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Elder – Minister Relationships

NoFeedbackNecessaryAs an elder, how do you view your ministers? Are they partners with you in ministry or are they simply the hired help? Are they viewed as a leader within the congregation or simply as a public speaker? Do you value their input or do you tolerate their opinion?

Over the last 60 days I have reviewed the websites of over 1,500 church of Christ congregations from all across the country. In doing so, I’ve witnessed a wide range of congregational leadership models and management issues.

On some church websites the ministers appear to be non-existent or at best, interchangeable with the custodial staff. The elders may have nice profiles talking about each of their backgrounds. The deacons may have similar profiles that talk about their areas of ministry. But the ministers are listed under the heading of “staff” along with the custodians and lawn maintenance guys. It creates the impression that the minister really isn’t important in the life of the congregation.

In other congregations, the situation appears to be almost the reverse. The ministers have large profiles on the website telling all about their family, education and past works. The site offers links to their blog, Facebook account, Twitter feed and their phone number and encourages you to contact them. On some of those same sites the elders are not even listed or referenced as part of the congregation’s leadership. It creates the impression that the ministers are the pastors of the congregation.

One of the things that we are careful to avoid at Minister Match is any discussion about changing or reforming our traditional congregational governance model. We believe that elders are and should be the top leaders of the congregation. The ministers (along with the elders, deacons, and others) are just part of the team of “doers” that fulfill the roles of evangelists and program leaders. Ministers are typically not elders and we do not advocate that they be treated as such.

Having said that, what I am suggesting is that elders need to be certain that they place the proper value on their ministers and appreciate their role within the body. Your ministers are your most visible representatives to the congregation and the public on a day in and day out basis. They have their feet on the street and know the pulse of the congregation (maybe from a different perspective from what the elders might see).

Acknowledge their value and role as a leader in the congregation. Value their input. And while yes, you are their “boss,” treat them like a partner who works with you to help people grow closer to the Father.

When ministers do not perceive that they are valued or that their input is not valued, they inevitably will start looking for a work where they can make a greater impact. Don’t let that happen to your congregation. Not when you do in fact value their contribution and would be sorry to see them go.

Also stop and take a look at your congregation’s website. From a leadership perspective, does it clearly convey that the elders are the leaders of the congregation? Does it help people get to know the elders and how to connect with them? Does it show that you value your relationship with the minister and value their efforts on your behalf?

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Testimonials

The process was well marketed and we were provided ample information to help explain the steps to the congregation.  The book that accompanied the information was very valuable and I referred to it often during the process.  As the search team ...
Bill Gaw - Search Committee Chariman, Waterford Church of Christ
The Minister Match team was very professional. The entire process was very transparent. It was structured and organized, which made it a whole lot easier. I felt that the team also had a genuine concern for the Lord's church and His ministers. ...
Joshua Duboise - Family Minister, Mesa Church of Christ
I was grateful for the guidance of Minister Match through the complex and time-intensive search process. John was responsive, supportive and knowledgable. Communication was excellent and flexible around my availability as a volunteer search ...
Brandon Clark - Youth Minister Search Committee Chairman, Mesa Church of Christ
I strongly encourage ministers to take advantage of the expertise of the folks at Minister Match to help put together a high quality resume. They will help you identify strong points you didn't even know you have! I am extremely satisfied with the ...
Joel Shelton - Commerce Church of Christ
I was so happy when Minister Match reached out to me about a potential job. I consider Minister Match an answer to my prayers.
Clay Tidwell
I think that because of the format that was there and the process that we followed, it made us stand out to our quality group of finalists who had other lines in the water looking for opportunities. When it came time to offer our finalist the ...
Joel Shelton - Search Committee Chairman, Commerce Church of Christ
Our Search Committee is so grateful that we used Minister Match when we needed to hire our new Youth Minister. Minister Match assisted us in recruiting many serious candidates (over 30) that fit what our congregation was looking for. The ...
Jorge Acebo - Search Committee Chairman, Sunset Church of Christ
Minister Match helped us hire a new minister in half the time we took for our previous hire.  We used the Minister Match process which helped us build a consensus of what we wanted.  Minister Match's network then helped us to build an ...
Tom Long - Search Committee Chairman, South Fork Church of Christ
We would not have been exposed to the large number of qualified candidates without the resources and expertise of Minister Match.  The search process was very organized and accomplished very efficiently with the program and schedule provided by ...
Ken Fox - Elder, Mesa Church of Christ
Minister Match did an excellent job connecting me with a congregation that I would not have known about otherwise.  Don Viar did an excellent job representing my concerns to the search committee and did an excellent job communicating their concerns ...
Drew Baker - Preaching Minister, South Fork Church of Christ

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410 South Lowe Avenue
Cookeville, TN 38501

ABC Blocks

Your congregation has just hired a minister, and it seems like they are the perfect fit. Congratulations! There is one more step to the process, though, and it is just as important as the process of finding the right minister. You might have heard people refer to how the “first hundred days” of someone’s job usually sets the tone for their entire career with that organization. The same is true with ministers. Just as your congregation is going through a major transition, so is your new minister. The first few months of a job are a stressful time, and it is the job of the elders and search committee to help your new minister through their transition.

We refer to this as the “On-Boarding Stage.” Since the “first hundred days” is so important to the rest of a minister’s career with your congregation, we believe this stage is one of the keys to reducing minister turnover in the church. In this post, we want to talk about a few of the things that a new minister needs from their congregation during this transition period. We will refer to them as the ABC’s of the On-Boarding Phase.