Conflict? Ask Ken: When and How Should I Fire a Church Staff Member (Part 2)
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, January 13, 2005
- Viewed 95
- (16) comments so far
From the Lone Star State
Dear Pastor (and to all who responded last week),
There was a significant response to this posting from both sides of the equation, those who have terminated and those who have been terminated.
It was suggested that the problem lies in the hiring process. If a church gets that right, termination for performance issues would not be such an issue. This may be true. Nevertheless, who hasn?t experienced a deacon, elder, or staff member that we thought would be a perfect fit only to find out later, sometimes years later, that such is not the case. No matter how good the screening process, sometimes you just don?t know until the reality of the situation unfolds.
Hence, I concluded my remarks from last week by referring to a ?performance improvement plan? (PIP). Others as well made reference to it. This week my goal is to provide the substance of a typical PIP. Keep in mind, the underlying philosophy behind it is to build up, not to tear down. It is designed to provide staff members the opportunity to make improvements and meet the requirements of the job before dismissal is seriously considered. This approach fits very well with the church?s relational orientation.
A performance improvement plan typically has five components. It should be ?SMART.? That is to say, it should be:
S PECIFIC
Review the staff member?s overall job responsibilities. After highlighting the staff member?s strengths and contribution to the church, discuss the specific areas where performance is deficient. Discuss how vital this area is in relationship to his or her overall responsibilities. The more critical, the clearer the communication has to be about the need to address it.
M EASUREABLE
Once the area(s) for improvement have been identified, the next question is, ?what criteria or measures will be used to determine ?improvement??? Make the answer to this question as concrete as possible.
A TTAINABLE
Are the improvement goals reasonable, and therefore, attainable? (This also applies to the job description itself). List the specific steps needed to be taken to fulfill that particular job requirement. What resources, assistance, mentoring, ongoing training, etc. will be available to increase the likelihood of success? Russell Reed (January 7, 2005 12:39 AM), wrote, ?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 [KN: often] eliminate 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 . . . . Hopefully after we invest properly in the lives of our staff members, we will see God bring forth a marvelous return.?
R ELEVANT
If more than one area of improvement is needed, which one holds greater relevance? The areas targeted for improvement should be prioritized according to importance.
T IME-BOUND
What is the timeframe for each of the targeted improvements to be made? Are there incremental steps and target dates that need to be attained within the overall timeframe?
Periodic feedback to the staff member on how he or she is doing should be provided by the supervisor prior to the final evaluation date. When the official evaluation takes place, make a determination if the staff member met, exceeded, or failed to meet expectations.
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One of the emails I received last week asked if elders would be overstepping their bounds to hold the senior pastor accountable not only for any issues relating to sin, but for job performance. It is my view that performance improvement plans apply not only to staff but to the senior pastor as well.
In terms of reducing conflict and angst that results in dismissing a staff member, having an objective basis for doing so, something which a PIP provides, will go a long way in reducing the fall-out that often occurs.
BEFORE YOU ACCEPT YOUR NEXT MINISTRY POSITION
Before you accept a new ministry position, you ought to find out if the church has a PIP process in place. If not, negotiating the establishment of one may be a good idea. This can then provide you the additional assurance that should there be shortcomings or complaints about your ministry (real or imagined), you will have time to address them instead of, possibly, simply getting the boot. Though his last words may be true, ?if they want to get rid of you...they are going to get rid of you!?, C. Edwards? painful experience (January 10, 2005 04:54 PM) demonstrates why you should ask the church to commit to the establishment of a PIP process in advance of your taking a position. Their response may be very telling.
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Before I close, I want to bring to your attention two notable suggestions made last week for your consideration.
On Having the Staff Member Voluntarily Resign (?Self-Selecting Out?)
