Staff Relations

For the Minister on the Staff of a church 

As a staff member on a church staff, let me ask you a few questions about your staff relationship with your pastor and with your fellow staff ministers.  Use these questions to determine the condition of your staff relationships”.

1.    How long has it been since you sat down with your pastor and discussed your dreams and goals for your ministry?

2.    Do you feel that the pastor understands your dreams and goals for your ministry?

3.    Do you really understand what the pastor expects from you and do you have a good understanding of his goals for your church and your ministry?

4.    Does your pastor know your needs as an individual and as a family?

5.    Have you shared your personal needs with your pastor?

6.    Does he know your financial situation? If not, he should.

7.    When was the last time you visited with the other staff members and discussed their ministry dreams and goals and asked how you could help?

8.    Have you shared your dreams and goals for your ministry with the other members of the ministerial staff?

9.    Do you know the spouse and children of the other staff members.

10. Do you know the ages and grades of the children?

11. Do you know the interest and hobbies of the spouse and children?

12. Do you know if there are health, social or emotional needs of anyone in the family of staff members?

13. Are there any needs in the family that your help would be beneficial?

14. Do you sit down with each staff member at least once a quarter and discuss his/her dreams and challenges for their ministry?

15. Does each of the staff members understand the specific goals that you have for your ministry and ask how if will affect their ministry?

16. How often do you participate with staff members in Bible Study and Spiritual growth discussions?

17. Do you have the confidence, trust and relationship of each staff member so that they would be comfortable sharing a weakness, challenge or family crisis with you?

18. Have you developed a close relationship and trust with your pastor and the other staff ministers?

Most staff and pastors meet annually for a planning session and weekly for staff meetings that include a devotional, calendar planning and brief discussion of program plans.  The meeting is usually formal and brief.   Very seldom do the staff conferences include personal interaction. 

Each minister is sort of expected to handle his/her own ministry, family, Bible study and personal growth needs.  Most staff meetings usually  include calendar coordination discussion of current events and very seldom include outlining program expectations and goals for each area of ministry.

Bill Gothard, several years ago in one of his seminars for pastors, made the statement that “most problems that the pastors experience begin with one of the staff members.”  He warned pastors to be careful and keep an eye on their staff members and become aware of potential problems.

That was one of the worst evaluation of staff relationships that I have ever experienced.  If the each staff member of a church is not a right arm to the pastor and does not fully understand and supports the direction that the pastor is leading the church, there is a tremendous communication gap.  Let me ask you a question.  “Does your pastor have reason to fully trust you, as a member of his staff, and is he in full agreement of the direction of your ministry?”  If your answer is “yes”, let me ask you, “are you completely sure?  Have you ever discussed this issue with him.  

During my forty years plus experience as a staff member of some of the largest and more successful Baptist Churches in America, I have had the opportunity to counsel many young ministers who served on church staffs.  Yes, there are staff problems on many church staffs, but, most that I have heard about have been the result of poor communication.  Never in all of these counseling sessions, do I remember a problem coming from a staff member whose desire was to hurt the pastor nor a pastor whose desire was to hurt the staff member.  Every minister on a church staff that I have had the privilege of knowing always wanted to assist the pastor in reaching the pastor’s goals for that church. 

When a staff member felt the need to move and wanted assistance in finding another place of service, he/she usually was unhappy and felt that he/she was no longer effective or no longer wanted. 

Why is it so common for young minister to become unhappy and feel the need for a move? 

• Could it be that they were not led and taught how to be effective? 
• Could it be that they did not understand what was expected of them? 
• Could it be that family relationships were stressed and created personal problems that affected their ministry? 
• Could it be that the staff member misunderstood the actions of the pastor towards him/her in a particular situation? 

If any of these reasons caused the need for a move, how could they have been avoided?

Why does a church call a person to serve on a church staff as a minister?  During the interview process does a search committee or pastor call a staff minister that they feel will be a failure?  Do they call a person who they feel will cause problems?  The answer is a definite NO!  Every person called to serve on a church staff is expected to succeed and is believed to have all the qualities and experience necessary to be successful.   

If that is the expectation at the beginning of the process, WHAT HAPPENED?  Did the staff member not investigate the church and it’s leadership?  Did the staff member not believe that God was calling him/her to that particular church and that particular position?   Was the staff member not excited about the possibilities that the position offered?  Did the staff member not expect to succeed?

