When the church goes corporate (part 8)

People and staffing
The corporation, whose purpose is to make money as it becomes more efficient, must view people (employees) as a resource. This is not evil, but necessary in the corporate model. Even if a company is known for taking care of its employees and providing a great work environment, efficiencies will dictate whether a reduction of workforce is necessary. A company must view its employees as a resource—to be exploited or eliminated based on efficiencies driving profits. People must be expendable in a corporate model.

Because of its focus on competition, the corporation is also on the prowl for the “best” employees. Stacking their human resource with top-notch professionals may give them an edge on their competition and aid them in earning greater revenues. Large companies spend significant amounts of time and money recruiting and relocating these best-of-the-best.

The church is a family and must view people as brothers and sisters or potential siblings. All people in the church have value and purpose within the church family. Family members are never expendable. All are loved by God and we want to demonstrate his love for them.

Recently a newly arrived senior pastor in a very large church put his staff on notice that none of their jobs are secure. His motivation was not economic, but what corporations call “cleaning house.” I have to wonder what the relationships are like right now on that church’s staff. How motivated are the staff to serve their church family? Are they part of the church family? Is the pastor’s announcement to his staff a Christlike approach? Has he considered visioning his current staff, providing them with new direction and empowering them to flourish within that new vision? What will happen when the church changes pastors or visions again in a few years?

This area of staffing in the church is where we most often try to live in both models (corporate and church). Our penchant for hiring staff from the four corners of the country is quite unique to the US. Obviously we want to hire men and women of God who are solid in their relationship with him and gifted professionals. But I believe we should guard against two things.

First, are we searching “successful” churches for our staff so we can woo them away from the “competition”? In other words, what is our deepest motivation here? Second, what are we doing to develop strong, gifted leaders in our own church family? Any pastor we hire should demonstrate the qualifications of an elder. We have a great advantage in knowing our own family, but how do we know that a candidate from across the country is above reproach, self-controlled and has a good reputation with outsiders?

©2009 Rob Fischer