Greg Fell (January 6, 2005 09:58 AM), a senior pastor of 23 years, and now a district superintendent, shared a practice that has served him well. He wrote, 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.? Reduced to one of its basic cores, the idea is to close one performance evaluation with the question, "what do you hope to accomplish in the next ?x? number of months? and begin the next evaluation session with the question, "what do you consider to be your most significant accomplishments in the past ?x? number of months.? Pastor Fell writes, ?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.? (Read his remarks in full). Dave M. (January 6, 2005 08:01 PM) sees potential problems with this approach if the expectations are unrealistic or arbitrary. (This of course would be true of any PIP conducted in such a fashion).
Including the Spouse
The practice by Pastor Steve Phillips (Jan. 6, 2005 02:30 PM) to invite the spouse of the staff member in the discussion on performance improvement is an outstanding one. Such inclusion makes a lot of sense. (See his remarks in full). Pastor Phillips observed, ?vocational ministry is a family affair, despite the fact that spouses are not on the payroll. Bringing them into the picture can save the church and everyone involved a whole lot of misunderstanding and pain.? Though JA has reason to disagree with this idea (January 7, 2005 12:40 PM), Dennis Logie (January 6, 2005 05:50 PM) provided a good supporting example demonstrating the value of this approach in helping the staff member in question really improve performance.
In closing, it is a truism to state that there are no perfect churches, no perfect pastors, staff members, board members, or church members. Therefore, as James Gill (January 6, 2005 10:03 AM) well reminds us, ?I really think the first question to ask is, how would I like to be treated if my job was in question. I think if you can answer that question honestly, then you will do the right thing.?
-----
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.
To submit a question and connect with Ken, click here.
? 2004 Kenneth C. Newberger
QUESTION: What do you think? Let's hear your comments and perspective again this week!
Today, we’ll continue with our subject on church firings… here’s the question once again: 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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Bernie Dehler on Thu, January 13, 2005
Definitely, a good process should be followed when firing someone. Surely there are various details, but the main points are captured well here. To not follow a serious process whould demonstrate bad leadership. A good process will keep the situation from getting unnecessarily heated and emotional (more than it already is). Oh, but isn’t this a hassle and requiring a lot of time? Hello, that’s the job of a leader… it may not be fun, but it’s part of the job description. If done right, I believe that everyone would be for the better when it’s done…
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Jim on Fri, January 14, 2005
Please help me understand how the PIP process works in ministry. What are the goals of a pastor, associate, or any other paid staff ministry person?
-Number of people receiving Christ?
-Number of baptisms?
-Number of phone calls and visits weekly?
-Personality i.e., customer friendly person?
-Numerical growth of the particular ministry?
-Is the employee as innovative as we had expected?
During my years as a manager I completed many PIP’s but there were tangible and measurable goals.
What does the pastor/ministry personnel search committee see up front?
-The outward appearance?
-The message delivery?
-Personality?
-Resume?
Is it what we can not see that is the most damaging?
-Untruthful resume?
-What comes out of the mouth does not match what is in the heart during the interview?
-The search committee’s upfront promises that were never to be fulfilled?
How can a personnel committee be objective?
-Consist of a cross reference of the congregation?
-Unrelated persons (only) on the committee?
My final question – Today, the secular workplace is a nightmare for a manager, hence the invention of Human Resources. The employer can be slapped with a frivolous lawsuit even if the employee was not competently doing his job. Does this happen often in the church? How do you argue in court, “Well your Honor, Pastor Bubba consistently fell short of his prescribed baptisms two years in a row.” “Well pastor, how do you plead?”
Anthony Reed on Fri, January 14, 2005
In order to keep from firings someone from the church staff one must make sure that the person is spiritually qualified. If the position requires technical experties then the church is resposible for training. Jesus trained the Disciples and the disciples trained others. Termination is not something that the church wants to do because it creates other problems and some people suffer wounds because of spiritual levels and never quit recover. I knew of a pastor that had to lay off staff for economical reasons which were just but no without consequences of hurt feelings. Churhces today in there quest to be like business and not like the biblical model for ministry have set themselves up for problems. We need to make sure that we are doing what the bible teaches and in some cases spiritual gifts should be used to help the church without it being a fultime job rather than a ministry. I think to many churches cross the line in that area. We need to more on point with the biblical pattern than the secular pattern of the world.
