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The Art of Managing Church Staff

By Dan M. Reiland

Regardless of where you are with your staff—really loving them or ready to leave them—this article is dedicated to help you better lead and manage your staff.

Pastor Ken* called me for advice about his music pastor. His first words were: "I think he’s saved, but I’m not sure." It got worse from there.

Ken shared with me that David*, his music pastor, was competent in music and an above average worship leader, but had no people skills. In fact, it was so bad he was described as leaving body bags everywhere he went. When confronted, David didn’t see a problem and felt offended. After nearly a year of turmoil, David was asked to leave. He left under protest.

In contrast to Ken and David, let me tell you about a top-shelf eagle on my staff at Crossroads. His name is Chris Huff. He found Christ at Crossroads under Pastor Kevin Myers’ (our senior pastor) ministry and grew as a leader. Chris led several ministries as a layman before being asked to be an elder. In time Chris was on staff as a pastor and eventually had oversight of other pastors. When I arrived, after much discussion with Chris, I felt he would make his greatest contribution as our business services director. From minister to moneyman in 1 day—a business director with a pastor’s heart. Chris is intelligent, a self-starter, good with numbers and people, and is completely dedicated to God’s work at Crossroads Community Church.

How about your staff? Do you have a David or a Chris? Do you have some of each? How do you reward Chris, and how will you deal with David?

In my travels as a church consultant and personal experience as a pastoral leader, I have invested thousands of hours over the past 21 years on the subject of church staff. I have been uniquely blessed because the vast majority of my time with church staff (primarily pastoral staff) has been positive and productive. Unfortunately, many senior pastors I’ve connected with over the years have less than euphoric experiences with staff. One pastor, reflecting the attitudes of many pastors, said, "I know I need staff. I just don’t want them around the church or near the people."

Regardless of where you are with your staff—really loving them or ready to leave them—this article is dedicated to help you better lead and manage your staff.

The majority of this article will deal with paid staff, with an emphasis on pastoral/ministry staff. Please note, however, that many principles and insights on managing and leading paid staff can be applied to volunteer staff. (See sidebar "Leading Volunteer Staff.")

Hiring Eagles—One at a Time

There is more to developing a strong and effective staff than hiring well; but if you don’t hire well, you are in trouble from the start. Remember, no matter how much work it takes, it is easier to hire than fire.

Know what you want and why you are hiring.

When it comes to hiring staff, assumptions are lethal. Perhaps you lost your youth pastor. The typical response is: "We need to hire another one." That may or may not be true. Rather, ask what the church needs most at this time. You may determine that you do need a youth pastor. Take it a layer deeper. Ask, "What do we want in a youth pastor?" It is important to know what emphasis you want the youth ministry to take. This is not up to the youth pastor to decide. While each person has a unique style, personality, and gifts, senior leadership sets the direction and philosophy of youth ministry. When this is not done and clearly communicated during the hiring process, you will nearly always hire the wrong person. It often results in a good and hardworking youth pastor at odds with a good and hardworking senior pastor because they have major ministry philosophical differences.

The following questions will serve you well in the hiring process:

• What will bring notable strength to the church?
• What does the church need most in this season?
• What can the church afford? (And what can it not afford?)
• What would most advance the mission of the church?
• How can we improve on the most recent past?

Never hire in a panic or out of desperation.

Remember the nursery rhyme about the old lady who lived in a shoe? She had so many kids she didn’t know what to do. Well, that was our story. In a congregation of well over 2,000, more than 36 percent were children fifth grade and under. Our facilities were busting at the seams and people kept coming—and they brought their kids. Our children’s team was good, but we needed a children’s pastor.

There was one service where I could have sworn there were more kids at the end of the service than the beginning. Spontaneous generation isn’t possible, is it? Where were these kids coming from? I felt tremendous pressure to find and hire a children’s pastor. There were moments I was tempted to hire anybody with a pulse. Anyone who was breathing and said they loved Jesus would do.

