The pastor search committee invited me to consider moving to their town and hosted a get-acquainted meeting with leadership. A man introduced himself, abruptly announcing that a staff minister needed to be terminated. He predicted this would be among my first challenges.
I didn’t think more about this in the swirl of decisions we faced with the move. But a few weeks later the man came and renewed his commitment to fire the minister. From his position of leadership he persuaded other committee members to agree, and it was done.
I look back with regret that I didn’t try to push back and ask for more time and grace.
A pastor in a multi-staff church has administrative responsibility, including staff management, like it or not. I’d much rather study and read and learn something new, but overseeing the staff is important. I should have listed some goals and worked more closely with this staff minister to accomplish needed things.
The young man landed on his feet, thank the Lord, and found another church to start over. But things could have been different if I’d been his advocate. I may have been able to save him and our church some heartbreak.
Since those days I became acquainted with the Ministering to Ministers Foundation, directed at the time by Charles Chandler of Richmond. MTM conducted six Wellness Retreats on our campus at Judson College, and I heard heart-breaking tales of involuntary terminations.
One minister told of the pregnancy of his 16-year-old daughter. Prominent church members said his spiritual leadership was compromised. The teenaged mother faced more uncertainty with her father unemployed.
One might think a pro-life church would sponsor a baby shower and show love to this girl and her family.
Chandler’s research found that about half of terminated ministers find other church employment, though this may take six months or more. Some of these in their search don’t have much or any severance nor insurance. And the other half determined to either retire or transfer their skills to other vocations, a large number eventually serving in bi-vocational ministry in addition to their full-time jobs.
MTM doesn’t say all ministers need to remain, but advocates for all ministers to be treated fairly.
The current shortage of pastors in America is puzzling and we’re still trying to learn why this is so. But one reason may be “tales from the dark side” suggesting ministers are expendable.
In a heated church business meeting with the pastor’s tenure on the table, a man stood to ask two questions: “Are we trying to help this man, or hurt him? And if this was your son, how would you want him to be treated?”
Good questions, indeed.