Bernie Dehler on Fri, January 14, 2005
Jim asked:
“Please help me understand how the PIP process works in ministry. What are the goals of a pastor, associate, or any other paid staff ministry person?”
This is a great question. And it is difficult, because ministry is more of an art than science (science is easy to measure, art is very difficult). However, just because it’s difficult, this in no way diminshes the need.
Numbers are usually bad things to track (number of saved, etc.). But some numbers can be tracked (how many hours in the hospital, ministering to others, etc). In effect, keeping a timecard or log with what you’ve done, then dicussing this with your supervisor (Sr. Pastor, Board, etc.). Come up with joint goals on time and projects, and the amount of time put into them, remembering that just time (keeping busy) doesn’t mean much, it’s WHAT you do that matters, not how much time you spend on something.
Much more can be said and determined, but the main point is that there should be a review of tasks and performance. Real mentoring and discipling, which requires feedback.
...Bernie
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/247
Sue on Mon, January 17, 2005
What is this involves a church secretary or receptionist who thinks that the pastor works for her and not the other way around?
WJM on Mon, January 17, 2005
Jim said:
“Churhces today in there quest to be like business and not like the biblical model for ministry have set themselves up for problems.”
I couldn’t agree more. Don’t get me wrong, we need to hold to an excellence in what we do, but working in the church ...on staff… has a different “something” added in. Words like calling, heart, caring, passion come to mind. Things that might be found in the secular realm but shoud BY FAR be found in relationships within the church workplace. Those words should be more than words and never be used to slack off or taken advantage of in the workplace. If you are….ministry is NOT the place for you. Hopefully that’s not what we’re talking about in re: to firing a staff person.
I believe that each pastor is looking for the right person in the right place at tha right time. That’s more than a work issue….it’s a “God thing.” I believe in goals but when too many of those things (i.e. numbers, $$, etc.) take priority in dealing with staff or are even found on the list of “successes and failures”.....it’s discouraging. Sometimes we just have to be patient. God’s timing….not ours.
I really like the comment earlier re: continuous mentoring of staff. Easily said…rougher to do. It means constant caring, being open, sharing your heart, vision, etc. on behalf of the Sr. Pastor (and obviously through the ranks of the church body.) When there is a relationship we always try harder to make things work before termination. We just make a way…if there is one…and when there isn’t both parties know it. No lies. No “loaded guns.” Just the truth and agree to part ways OPENLY and not behind a guise of misdirection to the congregation.
Much more I could comment. Maybe later. Great topic. Anxious to hear from others.
Jack Wilson on Mon, January 17, 2005
I see that once again Jesus has been left out of the equation. If the hiring process is a Godly one, than you have done well. If perhaps the man has become immoral or refuses to do his job or gets ill to such a degree as he can no longer perform, then you should just dismiss him. Other than these three conditions, what could possibly change that makes this man no longer wanted at the church?
I feel there is too much overthinking and not enough Godly logic going on here.
b on Mon, January 17, 2005
Doesn’t this all assume that the Pastor/Elder is an employee of the church rather than a father of the local family of God? How do you fire a father? Certainly other fathers/elders should discipline a wayward one, but what’s all this about firing an employee. You guys need to go back and study the Pastorals and Acts a little more. Fathers rule their households. They aren’t fired because they don’t dazzle you with the candy you want them to give you. They need to be qualified and elected by other qualified elders (otherwise this nonsense of the church as a business will continue and remain as the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages when business men ran the church instead of godly biblical scholars and theologians which are what the elders are to be).
Professor Peter Nahodyl on Mon, January 17, 2005
Conflict in the Church: When and how to fire a staff member.