Experience has taught me, though, that when I hire in a panic or out of desperation, I regret the decision. So for 10 months I processed résumé after résumé, phone call after phone call, interview after interview. But it was worth it. Our patience and diligence landed God’s person for us.

Take your time when hiring. When in doubt, don’t hire. Wait. The pressure of an open position is better than hiring the wrong person.

Learn how to attract quality staff.

You can’t attract eagles into a chicken coop, and they don’t bite on chicken feed.

• Cast a big vision. You may not always be able to pay big dollars, but you can always cast a big vision. Know your dream and vision—tell it in a compelling way. Let candidates see how they can have a part in a future with great potential.
• Be forthright and honest about the church’s situation. Tell them the good and the bad. A great leader will see the rough parts as a challenge.
• Pay well. You may not always be able to pay big, but you can be as generous as possible. When you can afford to pay better, do so. We all know ministry is not about getting rich, but if you find an eagle, you are wise to pay well. (See sidebar "Quick Tips on Salary Matters.")
• Let them know you are committed to their personal growth. Explain in practical terms how you expect results from them but not without investments from you.
• Be authentic about who you are. Let them get to know the real you during the hiring process. This doesn’t mean that it’s all about you. In fact, you should talk far less than the candidate. But do let them see your heart and discover who you are as a person. It won’t take long after they are hired, so why not find out what the chemistry between you will be like before they are hired?

Know what an eagle looks like.

Leadership is without question the primary trait you are looking for. But hire by hire, there are minor and major differences in the specific skills you are looking for. For example, when hiring a children’s pastor, the ability to recruit is a major factor, while musical ability is minor (if needed at all). When hiring a teaching pastor, the ability to communicate is major, while the ability to administrate is minor.

Let’s get back to leadership. Eagles influence people. This is key in all hires. However, leadership and leadership skills can be taught, learned, and improved. If the basic raw material is there, and you are willing to make the developmental investment, the growth of the candidate should go well.

The absence of good character—or a major character flaw—can turn a potential good hire into a disaster. You can develop skills, but candidates will usually retain the character they come in with. Therefore, make certain you feel confident about the character traits important to you. To do this, you must invest much time with them and ask dozens of questions. (See sidebar "Sample Pastoral Staff Interview Questions.")

The following is a character list that gives you something to begin with.

• Integrity. The first and most important thing I look for are things like honesty, authenticity, ethical and moral patterns, and a sense of being trustworthy.
• Strong Christian testimony and lifestyle. It surprises me how many staff members are never asked to tell their Christian conversion testimony during the hiring process. I not only want to know their conversion testimony, I want to know devotional habits and how they are currently maturing in their faith.
• High energy and contagious passion. Low energy and low passion people do not lead well for long. This isn’t about personality. There are many leaders who are not the life of the party but have tremendous energy and passion for what they do. It’s about a fire in the belly that causes and sustains initiative and the pursuit of results.
• Intelligence. Hire smart people. This may seem like a "duh," but I caution you to be attentive to this point.
• Good sense of humor. This reveals whether or not they take themselves too seriously and can laugh at themselves. As a leader, it’s important for others to perceive you as enjoyable to be with, someone who possesses the ability to be lighthearted and enjoy life.
• The capacity and desire for further growth and greater potential. You don’t want to hire people who are as good as they are going to get. Neither do you want to hire someone who has potential but no desire to grow.

Set your standards and stick to them.

We have talked about the danger of hiring too quickly. This principle of standards is connected to that idea. Set your standards and do not lower them. Repeat out loud to yourself if necessary, "I will not lower my standards." Don’t settle for less. Go for the best.

The following is a sample hiring criteria that provides a quick picture what a set of standards might look like. (Note: You will be tempted to make your list too long, and end up losing sight of what is important to you. Keep it short. Aim for those things that are of utmost importance to you.

