When I first accepted the call to serve as an interim pastor, I had no specific pastoral training or experience. I was a writer and college instructor, had the equivalent of a master’s degree in theological studies, some practical experience as a speaker and worship leader–but mainly I had lots of questions. One of my…
Before I entered pastoral ministry, I was a political science major, an office worker, a grad student in theology, a lay church leader and worship committee member, a published writer, a journal keeper, a poet, a proof reader for an engineering firm, a college instructor, the wife of a law student turned professor, a daughter,…
“It may be legal, but the ethics stink!” I winced at my friend’s comment about a Christian organization’s poor employment practices, but I knew he was right. That’s why I read and blogged about Richard Kyte’s Ethical Business—because ethical decision-making doesn’t happen automatically even for those who claim to be Christian. In an age of “alternate…
In The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, I list a number of difficult employer/employee situations in church and Christian organizations and ask, “Why do churches and other Christian organizations seem to handle employee relationships so poorly? Or is it that Christian employees have unreasonable expectations of their employers? Why do apparently good, well-meaning, Christian people…
Several months ago I asked, Is Self-Care Part of Your Paid Employment, and Should It Be? Of readers who responded to the interactive poll, 50% said yes, 25% said no, 25% it depends. Since then, I’ve done more reading on self-care as it relates to church employment, and today I share the most helpful articles I’ve…
When I started ministry as an interim pastor, the church’s associate pastor for youth was already planning to leave for medical school. He had served the church well for three years, the youth group was strong with excellent youth and adult leaders, and the church gave him a wonderful and tearful farewell. Today he is…
A pastor shared a personal struggle with a group of other pastors at a denominational gathering. Several expressed support, and the group prayed together, but one of the pastors later expressed this caution: You probably shared because you thought it was a safe place, but I submit to you that it’s not. Another pastor says,…
