From time to time, pastors run situations by me for my response. Often it has to do with a conflict with a staff member. Particularly if either the pastor or staffer is new, conflict often arises. That’s why…
I suggest that pastors have some tried-and-true principles to govern their relationships with ministerial staff and the office staff. That is–to clarify–some bedrock rules you go by in your dealings with your team. In most cases, you have acquired these the hard way, by breaking them or being broken upon them.
Anyway. Here are a few I have lived with, just to get you started….
One. No leader likes surprises.
That’s why we have weekly staff meetings, to talk things out, to plan the calendar, etc. Once on a Sunday morning, the student minister announced to the church that the mission trip for next Summer would be to New Hampshire. Next morning in staff, I said, “At what point did we decide the youth would go to New Hampshire next summer?” He turned twelve colors, swallowed hard, and said, “Uh oh.” We had a head knocking–in love, actually–and he learned an important lesson. And yes, he took the youth to New Hampshire.
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