Youth Pastor

Professional

• 5 or more years ministry experience
• College degree
• At least 28 years of age
• Previous church size of at least 300
• Track record of sustained leadership success and expertise with youth ministry

Personal

• Self-starter/energetic
• Organized
• People person
• Intelligent
• Passion for lost kids

We could fill volumes when it comes to hiring, but for now, these five core principles will serve you well. Let me leave you with a simple but powerful old standard. When it comes to hiring and developing staff, there are three things to focus on: character, competence, and chemistry. Are they who they say they are? Are they good at what they do? Do they mix well with others? If you have had staff for any length of time, you know that just because they receive a paycheck doesn’t mean they function well as a team.

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

If you are married with kids, you know that it’s not easy to get a family of four or five all moving in the same direction at the same time and be happy about it. You might even question if that’s possible.

As a family we enjoy popcorn and a video on Sunday evening after church. You would think that would be easy. Pop the corn, stick the video in, and we’re set. Not so fast. Patti and I have one movie we want to see; Mackenzie realizes her favorite TV show is on; and John-Peter just got a new video game, so of course he wants to play it. As the leader of my family, I now have a choice. I can give in (or give up) and let the family do its own thing, or I can provide direction that allows us to be together. And how I do that is important if this is going to be a pleasant evening.

The church staff isn’t so different. It just has more people (who have titles and job descriptions) all with their own ideas of what to do, where to go, and how to get there. Left unchecked, this is asking for trouble. The senior pastor or senior leader must share the vision, shape the culture, and declare the direction, doing it in such a way that the team wants to participate. (See sidebars "Effective and Ineffective Team Characteristics," "Ministry Staff Retreat Planning Guide," and "On-Purpose Staff Meetings.")

The following five principles are not academic ideas but tested and true components of a healthy, productive team.

Healthy and productive teams fully embrace the mission/vision and intentionally, consistently, and passionately make a contribution toward its fulfillment.

Your mission is the foundation of your ministry. If you have ever seen a cracked foundation in a house, it is easy to see how this once small crack slowly widens until there is a big gap and a serious problem. If the foundation is not fixed, the home may suffer irreparable damage.

Your church also has a foundation that is expressed in the form of your mission/vision. If it is not poured correctly and tended to properly, it can crack. In extreme situations, it can crack so big it splits the church. This rarely happens over doctrine, membership rules, or how the annual business meeting is conducted. It’s about leadership and the direction of the church. (We just package our beefs in theological terms.)

Your ability to keep focused on the big picture and your direction from God is essential. I like to simplify this massive concept by asking: "What does a win look like?" In other words, if your church were to win for God as you pursue the Great Commission according to Matthew 28:19,20, what would that win look like? It is important to get everyone seeing the same big win or main thing. There will be smaller sub-wins (departmental), but only if they help accomplish the big picture.

When it comes to each player on the team, two things count—attitude and action. Ask attitude questions like: "Does this staff member go the second mile with responsibilities?" "Does this team member bring a solution-oriented and positive outlook to the team?" Ask action questions like: "How is the church better because this staff member is on the team?" "How has this staff member helped advance the mission?"

Everyone on the team must not only be committed to making a difference for the good of the church, but also with an uplifting and godly attitude.

Healthy and productive teams insist on a set of clearly established responsibilities and expectations.

The picture is still vivid in my mind. I was consulting with a church in Texas. There was blatant tension in the room between the senior pastor and the three pastoral staff members. The pastor complained that the staff was not getting the job done. The staff was frustrated because their pastor’s expectations were never made clear. I pressed the pastor by asking him, "What do you expect from your staff?"

He blurted out in exasperation, "I don’t know."

This story is not uncommon. Leaders must first know what they want. Until that is clear, look no further than yourself. When you know what you expect, write it down in a short, simple, and clear way that each staff member understands. And finally, follow up. Stay in consistent communication to know how each staff member is doing. Encourage and equip them to do the job, but also hold them accountable to get the job done. (See sidebars "Encouraging Staff Members" and "Are You Holding Your Staff Accountable?")

Healthy and productive teams contain a mix of the pack that produces a positive chemistry.

