Nearly eight years ago, I was called to Saint Michael as the “Senior Pastor”, which is interesting because I’ve been the only called pastor during that time. I have however, crossed into the “55 and older” category, so maybe there is a discount on church supplies I’ve been missing!
Of course, the position title meant that at some point we might return to having more than one pastor, which was the case for the majority of the congregation’s history but changed in 2013.
According to the records in the extensive “staffing” file I inherited (and from accounts I’ve heard), an evaluation of the congregation’s staffing needs led to a switch from the two-pastor model to a “one pastor + staff” model. In addition to music staff already in place, the following positions were then added at that time:
- Full time: Director of Youth and Family Ministry
- Part time: Parish Activities Coordinator, Communications Coordinator, Office Administrative Assistant, Visitation Pastor on a contract basis, Adult Education Specialist, and the use of guest preachers 12-16 times throughout the year. (Which I didn’t realize until my second year!)
Since that time, we have made a few changes in personnel and responsibilities, most notably in the area of visitation where a whole team of congregational members now engage in our Care Ministry under staff direction. We also added the pastoral internship program.
However, staffing the Youth and Family Ministry position has been difficult. In my time at SMLC, we have cycled through two staff people plus experienced two full years of transition. Many congregations have similar experiences, with specialized youth ministry positions open for long periods of time with very few applicants. In an area where continuity is important, youth ministry has a very high turnover rate, with the average stay being less than two years.
In our latest search, we sought applications from colleges, seminaries, and youth ministry networks. We broadened that to include the local community and congregation. In the end we had three applicants to interview, one of whom withdrew from the process and another who not able to accept the position. Aside from any applicant or person involved, it was then that both the selection committee and the council began to ask if we might need to examine the staffing model at a more fundamental level.
At our last annual meeting we sought input from the congregation about how to staff the youth ministry position. The responses, as I reported then, were evenly split between three options:
- Search for and hire a youth worker with a specialized skill set in youth ministry.
- Identify and train someone from our congregation to lead youth ministry.
- Call an additional pastor not as “the youth pastor” but to empower discipleship for the whole church, including volunteers who will work with youth and young adults.
The case can be made that options 2 and 3 are connected since identifying and training others is part of a pastoral call. This suggests there is strong support for some type of additional pastoral leadership within the congregation. The case can also be made that during this past year of transition, the youth program has greatly benefitted from the involvement and faithfulness of a number of adult volunteers. Participation on Sunday morning forum is better than it has been for years, and the youth who participate feel a real ownership in the program. Finding ways to build on that involvement, instead of replacing it with a specialized staff person, feels like the way the Spirit is leading.
I know there are challenges to calling a second pastor and I will get to those in a minute. However, let’s consider first the possible benefits it would bring. Here are a few of them from my perspective and from conversations I’ve had with leadership:
- It will spread the “pastoral load” across more than one person. Even with the contributions of our excellent staff, a congregation the size of Saint Michael could easily burn out a pastor. I’m not saying I’m in that position right now, but I don’t think we can avoid that potential.
- It provides opportunity for pastoral presence in all areas of ministry. Right now, the time given to specific ministry areas by the “one-pastor model” might only be administrative. A second pastor would enable more personal connections across all areas of ministry, including youth ministry.
- It brings the possibility of diversity to the role of pastor. Whether that diversity is in the form of experience, perspective, gender, race, culture or whatever, the whole congregation benefits from having more than one leadership voice. We have experienced this already through the internship program.
- It leverages the substantial gifts of congregational members. The word “laity” comes from the Greek word “laos”, which means “people”. Pastors are called to empower, enable, and lead the people in doing the work of ministry as the body of Christ, not to do all the work alone. An additional pastor can be a great benefit in equipping more members to follow their own calling from the Holy Spirit.
- It would enable ministry that is currently not happening. This might be one of the biggest potential benefits. A second pastor not only helps the current pastor but indeed all of the staff and members to consider what new possibilities await instead of simply making it through day to day and week to week. For the long term health and growth of a congregation, this aspect is essential.
- Pastors statistically stay in a call much longer than a youth minister. That continuity is important and it has nothing to do with the person involved but rather with the structure, opportunities and expectations of the position.
Ok, but isn’t it also hard to call a pastor…and can we even afford it?
These are challenges we also must consider. It is true that there is a shortage of pastoral leaders and that has been one of the main reasons I have invested myself in our current staffing model. I felt that to call another pastor might be to deny some other congregation from having even one. Most of those congregations are in rural areas and as you know, that is close to my heart.
However, over the past seven years, SMLC has had one called pastor yet two youth ministers plus two full years of vacancy and transition. We have had to do the hard work of covering shortages and finding ways to keep ministry going. In other words, we have lived in the experience of the church as a whole instead of being somehow removed from it. So I no longer feel that calling a second pastor takes something away from someone else. In fact, it may enable us to share ministry leadership with others, particularly through the internship program. If we did not have to rely so heavily on our interns to fill ministry gaps that we have, they would be more available to experience other contexts and fill in at congregations that have vacancies.
There is certainly a process to follow when calling a pastor that is different from hiring a youth minister. The whole congregation must vote to call a pastor, not simply the leadership. Having the conversation that might lead to that vote is what the council is encouraging the congregation to have. As we lead up to November 19, more information will be available to aid in those conversations.
Now what about the budget? It’s an important question, but I also believe that when a ministry need is identified and fully owned by a congregation, the funding inevitably follows. However, in our case there are good reasons to believe we already have the capacity to call a second pastor while also maintaining the internship program.
The first reason is surprisingly our mortgage, or rather its lessening impact on our budget. In 2016, when I called to SMLC, we were spending $102,000 on annual interest and principal payments. This year it was only $69,000. Through generous giving and discipline, we cut our debt by half and locked in an extremely low interest rate. In addition, we have paid for every building project with cash on hand and have a good balance in the bank to help with upcoming “building longevity” projects. All of that has created a strong overall financial situation.
The second reason is the generosity of this congregation. When combined with the staff vacancy over the past year, a substantial surplus has built up in the general fund that can help us cover any shortfall from a staffing change, should it occur. The council has discussed various options which might look something like this:
A first call pastor’s compensation is not all that different from the Deacon’s position already in the budget, which we could most likely cover with our historic giving patterns.
A pastor with more experience would require more compensation than what is currently budgeted. However, using the surplus we have right now, an amount could be set aside that would cover the difference for something like 3-5 years. This would mean that everything staying the same, there would be little financial risk to calling a second pastor during that time.
But what about after that? Well, 3-5 years seems “long-term” at this point in world! But even if our giving patterns do not adapt to having two pastors, we have options. The internship program, as loved as it is, could always be shared with another congregation or even dropped if absolutely necessary. Other sharing arrangements with pastoral staff might also be possible. It is hard to predict that far out in a world that is changing by the minute. However, we always have the capacity to step forward and follow God’s will, whatever that may be.
Ok, this has gotten very long by this point! Hopefully I’ve done enough to answer a few questions and generate a few more. We need to talk about this together and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us in the right way ahead. I know that council leadership and members join me in welcoming your conversation with us. Let us pray together for both wisdom and courage.
P. Tim