I have a mentor who used to be a pastor and later became a top executive with two different denominations.
When he was a pastor, he used to tell his staff, “Remember: our jobs could all be gone overnight.”
If someone had told me that before I trained to become a pastor, maybe I would have redoubled my efforts to become a math teacher.
Because from a distance, being a pastor seems like a pretty secure position.
But upon further scrutiny, the truth leans in the opposite direction: most pastors are, in the words of a pastor friend, bound to their churches by a one day contract … revocable anytime.
There are three common scenarios along this line:
First, the pastor disqualifies himself from ministry by committing a major offense.
If a pastor commits even a single act of sexual immorality, and it becomes known to the official board, that pastor will almost always be fired or asked to resign.
If a pastor commits a felonious criminal act, like grand larceny, or fraud, or assault, that could end his ministry as well.
If a pastor struggles with an ongoing sin … such as the megachurch pastor on the East Coast who resigned last Sunday because of a problem with alcohol … that can finish someone’s ministry in a particular congregation as well.
And if a pastor preaches heresy … like the pastor I heard about who started preaching universalism (the view that everybody will be saved and enter heaven in the end) … that can either get him fired or cause his church to empty out.
Most church boards are composed of spiritual individuals who know that their pastor is human and that he can get angry … suffer from depression … become exhausted … and even struggle with family issues … and yet still be a man of God who can be an effective and productive shepherd.
But when a pastor commits a major offense … and it’s discovered … he will usually either offer his resignation or be summarily dismissed.
Second, the pastor might be fired either after a worship service or during a regular/special board meeting.
I once knew a pastor who presided over a church that was growing like crazy … but he had been at the church less than two years when he was fired by the official board.
The pastor went to a regular board meeting. The elder who had his back was away on a trip. Knowing this, the other elders decided this was the time for them to make their move.
When the pastor came to the meeting, someone pushed a pre-typed resignation letter over to him.
The pastor was so shocked that he stared at it for 45 minutes.
The letter stated, in part, that he had to resign … clear out his office … turn in his keys … and cut off all contact with the people of the church.
And he would not be entitled to a final sermon or any goodbye party.
His offense?
He did things differently than the previous pastor … even though the church was doing very well.
Sometimes the signs of discontent among board members are there, but the pastor misses them.
And when they finally fire him, the pastor is genuinely shocked by their ambush.
But sometimes, the board makes a decision behind the scenes … often pushed by one of the board members, who is out for revenge … and the pastor becomes ecclesiastical toast.
Third, the pastor might be given a choice: either resign now and receive a token severance agreement, or be fired without any severance.
If the pastor is guilty of sexual immorality or criminal behavior and the board just discovered his sin, I can understand this scenario.
And if the pastor was asked to deal with an issue like alcohol abuse but he hasn’t made any progress … or refuses to change … then I can understand the church board saying, “We’ve done all we can, so we have to ask for your resignation.”
But much of the time, the board never says a word to the pastor about anything he’s done wrong … he comes to a meeting … and the board gives him this ultimatum: quit right now and we’ll pay you to leave … but if you refuse, we will fire you and you will receive nothing.
There’s a variation on this: one or two board members take the pastor out to eat or meet him in his office at church and throw down the same ultimatum.
One pastor told me that when the board asked him for his resignation, he gave it to them on the spot, walked away, and left the area as quickly as he could.
That’s one way of handling things.
But many pastors will want to know things like:
*What have I done wrong?
*Why haven’t you talked with me about this sooner?
*Why are you doing this now?
*What are you going to tell the congregation about my leaving?
*Who is really behind this power play?
The pastor can try and talk with the board about questions like these … and I think he should … because the more the pastor understands the board’s thinking, the more quickly he can heal down the road.
If the board has prepared a severance agreement they want the pastor to sign on the spot, the pastor should tell the board, “I cannot sign this agreement unless I first have it reviewed by an attorney. I will try and get back to you within a few days.”
But there’s something else the pastor can do: stand up in the meeting … walk toward the door … and tell the board, “You’ll be hearing from me soon” … and quickly leave the building.
When I went through my conflict nearly seven years ago, a church consultant asked me if our church bylaws specified a way to vote the board members out of office.
Since the bylaws didn’t envision that possibility, there wasn’t any mechanism in place for removing the board.
In my situation, I wouldn’t have done that because the board members were all duly elected by the congregation.
If a pastor is asked to resign on the spot, the best move he can make is to tell the board, “I need a few days to think and pray about this. Can I gave you an answer by Saturday?”
If the board agrees to this scenario, the pastor should assure the board that (a) he may consult with a few people from the church, but (b) he will not lead a counterattack against the board.
But many church boards don’t allow for the pastor to take a few days to make his decision because (a) they want him to leave right away; (b) they’ve already lined up somebody to speak the following Sunday; (c) they’re afraid the pastor will lead a counterattack if they give him any rope at all.
Some pastors in megachurches and larger churches sign a contract before they become the pastor. The contract spells out the various scenarios up front.
But most small church and medium-sized church pastors don’t sign such contracts and so are open to being railroaded right out of their positions.
Before Jesus went to the cross, He knew what was coming … and knew He would rise again.
Before most pastors are asked to leave, they are blindsided … and wonder if they’ll ever pastor again.
If you’re a church board member … your pastor has not committed a major offense … but you think he should leave: it’s better for the board if the pastor leaves immediately, but if he does, it may very well kill his church career … for good.
So before you make a major decision that you can’t take back, search Scripture … pray it through … consult with several church consultants/interventionists … and rid your board of every desire to exact revenge on your pastor.
And be very careful … because in a real sense … your life and your job are bound by single day contracts as well.
This is hidden from those of us in the pews. If I see this happen I will start asking questions. What a horrific act to perpetrate on a pastor. Sadly it is a sign of the times. Our culture functions by blindsides rather than doing what the Bible says to do ie take the issue immediately to the person in question. The Apostles rebuked each other they didnt bump each other off. Thank you for sharing your experiences openly.
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Dianne,
Thanks so much from your comment. You are right … blindsiding a pastor and forcing him out IS hidden from the people in the pews … intentionally. Sometimes this is because the pastor did something so horrific that the board feels that if they revealed it, people would leave in droves. Imagine a church where the pastor tolerated a staff member abusing kids … or a church where a pastor slept around with multiple women.
But most of the time, when a pastor is forced out, it’s because the official board is trying to control the pastor, and the pastor resists that control. It’s 6 1/2 times more likely that a pastor is forced out by a faction in the church … including the church board … than that the pastor was guilty of any misconduct.
I wrote a book about my experience at a church where I served for 10 1/2 years. The book is called Church Coup and is on Amazon if you’re interested.
The primary question to ask a church board member if you ever see this happen is this one: “What process did you use to terminate the pastor?” They should be able to give it to you in written form. If they can’t, then they may very well have made the process up … starting with the end in mind (get rid of the pastor) and then creating a process to make sure that happens.
Jim
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Hi thanks for writing this really insightful post. I was wondering if you could do an opinion piece of the recent news of the first openly lesbian bishop being elected into congregation. What are your views?
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Greetings,
While I’m aware of the election a few days ago, that’s not really connected to what I’m doing. My interest is local church conflict and pastoral termination and there’s plenty to cover in that field.
Thanks so much for reading!
Jim
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