4 Keys to the Long Tenure of our Staff

Written by Dennis Watson

I believe lengthy tenure builds a strong church.

• I am my church's only pastor for 21 years (it is my only church).
• Keith Turner is our only minister of education for over 18 years.
• Ken Helms is our only associate pastor for over 15 years.
• Steve Owens is our only full-time minister of music for over 13 years.

Here are Four Keys to the Long Tenure of our Staff:

Church Administration: Creating Efficiency for Effective Ministry

1. Daily Prayer and Devotions Keep us Close

• We meet each morning during the week for devotion and prayer.
• I anticipate hearing from each one.
• I listen to what is going on with them, their families, the ministries they oversee, and the positions they hold in the body.
• I ask for prayer requests, praises, and stories each morning.

2. A Player-Coach leadership style
As a child I learned to sing by listening to the person on either side of me and the person behind. This allowed us to blend our voices and be a choir. That word blend has stuck with me. I am not a soloist I am part of a team. It is my task not only to encourage people to be a part of the team, but also I am to be a part of the team.

3. Inter-dependence
The fabric of the clothing we wear is woven together. It is a collection of threads, which are interdependent. The threads cross each other in an over-and-under method that makes the garment whole. If the threads went in the same direction, you would only have a bunch of threads. I like to think of our church and especially our staff as fabric in a garment, woven together.

• Give your staff freedom to see things from different and even opposing points of view.
• Allow them to make a unique contribution.
• Let them express ideas and speak about their understanding of how the church’s vision and mission are carried out.

4. Cooperation
We work closely together so that the unique gifts, abilities, viewpoints, and experiences that each staff member brings can add up to what he or she believes to be God’s leading. After all, He placed each of us here just as He wanted us to be.

A few years ago I injured my knee in a softball game. The physical therapist said that I would do fine in the future because I had tight joints. As a connecting place, a tight joint keeps the parts close so nothing can divide them.

• The body of Christ is a collection of very tight joints. We are a tight staff.
• When we meet together, we are free to express ourselves and disagree.
• But when we come from behind those closed doors, we are one tight connection.
• We have an understanding that we will never enter into a discussion with someone else who could even appear to question another staff member.

Long tenure has provided strength - strength for the church, strength for the staff, and strength for each individual staff member.

From Pastor Dennis Watson of Harps Crossing Baptist in Fayetteville, Georgia. Adapted from a previously published article. Used by permission. See articles by the staff members below.