Dear Ken, This can be a very difficult question to answer and solve. There is no easy answer because there are many items to be considered. My first thought would be firing or terminating someone should be discussed or even written in the Church policies/by-laws before HIRING that person. In other words for example Is this person required to perform a certain function and if so do you have a performance evaluation in place. There are times within the Church we need to be wise as serpants and gentele as doves. There are times we need to use secular employment models in hiring a staff member. In your example last week you said this person was a good minister but had poor administrative ability. In that case provide him or her with an administrative assistant. If his ministry is not up to par you can then go to him as directed in Scripture. Go to him one on one explain the situation if this does not work go to him with two or three witness’s and if this does not work bring him before the church. Most importantly we must be honest, caring and loving to this brother or sister. Establish your rules and expectations up front at the first interview. If hired and then problems crop up address them when they are small and manageble don’t wait until the ministry is failing. We are all called of God to be obediant servants. Please don’t crush that persons desire to serve the Lord but in love correct him and instruct him and help him to reach his God given potential. There is a vast differance between a staff member and a volunteer. In the secular job it is accepted and expected that we will be evaluated for our performance both good or bad. In that limited sense staff or employees of the church should also know and except those requirments. However there is so much more to be considered as well before an actual termination takes effect. There is much more to be said on this subject but I will in consideration of time close for now.
I remain your brother in Christ and His Servant,
Professor Peter W Nahodyl PhTD
Minister of the Gospel
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Jim on Mon, January 17, 2005
I would like to add a comment to this discussion. First of all, I am quite suprised that no one has mentioned that ministry is not a job. It is, and should be, a calling. The Bible says that a man who devotes himself to this kind of work is due support (payment) for doing so. Again, many have made reference to how the church has been negatively influenced by corp. america. Very true! however, I believe you have missed the most important way in which this is happening. There is no Scripture that gives authority to a senior pastor. The ministers are to be elders who are in mutual submission to one another. The one who preaches has as much a responsibility to answer to the music or youth pastor as does any other staff memeber to him. The conflicts over “job performance” almost always arise out of the need of one to “set an agenda” for the others. It is a power struggle plain and simple. The church has only one senior pastor—JESUS CHRIST! If we have staff members who meet the qualifications of an elder then, in all cases except moral or ethical failure on his part, every staff member has an obligation to listen to and work with every other elder. Since there is no hierarchy there can be no firing—only working together because we a commanded to “be of one mind.”
Eric on Mon, January 17, 2005
I have been burned by two pastors. One was a “softy” who ran from conflict and “hung me out to dry.” I was essentially “ran off” because I preached the Word of God without apology. The other experience was with a pastor who had no mercy or compassion. Is it even right that a person can pastor without those gifts? I don’t think so. I understand that there is a chain of command. But too many pastors are too big for their britches as the old phrase goes. They are intoxicated by power and when a staff member is well-liked and a good at preaching they tend to do anything to see that person removed. I’m not bitter, but I have been before the Lord’s healing. When I pastor one day, my staff will be encouraged, loved, supported. And, if they are better than me at something, then I will utilize their gifts for the sake of the Kingdom and Christ’s church. I know I just ruffled some pastoral feathers, but sometimes we need gut checks. I won’t allow another pastor to take advantage of me. And, praise God, my current pastor is humble and wise—and secure in his role. Pastors should NEVER have the authority to fire anyone. And, the only grounds for dismissal should be moral or ethical failure. Thanks for listening to my rant. Blessings!
Tim on Tue, January 18, 2005
Come on folks . . . every ministry position that is created should have some goals, else how could the governing body of the church been convinced that a new pastor/ministry leader was needed or that church funds should be spent on another hire. The fact is that someone said, “we need someone to lead our youth,” or “we need someone who is going to respond to this huge need we have to minister to shut ins,” or “we need someone to be a preacher.” Hey, your on your way to determining goals! Tease it out from there to determine if what you think you need is really a bona fide need. If you have a church that doesn’t really know why they hired someone given the broad charge to do “ministry,” then shame on them. In my mind that isn’t being any more stewardly than throwing your offering plate down the toilet.
