My family was always on the move. I have been a member of 17 different congregations over the last 64 years. Why does this matter? The changes I have seen and their impact on church life have been dramatic—secular society, seven-day work weeks, globalization, the list goes on. There is also no sign that this trend is about to change anytime soon. The result has been increased stresses and challenges for the church. At the same time, most congregations’ ability to invest in paid staff has gone the other way. This highlights a critical and growing problem.
Who has found themselves at the centre of this storm? The minister. Few would deny that the minister is the emotional and spiritual centre of a congregation. It also means the minister is forced to wear many hats—preacher, pastor, minister, of course, but also administrator, manager, volunteer recruiter, leadership coach, arbitrator, program designer, event coordinator, and the list goes on and on. If this isn’t enough of a challenge the minister must also deal with their own personal and family challenges—the demands of their children, personal or spousal illnesses, supporting their aging and ailing parents, conflicts at home/church/with staff. That’s a lot of demands, stresses and skill requirements for one human being!
Other church employees are not immune and are caught in this turmoil as well. Without effective strategies to provide workable solutions, the minister has an almost impossible task.
So what can we do to help bridge the gap in at least a few areas? A practical, and I believe effective, part of the solution is to create a congregational human resources team. Here is what it does:
- Conducts biannual meetings with church staff. These are individual, confidential meetings where concerns may be brought forward, either from the team or from the church employee. These meetings are for staff to voice their concerns about other employees, individuals associated with the church and/or concerns regarding roles, work-life balance and job fulfilment. The meetings are designed to help staff work through difficult predicaments including personal, family or church related issues.
- Provide the session with input and support for areas such as the creation of job descriptions, managing staff time, recognition, compensation, and conflict resolution.
Resources to Encourage Healthy Ministers and Congregations
Employee Assistance Program – The PCC’s Employee Assistance Program offers “immediate, confidential help for any concern.” You can access the short brochure at presbyterian.ca/mcv or call 1-800-387-4765 at any time. If you are overwhelmed or unsure of what to do, this may be a good first step.
Human Resources Team – To learn more about setting up a human resources team at your church, read the article on p. 38 by Steve Sainsbury.
Inter-Mission (Sabbatical) – Consider applying for an “Inter-Mission,” a 10-week paid time of renewal to be in touch with the “Holy Other” in our lives. Those who have worked more than five years in the denomination are eligible. To find out more, read the Acts & Proceedings from 1992, p. 383-384.
Christian Nurture – Start to put in place intentional systems for Christian nurturing such as prayer partnerships or mentorships. A succinct introduction to the idea of mentoring can be found by searching for the article “The Company You Keep” (2011) at alban.org.
Therapy – Consult your doctor or a friend or mentor if you feel you need to speak to a therapist. If you are “stuck” or need professional advice to advance along the next steps of mental wellness, engaging in psychotherapy might be wise. Access your benefits package to find out what is covered at presbyterian.ca/pensionandbenefits.
Helpful Resources
- To learn more about “finding a balance for effective ministry” see Roy Oswald’s Clergy Self Care. Although published in 1991, his self-assessment tools and practical advice about re-framing ministry within healthier parameters are current.
- The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook (4th Edition, 2005) by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D, is written from a secular perspective and offers practical, step-by-step help to more fully understand anxiety and fear, and what to do about it.
- To better comprehend wider emotional currents and human functioning in a climate of anxiety, read Edwin H. Friedman’s A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix (2007). Friedman was a rabbi and served as a consultant to congregations, synagogues and large companies. This approach to understanding the human condition and how it relates to leadership may be one of the most valuable things you ever read.
- Kristine O’Brien and Sandra Moll wrote an award-winning story for the Record back in February 2009, entitled Breaking the Silence: The Mental Health of Our Clergy.
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The team itself is made up of two individuals. They need not have a background in human resources although this would be useful. Their core objectives are identifying issues before they become a problem and developing timely and practical resolution strategies. The success of this team is built upon trust and confidentiality. The result should be greater focus and proactive action.
Let me use a fictitious example to illustrate how it works: Your minister is currently working between 70 and 90 hours a week and seldom takes a day off. The number of home visitations requested have doubled in the last two years. People have complained to session that the minister needs to do more. In addition, the youth need a program to help keep them connected to the church. The minister is great with young people and has been approached to start a youth group. The bottom line: the current and future demands on the minister cannot possibly be met. What can she do?
Here is the H.R. team’s approach:
- After the minister shares the situation, it is the H.R. team’s role to help develop concrete actions that help correct the situation.
- With the minister, they map out how the current hours are being invested. (Worship, visitation, education, outreach, administration, etc.)
- Develop a specific plan with options that reduce the ongoing hours from 90 to 50. Such things as training a lay visitation team, launching an appeal for funds to recruit a part-time youth worker, the elimination of the minister’s attendance at non-session committee meetings, moving the responsibility for creating the weekly bulletin from the minister to a volunteer.
The session, armed with a clear understanding of the issues and alternatives, can now make educated decisions about what needs to happen. It is not about getting it 100 per cent right. It is about focus and recognizing the reality of the problem and taking action to solve it.