There are three kinds of chemistry for a local church staff. Each of the three brings an important dimension to the team.

Relational chemistry. Relational chemistry means that you like each other and enjoy being together. This is important to function well as a team. Of all three kinds of chemistry, this is the one the congregation will pick up on first. Bad chemistry leaks quickly into the congregation and contaminates the morale. Good chemistry does the opposite. People pick up on the good vibes, intuitively feel better about the church, and are more apt to get involved and become more committed.

Productivity chemistry. This means that the group of people who comprise your staff team are better together than apart; the staff is better because they are together as a team. The Beatles are a classic example of productivity chemistry. They were extraordinary together, but apart they were just above average.

Cultural chemistry. The third kind of chemistry deals with the overall team fit. Every church has its culture. Some churches have a button-down business culture and others a more relaxed culture. Some churches have a unique worship culture. Skyline Wesleyan Church where I served with John Maxwell had a culture of leadership development and personal growth. Some churches have a "this is the way we’ve always done it" culture.

There is no end to the variety of church cultures. Your church has its own unique makeup, and it is important that all the staff connect well within that culture.

Healthy and productive teams demonstrate a diligent effort to enhance the effectiveness of church and staff communication.

You cannot overcommunicate as a staff team. However, mere words are not the goal. It is the right words to the right people at the right times. For example, I never share a problem in the church with Kevin Myers (the senior pastor at Crossroads) on Sunday, especially before and after worship services. It may be the right thing to say, even important, but it’s the wrong time. (See sidebar "Staff Communication.").

Healthy and productive teams possess an ability to resolve the tough issues with grace and speed.

Even the best of staff teams experience conflict. Motion causes friction and leaders cause motion, therefore leaders cause friction. Like in a good marriage, the goal is not to avoid conflict but to learn to resolve it. (See sidebars "Ten Conflict-Management Strategies for Associate Pastors" and "Preventing Dis-ease Among Staff.").

Nine steps to conflict resolution:

1. Speak the truth in love.
2. Seek to understand the other’s point of view.
3. Seek common ground.
4. Make expectations clear.
5. Stay focused on the issue at hand.
6. Maintain direct communication—no third parties.
7. Listen and don’t respond defensively.
8. Make a commitment to what is in the church’s best interest.
9. Always reflect to discover and apply what you learned.

The dynamics of male-female relationships on a staff team, particularly if it is supervisor to employee, are complicated and sensitive. (See sidebar "Male-Female Staff Dynamics.")

Releasing A Staff Member The Right Way

Even when you hire well and build a strong team there will come that rare time when you must let someone go. Firing someone is about as much fun as a tax audit, but there are times in your ministry when it is necessary for the good of the church.

In a local church environment, letting someone go can be like firing a family member. It almost feels as if you are doing something wrong. I recall releasing a staff member I cared a great deal for, and the pain of trying to help his spouse, a friend of mine, understand. These are difficult decisions, but decisions a leader cannot avoid.

There are a few assumptions I’m working with. First, you have given clear and written evaluations making the staff member aware that his** performance and/or attitude is unsatisfactory (staff ministry evaluations will be discussed later in this article). Second, you have invested effort in training the staff member. Third, the possibility of being fired is not a surprise to your staff member. And fourth, you have assessed the situation as a nonturnaround scenario. (A turnaround scenario is a long and involved attempt committed to help the staff person grow as a leader and remain on staff.)

Questions to ask before you make your decision:

• Will the church be hurt more by retaining than releasing this person?
• How difficult will it be to replace this person?
• If you could do it over today, would you hire this person again?
• What is preventing you from releasing the person?
• Does the person fit on the team?
• Would you miss the staff member if he were gone?
• What does God say?

If the bottom line has been determined and you know in your heart and mind that keeping this staff member is not going to work, the following steps will help you navigate through a potentially difficult time.

Seek wise counsel and support of key leadership.

