3 Things Church Staff Want Senior Pastors to Know
by Paula Dannielle
There’s a popular euphemism amongst senior leaders that sometimes it takes an outside voice for your congregation to fully understand what you have been teaching. Chances are, that’s not just for the people you lead but also true for you. Sometimes, it takes an outside voice to hear what people around you have been saying all along. As a Next Gen Leader and Associate Pastor for over two decades, I have spent a lot of time both being led by senior pastors and leading teams of people. Here are some things the people you lead may want you to know–or, at the very least, three things you may already be doing that lead to a healthy team culture.
Clarity is more than kindness. It’s necessary for trust.
We understand, especially when a congregation is larger than 300 people, it may be hard for us to have all the information that goes into making a decision. We also understand that there may be information that we cannot know because it is confidential, unhelpful, or maybe even hurtful. However, being left out of the loop causes confusion. Confusion breeds fear, and fear erodes trust.
Clarity about where we are going helps us support the inevitable turns.
Clarity about the speed of how we are getting there helps us protect others.
Clarity about what you need as the leader helps us know we are in this together.
Without clarity, we are left to try to piece together information, and what we piece together may not be entirely correct. This can cause division and break down trust. If you trust us to work for you, trust us with the information necessary to work with you. Providing us with clarity shows us that you care about our partnership and peace of mind and that you trust us with the information that will help us lead well.
Humility is more effective than authority.
Humility is so powerful that Paul lists it as the first attribute necessary when trying to unify the division at Ephesus. In a prison cell, Paul writes to Ephesus and tells them if they are going to walk worthy of the life God has called them into, they have to start with humility.
Humility, the willingness to hold in perspective what one brings to the table while celebrating the contributions of others, will go further than the authority that comes along with a title. Humility shows that we value those who work with us. It acknowledges that we don’t have all the answers. It also strengthens the teamwork that is necessary to accomplish ministry. Humility values the contributions of the team!
Moses knew he needed someone to speak for him. Barak was willing to forego his credit to Deborah so the Israelites could conquer Canaan. And Paul called out the names of those who worked alongside him in ministry-countless men and women.
Humility will accomplish a vision where authority falls short because it allows everyone to make the most of why God placed them together. Sometimes, authority is necessary, but humility reminds everyone that we are more than our titles.
They want to be there; otherwise, they simply wouldn’t!
Now, that may be a sweeping generalization; few things are always true all of the time. However, in a world that is elevating self-care, comfort over conflict, quiet quitting, and speedy resignations, if your associate pastors and ministry leaders are still there, working hard, and making sacrifices, then it is because they still believe in the vision and are not ready to give up on being a part of making that happen. There may be personality conflicts, competencies that need to be developed, and maybe even seats that need rearranging. Still, in 2024, fewer and fewer people, especially those under 40 years old, are willing to stay on teams that they dread. Don’t second guess their desire to be a part of what God is doing in your congregation, even if how they show this desire may cause challenges. After all, if they really wanted to leave, they would.
As a pastor who has had the unfortunate responsibility of terminating employment relationships, I wouldn’t dare suggest that everyone who wants to stay should. Still, if we assume they want the jobs they have, that will impact our interactions in the interim. There’s a different response to someone with harmful motives and character than there is to someone with faulty actions. Employees with bad character can be detrimental to the organization. Employees with faulty actions- whether intentionally or unintentionally- deserve a different posture.
We may not always get it right. There are days or even seasons that we may frustrate you beyond words. But if you know our hearts are good, even if we must part ways, treat us like that. If we’re doing something right, tell us! If you need to move our seats to get more out of us, be open with us! But if you have to let us go, be kind to us. Write the recommendation. Give the severance. Provide notice of termination. And make every effort to live peaceably with everyone (Hebrews 12:14).
Some things in ministry have to be done alone, but ministry doesn’t have to be lonely. One of the ways that senior leaders and associates can close this gap is to realize we can do more when we’re in this together.