Then, why does the average staff member last less than two years?

The Education and Ministry Preparation Process for Ministers Lack the Necessary Training for Equipping Young Ministers for Staff Positions.

As a member of a church staff, “What are you doing to make sure that you are successfully communicating with your pastor and the other members of the church staff”?  May I suggest that the most effective organization for any church staff is a group of dedicated, trained, experienced and hard working group of ministers who:

•  Have been together for several years and enjoy being with each other

• Trust each other completely and without reservation

• Respects each staff members for his/her character, commitment, training and work ethic

• Understands the role and responsibility of each person on the staff

• Feels the support for their ministry by the pastor and other staff members

• Have the desire to help each staff member succeed and will assist when needed

• Feels a part of the team and is in full agreement with the direction for the church

If these are the ideal qualities of a staff, then why would it not be in the staff member’s best interest to seek to have these qualities?  Why would he not want to spend the time necessary to develop these qualities and have this kind of association with the pastor and other staff members? 

It is a proven fact that each human being longs for a loving relationship with his/her family, work associates and friends and is constantly looking for an environment that is rewarding uplifting.  What better place to find that environment than on a church staff?

You might ask, “How can I be a part of a staff with all of these qualities”?  I would never presume to know the full answer to that question, but would like to make a few suggestions that could possibility help.   Only you can evaluate your situation, your dreams, your strengths and your time schedule.

1.    Make sure you know where you want to go with your ministry and why you want to go there.

2.    List your dreams and your goals for your ministry.

3.    List what you believe has to be done to accomplish these dreams.

4.    Establish a list of goals with dates assigned to each goal

5.    Write out a plan for each goal including an outline of things that must be done to reach that goal.

6.    Read your goal sheet every day and pray over each goal daily.

7.    Develop a plan for personal growth and development

Now that you know where you want to go, who do you need to help you get there?  This is where your pastor and the other staff members come in.  Spend the necessary time to develop good relations with your pastor and other staff members and ask for their suggestions and input.  Never take staff relations for granted.  Ensure good staff relations by learning good staff habits.

1.    Share your dreams and goal sheet with your pastor and then with the other member of the church staff.  Help each member of the staff understand where you are going and why.

2.    Meet with each staff member separately at least once a quarter to discuss where you are going and how you plan to get there.

3.    Ask them for any ideas that they have and how your area of ministry could be of help to them.

4.    Spend personal time with your pastor and each staff member on a regular basis to fellowship, relax and discuss personal things such as family, personal growth, spiritual growth, personal Bible study and prayer time, fears and concerns and last but definitely not least “are you happy”.

5.    Be interested enough to develop such a trust that you can get personal with each fellow staff person, then GET PERSONAL.

6.    Get to know the family of each staff member.  Make it a point to have you and your family with other staff member’s family on a regular basis.  There definitely needs to be a one family to one family relationship with each staff member’s family.  You may have to initiate this relationship and pursue it personally.  If you since an attitude of resistance from one of your fellow staff members back away and quietly continue to pursue building this relationship.

Remember good staff relations do not just happen.  It takes time and personal interaction.  In a marriage a husband and wife must spend a quantity of quality time together or the mirage will not work.  A staff is no different!  It takes time together both in quantity and quality.  You alone cannot make this happen, but, you can constantly and consistently do your part to develop a good relationship with each and every staff member.  You be a friend first and always seek ways to help out when the other staff members need help.

You need to make sure that you and the pastor are on the same page, chasing the same goals and seeking the same results from your area of ministry.  You need to make sure that you earn your pastors trust and respect.  You need to look to him for advice, counseling, friendship, guidance and direction.  You need to meet with him, one on one regularly to discuss your plans and make sure he is in full agreement with the direction you are going and is completely aware of your schedule before you make it know to anyone else.

You need to constantly communicate with your pastor and each member of the ministerial staff.  Never take it for granted that they know what you are planning and why you are planning it.  Communicate with them and make sure they know and understand your direction and schedule.   If communication ever becomes a problem be sure it is not because you did not try everything that you knew try.

Pray and ask God to use you as a help and blessing to your pastor and each member of the church staff.  Seek to be a friend and always be available to help others.  

God bless you in your ministry and may you have many happy and fulfilled years of ministry.

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