Ministry Staff
July 1, 1999
I began to absorb the impact of my decision the night I called a meeting of small group leaders. I had stepped from the senior pastorate of a modest New England congregation into a staff position at a mega-church. My responsibilities were substantial: small group development, adult education, and an emerging counseling department. With two graduate degrees and a decent track record, my gut said I was ready for the demanding pace. What I was not prepared for was the impact of that gathering of small group leaders—all three of them.
My early years as a staff person were met by more than a few disappointments. In my previous setting, the flock generally responded to my leadership; here my voice seemed a cry in the wilderness. I eventually reconciled myself to the reality that I no longer called the shots. My place in the hierarchy did not translate into influence. Without direct involvement with the board and regular access to the pulpit, I felt bound and gagged. Despair set in.
And there were the daily offenses. Regular attenders graciously asked my name—after I had been there six months. I learned about board decisions through the grapevine. Similar frustrations among the staff elicited a "scratch and claw" mentality for resources and visibility. I was stuck in my Dilbertesque cubicle feeling that I had made a fatal career move.
My marriage began to suffer. I said it was time to move. My wife and kids said "no!" So I vowed to stick it out, to make it work. At some point grace crept in, and I have learned to row skillfully. For me it required a few key strategies:
Pay now, play later. As senior pastor I experienced the "honeymoon." Influence was granted initially which later would have to be earned. As staff, influence ...
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