Firing Staff
Dismissing a staff member is rarely easy, but firing a church employee can prove particularly uncomfortable. Church workers are often members of the congregation, and the choice to terminate could result in animosity among other members. A church employee might also be a friend to the person supervising and faced with this difficult choice. When… read more
Perry Noble writes: In my opinion this is a pretty serious problem…if a staff member would not attend the church where he is working if he were not on staff…then how in the heck can they be fully entrusted with the vision? BUT…the automatic “go to” answer is NOT, “fire them!” (It’s the easy answer…but… read more
“I’ve been fired.” What terrifying words! And almost equally as terrifying is the statement, “I think we’re going to have to fire so-and-so.” For most executives, having to fire a staff member is the single most difficult aspect of their leadership. How can it be done in the right way? I believe the essence of… read more
Millions of people are unemployed. Some have given up looking for work altogether. Many more are underemployed, working shorter hours in a job that may not fit their education, training, and experience. So many of these people who lost their jobs are the victims of a poor economy or a struggling company or both. They… read more
In recent months, I’ve been hired by two churches to coach someone on pastoral staff who was in the process of being fired. At the same time, I’m working with two additional pastors who are considering “firing” themselves from a position and a culture that don’t really match their calling and values. These relationships have… read more
Walking down the street recently I noticed that the name on a nearby bank had changed again. Another failure or merger? The signs had changed, but I noticed a message carved into the stone when the bank building was originally constructed in 1874: “Dedicated To Thrift.” Thrift? There’s a word you don’t hear much. But… read more
I’ve seen runaway staffers, but clearly no one just like General McChrystal, a man said to sleep 4 hours a night, run 7 miles a day, and eat one meal a day. He is so intense about his work, he sees his wife something like 30 days a year. He’s a mixture of brilliance and… read more
One of the most difficult aspects of managing church employees is the inevitable reality that there will come a time when an employee needs to be terminated. As Christians we should be even more sensitive to how losing a job can impact an employee. This is coupled with the political fallout if the employee happens… read more
Many churches today are being forced to let staff members go. This is a tough call, one no senior pastor wants to make. But senior pastor, if you do have to let go of a staff member, I’d suggest you realize that there are some phrases that sting when voiced, phrases that are often misconstrued… read more
A serious conflict is recorded in the last part of Acts 15 as Paul and Barnabas were heading out to begin another segment of their missionary journeys. It was staff hiring time, and both Paul and Barnabas had different perspectives of who should be on the team. Remember the story? Barnabas wanted to take John… read more
Let’s look closely at the specifics of this “higher standard.” On one hand, grace is the central pillar of the New Covenant. Calvary is God’s supreme sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins, and as God forgives us, so we should forgive others. Even in the Old Testament we read of the virtues of forgiveness… read more