Don’t make this decision in a vacuum. Though you must own the decision yourself, it is important to let your key leaders in on the process to gain their wisdom. If they do not support your decision, slow down. Don’t necessarily back off, but process the decision with them. Give them time to understand why you are doing this. It may take weeks or even a couple months, but don’t rush it if your inner core leaders are not at first supportive of the decision.

Make sure you know exactly why you are releasing the staff member.

Your mind must be made up before you meet with a staff member to release him. This is not a time to negotiate and discuss the issues. The time for that is over. Write the reason down, for your own use. Even if it’s only a word or two, or a short sentence, writing it will help you sharpen your clarity.

Determine to honor the person with compassion and dignity.

Determine before meeting with the person you must fire, that you will treat him with honor, compassion, and dignity. He may be upset or angry. Don’t battle the anger; minister to it. If he gets ugly, end the meeting and resume again after a few hours or the next day.

Communicate without malice. So often, because firing someone is unpleasant, it is procrastinated. Procrastination makes it worse. The delay often causes a buildup of resentment on your part toward the staff member. By the time you meet to tell him, you explode. Unknowingly, some leaders unload on a staff member because it helps them internally justify the decision. Discipline yourself not to do this. Be firm and tough if needed, but don’t be mean.

Employ the 10-second rule.

Don’t begin the meeting with sugarcoated platitudes about how wonderful a person he is. He may well be a wonderful person, but that isn’t the point of the meeting. Don’t drag this out. Brevity is kinder than dragging it out with long preambles of how much you love and appreciate him. There will be time for that later. Above all, don’t say how much this pains you. It’s not about you; it’s about him. Take this opportunity to pour into him.

Within the first few seconds of the meeting, let him know your decision. Clearly articulate the reason for termination, and then stop talking. Let him respond. The conversation will unfold from there.

Explain and offer the choice of high road or low road.

It is best to be upfront with the two options we all know exist. Tell him he can choose the high road or the low road. Explain both choices. The high road is one that includes a resignation, no pouting and causing trouble, and an agreement to put the good of the church as the highest agenda. The high road also promises from you as the leader a supportive send-off, generous severance, honor and appreciation for the good he has accomplished, a farewell party (if appropriate), and a gift. The low road is the scenario in which the staff member fights the termination, gains allies, causes trouble, and makes it difficult for everyone. In return for a low-road decision, your support is low, severance modest, and everyone loses, but the staff member loses the most. Help him understand that. Ask him to tell you face-to-face which road he will choose.

End the staff member’s responsibilities quickly.

Rarely, if ever, have I seen a church where there was any benefit to allow the staff member to remain after the decision was known. I recommend that a brief amount of time is taken to wrap things up, maybe a couple weeks, then he needs to be out of the office and done with his job. This is the purpose of severance. The severance provides him opportunity to take care of his family while focusing his full-time effort on locating a new ministry.

Even though it is not common, follow up with the person you released.

Too often, because the situation is difficult, no contact is made after it’s all over. This is a mistake. Contact the pastor in a couple weeks and then again in a couple months. The point is neither to relieve guilt nor to become best buddies. The goal is simply to communicate that you care and value him as a person. If the situation is too sensitive, have another key leader from the church do the follow-up.

The Greatest Investment You Can Make

We all understand the simple facts about deposits and withdrawals when it comes to our bank accounts. If you don’t make consistent deposits, you will soon be overdrawn. Unfortunately, we have overlooked this truth when it comes to paid staff. Too often we assume that they are paid professionals and shouldn’t need coaching. Nothing could be further than the truth. Some leaders understand the value of investing in their staff but feel they don’t have time. Then there are a few leaders who consistently invest in their staff through leadership-development deposits. These leaders reap tremendous rewards within their ministry.

Not only must we invest in our staff through leadership development and spiritual formation, but we must also invest more than we expect. If you want to set high standards and raise the bar in terms of expectations from your staff, then you must invest all the more. (See sidebar "Developing an Outstanding Staff.")

