A congregation's paid staff are leaders, modelers, and tone-setters. Well-equipped, spirit-filled staff provide consistent, skilled, accountable leadership, which in turn builds capacity and ownership among the laity and allows congregations to thrive.

Wherever you may be in your process of hiring and supporting staff at this moment, exploring your vision and values is an important starting place for thinking about diversity.

Note: When checking references before calling or hiring a minister, please refer to The Settlement Handbook. Use the following reference check (as well as the background check) guidelines (previously presented as Responsible Staffing) when hiring professional religious leaders and staff, and when...

Use the following background check (as well as reference check) guidelines (previously presented as Responsible Staffing) when hiring professional religious leaders and staff, and when recruiting volunteers whose work will put them in close contact with children and persons in vulnerable...

Personnel Committees operate like Human Resources departments in that they don't hire, manage or supervise staff. Instead they advise on best practices.

As an employer, the congregation is subject to federal, state, and local employment laws. Keep your congregation in compliance to avoid fines or other penalties.

Attract great staff and hire confidently with the assistance of these resources.

The interdependence of our faith communities is integral to our polity (as is our independence). This is what makes us an Association of congregations. What can this interrelationship look like when it comes to congregational staff? Here are a few examples: Newly hired staff are welcomed and...

Once the salary and benefits are set by the appropriate church leadership based on recommended practices, it’s important to make sure the payroll is handled accurately and confidentially. Because of the complicated nature of payroll, and especially when it comes to ministers’ salary, housing and...

Adding a worship service inevitably means more work for the congregation’s staff, both professional and support. The leaders of worship and religious education must not only repeat the service, create a separate special focus, and oversee another religious education program but also do more...

Series on Staffing for Diversity This series of articles originally appeared in the August 2017 through January 2018 editions of Compensation and Staffing News, a monthly Office of Church Staff Finances publication. Staffing for Diversity, Part I: Vision and Values - An Important Place to Start...

When an employee's wages change, it affects Life and Long-Term Disability insurance premiums (and benefit payouts) as well as Retirement Plan contributions. Do any of your staff have new hours or salaries (salary + housing for ministers)? If they are on our Life or LTD Plans, use the form on our...

When a congregation is in search for a new professional staff member to fill a key and important role in the congregation, whether it is that of a custodian or that of a membership director, an important consideration is how well potential applicants understand and have personal values that are...

One of the keys to a healthy congregational staff team is that they understand themselves as a team....

One of the most common sources of tension in a congregation where conflict occurs that involves governing boards is the relationship between governing boards and the congregation’s professional staff, including the minister.  I have found that much of this conflict arises from the...

You’ve probably heard that there are special tax rules for ministers. Most church leaders don’t need to be experts on ministerial compensation, but it’s important to understand the basics of how payroll and taxes for the minister differ from other employees. Our Ministerial Compensation...

a. Our Values, Our Staff b. Compensation Guidelines c. The Unique Finances of Your Minister d. Personnel Policies and Best Practices

These 2 videos (about 20 minutes each) were created especially for those who are new to staff team leadership and supervision.

Balancing transparency and confidentiality can be challenging for congregational board members, staff, and other leaders who have access to sensitive information. Healthy, vibrant systems need as much open communication as possible. White Supremacy Culture sometimes uses "the need for...