4. When a particular group in the church pushes its own agenda. It is not unusual for groups in a church to want their “personal minister” to take care of their needs. Make certain that the addition is best for the entire church, not just a select few with influence or money.
5. When a friend needs a job. Don’t hear me wrongly on this point. I am not saying that a church should never bring on a friend of the pastor, staff or a church member. I am saying that an addition should not take place only on the basis of that friendship.
6. When it’s just to copy another church. I’ve seen this often. A church (usually a large one) employs a new and creative way of adding and naming new staff positions. It won’t be long before I see churches all across the country making identical decisions. Certainly, it’s OK to emulate a church if it’s best for your church. But don’t add staff just because another church is doing it.
7. When you are unwilling to deal with a current ineffective staff member. Here is the scenario. A current staff member is obviously ineffective in his or her current role. So that person is moved to another role, sometimes one that does not add true value. Then a person is hired to fill the role once held by the ineffective staff member. This “workaround” results in a bloated personnel budget and, usually, poorer morale among effective staff members. Be willing to make the difficult decisions before adding new staff.
Tackling tough decisions
I would love to hear from you about how your church makes staff addition decisions. I always learn more in these posts than I offer to the readership. I look forward to learning from you. I am wondering how you have tackled tough staff decisions and what impact it had on your congregation’s effectiveness.
