It seems that nothing captivates my imagination more on the YS forums than a good discussion about work conditions. The latest things I’ve gotten into have to do with salaries and leaving. Here is my post from the “how to leave a church” thread.
Here are some themes that come up time and again here. What do I do when I am asked to resign? Tell the truth. We’ve heard many horror stories about people being asked to “mask the reason they are leaving” as if it were their idea to quit. No one should sell themselves out. If you’re fired… Accept the offer to resign but make it clear who initiated it in your letter. If it’s mutual… Fine. If you initiated it… Fine. Just be honest about it. Should I ask for severance? Yes. If you are being asked to leave or are fired for something other than moral failure… Compensation is normal. Do I get to keep ____? Only if it was purchased from your pay package or were directly told you can have it. (Book allowance, software, etc.)Should I run an event/contact students after my departure? The rule of thumb is “once you leave, leave for good.” Hand off all projects and sever regular ties with students. Don’t be rude… But you need to get out of these relationships. Should I worship elsewhere? Yes. Should I leave town? If you aren’t from the area… Leave as soon as is appropriate. Am I done in youth ministry? Only if you’ve really screwed up. Getting fired isn’t the end of the world. In fact, some churches might think you’ve learned a thing or two by getting canned. Chin up… Life will continue. Should I be the whistle blower? No. Surrender it to God. If you’ve done this for a while… You will get stabbed in the back. You will get hurt. There will be times that injustice will be heaped on top of you. You will be vilified after you leave. This is a good time to ask yourself “who do I work for anyway?”Should my departure be about me? As was posted so well before. The one thing that will be remembered about you is how you left. If you leave a classy ministry in a tasteless way… You will be remembered as tasteless. But even if you are canned for doing something really stupid and you leave in a very classy, complementary and encouraging way… You will leave that ministry with a lot of dignity. Who can I turn to? There are some refuges in this world. If you don’t have one… Get one before it happens to you. If you’ve been brought somewhere away from home you must keep in mind that you may need to escape. Have a plan. Where will you go? Who will you live with? How will you get there? Where will the money come from? What are the questions I need to ask? On and on and on. Take the time now to have an exit strategy! Start by asking yourself these three questions:- If I were to get fired now, how could I make my departure bring glory to God?- If I were to get fired now, who would I need to talk to first?- If I were to get fired now, how could I protect my family?OK? I hope this clears up some of the basic things that have been talked about over the last few months.
10 bucks says all of this comes back up within the next 2 weeks. The beginning of the fall is one of the highest stress times for a youth pastor. New stuff is beginning and therefore needs to be promoted. Expectations are usually very high. Couple that with the reality that fall isn’t the best time of the year for ministry and you have a recipe for disaster. The only more stressful time of the year for a youth pastor is late spring as churches get a little loopy and a lot of people tend to get canned.
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