and I’ve requested a meeting with the Personnel Committee. Sounds like the beginning of the end for me, but we’ll see.
There’s a saying I use often: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” (So much for grammar.) Since you seem to be hearing the same stuff and getting the same response over & over, maybe you just need to quit doing the same thing over & over. You’re butting your head against a wall & wondering why you have a headache.
You are an excellent instrumentalist; no question about that. But think about it: You are excellent because you consistently spend individual work on it. The hours you spend are under your control, and you are rewarded by that effort. (And, BTW, I believe your approach to music is techincal (as in tech), since you approach it from your head.) It requires consistent, individual work which pays off in a very finely-honed skill .)
But working with other people, you don’t always get the same result. “X-in” does not result in “X-out”, no matter how hard you try. I suggest that, regardless of what you think, or of what you’d like, the “people” jobs are not your strong suit, as evidenced by the fact that you say, “As happens all too often, nobody will confront me . . .”
If that’s the case, you may doing just the right thing in pursuing the computer tech work. There’s certainly no lack of demand for that, and you certainly know your way around a computer. Just because it’s not “down front” in a church doesn’t mean it’s any less service to God, if God has blessed you with the ability to do it. Maybe you’re trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, because you think the round hole is “God’s work.” But maybe God is saying, “Duh, B**, aren’t you listening?”
DST on Fri, January 07, 2005
As someone who has been on the “letting go end” after 12 years of faithful and diligent service in one position at one church, I would like to add to the relationship comments. I was not a “Sr. Pastor” but rather worked under one who’s shortcoming (in my opionion) was exactly that…relationships. He was not gifted in developing those either with his staff or with his congregation hence the reason for 4 staff changes in 8 years. I on the other hand felt called and led to stay on. But eventually, I felt led to move on as well because I reached the point of severly missing a relationship with my pastor. When I shared that with him (over several conversations) he began to feel threatend and therefore trained the “dogs” on me. Although, I choose to take a high road and voluntarily resign in the best intrest of the church and my family (not doing so would have brought on even more hurt to the church and my family), it does leave a staff member without a “church family relationship” and how many of God’s called ministers are falling to the side of the Samritan road when their calling is real? I would refer those who have found themselves displaced to the Ministering to Ministers Foundation or http://www.mtm.org. It’s an ecumenical/non-profit counseling organization to help displaced ministers. I do not work or counsel for them, but I am a beneficiary of their work and encourage those who are displaced to contact them. I know that there are those instances when it’s time for someone to move on…I was one of them. But I also think that pastors should not get to much of a “CEO complex” that it ruins lives, families, and churches when they handle such delicate situations. Afterall, we are on the same team.
Rev John J Wilson on Fri, January 07, 2005
This is a church matter concerning Christians and must be viewed in that manner and not according to the world.
The Sr Pastor hired this man. Was there sufficient prayer/fasting, counseling with staff and prayerfully submitting it to God with the entire congregation? I would say that if it was, continue on to seek God’s face as God put him there and only God should take him out. This, as long as no immorality or Insubordination has occurred.
I have seen many times staff are hired from the other side of the country and overlooking those already in the church seeking to serve God. Most of the time it is strictly a Sr Pastor decision who then chooses a weaker person to begin with so that there is no fear of being overshadowed. Sometimes they fear that hiring a stronger person might cause the Sr Pastor to have to account for his own actions. Most Sr Pastors have a “freedom” of accountability.
Better to get a meek novice that can be molded to the shape the Sr Pastor prefers.
This however is not the will of God and if this was the case I would suggest much prayer and supplication before God so that He can “fix” this problem whenever and however He chooses.
I would suggest in most of these types of situations there are only two situations—It is a test of God or an unscriptural way of choosing a candidate.
Ja on Fri, January 07, 2005
Sound like a tough situation. Having read all of the comments, and there were many, none of these comments makes your situation any eaiser. Nor will my own. Each situation is unique and if you decide to let this staff member go there will be hurt feelings, no four step process, or any other process will prevent that from happening. I especially would not take advice from a guy telling you to buy his book.
Follow your gut and ask God for guidance. Avoid telling the Minister he is not called into ministry (that will shatter him, plus what if your wrong), God will let him know that in time. DO NOT INVOLVE THE SPOUSE. I am on staff as a youth Pastor in TN and I can tell you if a Senior Pastor informed my wife of all my short comings, she would not take it well nor would I. My wife and I have an open line of communication, she does not need some else to tell her my faults she already knows them. I am not sure that is even ethical. You could potentially cause marriage problems. Not only are you firing him from his job but you are hurting his marriage wonderful.
Here is my advice don’t listen to us, you are God’s man, he will tell you what to do.
Harry Miller on Fri, January 07, 2005
I am not a congregational leader. I am a preacher. Sometimes God calls me to preach to pastors. As a person who has been fired many times in secular work, etc. I do have some experience with failure. I would like to encourage any one who has been fired that only the Lord is the good boss. That the Lord was kicked out of His own home congregation and they attempted to murder Him.
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