When church becomes a business and
we hire professionals then we apply business practices to maintain the
ministry. A young man who grew up in my
Youth Group had been called by God to enter the ministry as a Youth Pastor. After a couple of positions in small churches
he found himself back home. We needed
someone to oversee our children’s program part time, and I talked the
congregation into letting me hire him with the promise that I would be his
mentor. The tone was set, however, when
the question was raised to my ability to fire him if he didn’t perform.
He was great with the kids, and on
Sunday mornings they would run up to him and give him hugs and hold his hand. What he didn’t do well was recruit and lead
other adults in a growing children’s ministry.
I would give him assignments in the area of his weakness but he
struggled with them and eventually defaulted back to what was comfortable. In the end he just under performed. I was feeling pressure from parents and the
Elders
and in the end I let him go.
Another staff member was hired to
strengthen the administrative side of the church. She balanced my weakness and was good at
it. She helped organize the deacons,
took care of the facilities, oversaw the secretarial staff, and made sure that
everything we did was legal and above board.
Yet, she rubbed people the wrong way because her default answer to
requests was no, and when there was a financial shortfall it was easily decided
that her position would be eliminated.
What hurt her the most was that I (or the elders) didn’t seek her input
for a solution. I think behind her
statement was a willingness to work for a reduced salary until we were back on
our feet financially. I had said we were
a team and in the end I treated her like an employee.
Worship is an integral part of
Sunday morning and when I became Senior Pastor I sat with the lay worship
leader to make sure that we were on the same page. We had worked together before, but she was
always in charge. She was talented and
the people she led loved her. When we
sat down I told her that if we were going to have conflict it would be over one
thing. She wanted a big praise team and
I wanted several small ones – and I was the Senior Pastor. In the end it drove us apart. Instead allowing her the freedom to thrive
with her vision I held to what I wanted and we had a parting of the ways, and
it wasn’t pleasant.
I regret all three situations and
outcome. If I had it to do all over
again I would fight for my team, my apprentice, my friends. I do believe there are times to stand firm
for ones ideas and convictions. I
believe that people who are living in sin should suffer the consequences of
unrepentant hearts. But none of the
above situations fall into those categories and my leadership failed them.
Rom. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the
will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
From a worldly business
perspective the outcome of each situation could be seen as the proper move, and
I justified them as such. I Hate Church
because it turned me into something that I loathed, and I am sorry. I’m just saying… (Continued).
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