Staff Organization

Staff organization is necessary to help ministers and employees within the local church remain competent, godly, and loyal. It should not bind them or burden the organization. if the leader expects competence from the staff, the staff has a right to a competent leader. Someone has to be in charge, and that person needs a clear picture of where the church is going and how to enable staff members to help get there. Almost all church staffs are divided according to program and support people. Program staff includes pastors and others who plan and implement church ministries, such as worship services, Christian education, and pastoral care. Support staff enables the program staff to get their jobs done by providing secretarial, custodial, and other technical help.

An ongoing debate concerning the organization of program staff is whether to organize by age (children, youth, adults) or by function (music, evangelism, pastoral care, discipleship). On paper, it is a stretch to make everyone fit into one category or the other. In real life, it is

impossible. The realistic solution is to allow some overlap. Local churches differ from each other in many ways: number and duties of the paid staff, variety of ministries and programs offered, and extent of lay participation in church functioning.Healthy church organization is not so much a matter of the particular formal structure chosen as it is a right process--the way in which the congregation carries on its activities.
A church is organized in a vigorous way when it is able to achieve its congregational goals in an effective manner.

Morbid organization exists when a church is unable to perform according to the vision God has given to its leaders. Churches unbalanced by too much organization are challenged by effectiveness: what things should be done. Unlike the under-organized church, the over-organized church can move efficiently in getting things done. Work is smoothly delegated, job descriptions are followed, and committees deliberate; however, leaders soon find themselves in a quandary over what the church ought to do. The delinquent comes from the key shortcoming of over-organization: inadequate congregational feedback. The very same mechanisms that organize church activities (committees, formal programs, job descriptions, employment of specialized staff, etc.) can also damage two-way communication between church leaders and

congregation.
In under-organized churches, leaders often are overwhelmed with miscellaneous administrative duties the church is not structured to efficiently provide for. In over-organized churches, leaders can become isolated from much of the congregation because of elaborate structure, specialized duties, and numerous committee responsibilities. Sequestration of leaders can all too easily produce a "we-know-what’s-best-for-you" mentality, as well-organized committees and task groups develop church policy with little input from the grass-roots membership level.