There are some unique groups within a local church when it comes to overall development and training. Among those groups are ministry interns. (See sidebar "The Power of an Internship Ministry.")

Effective Staff Ministry Evaluations

Most pastors equate conducting a performance evaluation with the level of fun experienced during a root canal. We don’t even like to use the word performance because it carries so much baggage. But the truth is, performance matters.

I remember conducting my first ministry review with a staff member years ago. Jason* was older than me, smarter than me, and had more experience in general local church work. Yet, I was the leader of the team. That was an uncomfortable process to say the least. I wish I would have known the following.

Advantages of conducting ministry performance evaluations.

Let me start by encouraging you with the value of a ministry evaluation. First, soak them in yourself, then communicate any or all to your staff.

• Increased communication
• Increased productivity
• Enhancement of teamwork
• Reduction of unforeseen problems
• A valuable tool for personal and professional growth

Invest 80 percent of your effort and energy into each staff member’s Ministry Action Plan (MAP).

The actual review represents approximately 20 percent of the value of the process. It is simply the formalized recognition and recording of their ministry results and personal growth for the year.

The heart of the matter lies in a skillfully crafted Ministry Action Plan that replaces a traditional job description. (See sidebar "Sample Ministry Action Plan.") Though you may need a job description for hiring purposes, it typically adds little value to a review. It is generic, difficult to measure results by, and static in nature.

However, a MAP is a one- or two-page bullet list set of measurable goals. These goals have been agreed on between the supervisor and the team member. Each year the MAP is revisited and revised to keep it fresh.

Understand that different staff will relate to MAPs and evaluations differently.

The top one-third of your staff will find value in the evaluation through enhanced communication and recognition regarding their work.

The middle one-third of your staff will find value in the evaluation through increased organization and prioritization of their work.

The other one-third of your staff will find value in the evaluation through the direction and supervision it brings to the table.

Clarify the purpose of a ministry evaluation.

• Looking forward—personal and professional development. The number one purpose of a ministry evaluation is to be used as a tool for growth. When a staff member is evaluated in context of specific goals, it is live leadership rather than classroom study. It is easy to see where their skills fall short as well as where their gifts shine. In the areas where the staff member falls short of an agreed-upon goal, this is not used to punish the staff member but to identify specific areas for growth. Further, the areas of excellent performance help identify areas of unique gifting, which aids correct placement on the team.
• Looking back—compensation level. Caution. A ministry review does highly influence a staff member’s salary, but does not set it. Do not tie performance and salary too closely together.
• Looking at the present—improve communication, organization, and morale.

Think process.

Don’t surprise your staff. The worst thing you can do is to design a quality MAP, ignore it for a year, then call the staff member in for his review. This grenade will explode. The review takes place all year long. You are consistently discussing with staff members how they are doing while at the same time coaching them for professional growth.

Stick to the essentials.

When it is time for the evaluation, remember that even under the best circumstances, this is a little stressful. So don’t make it longer than it needs to be. Take the time you need, but don’t chase rabbit trails. Stick to what is important. This means you must prepare in advance. Ask the staff member to evaluate himself, and you do the same. Compare your results. This provides a great way to talk through the highs and lows of his MAP. Ask good questions and listen more than you talk.

Be concrete and specific in your evaluation process.

Divide the review process into at least two categories. For example, 50 percent of the evaluation is based on how well they met their agreed-upon goals. The other 50 percent is based on a set of team values, including things like attitudinal, cultural, or ministry values. This is based on how well they, for example, cooperate with other staff, demonstrate a servant’s heart, and lead in alignment with the overall vision of the church.

Conclusion

As pastor, you have a responsibility to manage and mentor your staff. Selecting and developing the right people is at the very epicenter of fruitful leadership development. Your ability to develop your staff is the lid lifter that allows your church to reach its God-given potential—a Spirit-filled potential far beyond the limits of natural gifts and talents.

Dan M. Reiland, D.Min., is executive pastor at Crossroads Community Church, Lawrenceville, Georgia.

*Names have been changed.