Friday, May 16, 2014

Part-Time Miracle Worker

I've always thought that part-time church work should mean part-time presence (every other Sunday). Any church staff (youth, secretary, children, pastor, etc.) should be able to find another comparable job at a second church for part-time. I realize that's not terribly realistic for a lot of churches, but the idea should at least be raised as a way of managing expectations. 

There is a church in my Presbytery looking for a part-time miracle worker. This person would have as much or more responsibility than the pastor at the 450 member congregation I serve, with one-quarter the pay. Ministers aren't in their line of work for the money, but earning a living would be appropriate. If a part-time work-load is such that a church worker cannot reasonably take on a similar part-time job without completely wiping them out, then the expectations are irresponsible. 

What do you think?