What is it you need . . . why do you need it . . . who is it that makes the most convincing case for the need . . . who will benefit most from the hire? These are the people and this is the criteria that can be used to formulate a PIP. If you feel you’ll get your best answer about how the youth pastor is doing from a board of elders that has only one person well engaged with the youth ministry, then you’re looking in the wrong place for your evaluation. Talk to some kids . . . check in with a few of their parents . . . interview a couple other staff members or ministry leaders. After that, can you agree they are doing what you wanted to accomplish (or at least are you seeing they are on their way).
If they are not, it shouldn’t be as black and white a choice as fire or retain. Maybe the individual isn’t cut out to be what they think God would have them be (we’re all misguided sometimes) . . . maybe some career identification or counseling would be a first step. Maybe the environment at a particular church doesn’t suit the skill set that this person brought to the job (there are plenty of times when a church might need a “ministry maintainer” rather than a ministry innovator” and those two needs require different skillsets. Convincing the individual that they have what it takes, but that the particular job here at church x is a misfit for the individual’s skillset, would be a constructive conversation to have.
I’ve also found in my experience as a manager that whenever you shortchange the front end of a hiring process, you are just asking for difficulty down the road. How often do we skimp on really investigating the people we like on first glance of a hiring process? My advice is to know what you need . . . be absolutely convinced of it youself . . . and then make sure the person you hire has gone through the paces of a well crafted interview and reference check process so that you can be as certain as one can possibly be that you have a good fit for what you need. The instances of having to deal with firing will be greatly reduced.
Also, to those that think there is no biblical direction about how to handle performance issues, take a look at the parable of the talents. I would venture a guess that many of them would have self selected themselves out of the investments profession. Also, Jesus himself rebuked those in professional ministry all the time. If it had been his religious infrastructure to manage, I often wonder if many of them would have been dismissed from their service . .. I guess we’ll probably never know on this side of heaven how these issues should have been handled.
Dave on Tue, January 18, 2005
As I have read over comments that have been made I have noticed the word leader used at times and manager used at times and I believe that is a big question people need to ask themselves do I want a leader or do I want a manager. As I have read the above comment by Tim I agree with very much with what he said however on one comment he was talking about how to evaluate the youth pastor and said to have the board of elders evaluate with only one person who is engaged in the youth ministry then your looking in the wrong place. I agree with that comment but that also shows me how the leaders need to be kept in the loop more about what is going on in the youth ministry. There should not be just this one guy running the youth ministry and the elders not knowing what is going on they should be continually informed which is the youth pastors and elders responsibility (this is coming from a youth pastor). The next suggestion was that let the kids and the parents evaluate them. Too some extent this would be a good idea but from my own experience at my first full-time ministry position there was a group of about ten junior high girls and that was the youth group when I came and what they did was just all fellowship events and I was determined to help make disciples. I was told “If you do fun events we will come if not we’re not coming and we’re not bringing our friends.” by a student and several of the parents were not happy because I was not keeping up the glorified babysitting service. So if you had asked them even a year and a half after I was there what do you think of how he is performing you probably would have got a bad job review. The funny thing is I stuck to what I knew what right and the youth ministry grew up to 40 youth which was four times larger but most importantly the teens were not being babysat they were truly growing in their faith and be disciples for Christ as they shared their faith. I am not saying that anybody is wrong in the idea of involving parents or teens but I think it is wise to make sure what they want for the youth pastor to do matches up with what is right.
Michael on Tue, January 18, 2005
I have read the question and the first couple of answers and wonder why none seem to be thinking of the Holy Bible at all… I´m not a pastor or minister… but I do remember that the Holy Bible give the answer on that question, directly… in the new testament… something like, that we have to tell a person if he do wrong, (sin, swear, don´t follew old ladies over the street)and if that don´t help then is it possible to excuse him/her from the job…
Harry Miller on Sun, January 23, 2005
The question I think needs to be asked is how did Jesus do it? For me Jesus is still the Lord and with this comes true liberty. I read passages of concern that in the last days the people will have itching ears. I for one will stick with Jesus. Jesus will never let you down.
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