1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Pastor evaluation, anyone?

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by piaairline, Apr 23, 2006.

  1. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2005
    Messages:
    7,051
    Likes Received:
    3
    Does your church do it this way?

    If it works for you all, great.
     
  2. Bro Tony

    Bro Tony New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2004
    Messages:
    2,398
    Likes Received:
    0
    I am wondering if these "senior members" would be willing also to let the pastor and the church staff evaluate their performance, their walk, and their commitment to the Lord and His church. I think not.

    As long as this church has this approach all they will ever get or deserve are hirelings and not a pastor.

    Bro Tony
     
  3. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2002
    Messages:
    9,469
    Likes Received:
    1,228
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Let me clear the air and say that I atttend one of those churches with a “deacon board”.
    Many of the deacons have been there for years, some for decades.
    Some of the pastors inadvertently (?) call the deacons “elders” at times.

    When we had a single pastor for a time, he recognized that accountability was an essential element for leadership. It minimizes blind spots.
    We were asked to evaluate him on a regular basis (the evaluations were not directed one way either).
    With additional pastoral staffing, the evaluations have waned a bit.

    We are working through the process of developing a new constitution.
    Accountability in leadership is a chief focus because we have observed ourselves and other local churches that have had difficulties in this area.

    Rob
     
  4. Bro Tony

    Bro Tony New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2004
    Messages:
    2,398
    Likes Received:
    0
    I see no problem with that approach Rob. I fully agree with leadership accountability. I cant agree with busy bodies trying to run the church and those who have no spiritual basis in evaluating anything trying to evaluate the pastor. Their only purpose is control and getting rid of the man.

    Bro Tony
     
  5. piaairline

    piaairline New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2005
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    0
    This is exactly what is going on...control, power, getting rid of the pastor! I could feel the heat as the words "resignation", "fired" linger around the mouth of the power-hungry "senior members".
     
  6. Hope of Glory

    Hope of Glory New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2005
    Messages:
    4,807
    Likes Received:
    0
    In most Baptist churches, the "elder" role is what they call "deacon" for whatever reason. It may not have been inadvertent.
     
  7. Brother Bob

    Brother Bob New Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2005
    Messages:
    12,723
    Likes Received:
    0
    I thought we were evaluated every day of our lives by the members of the church. If you are put in by the majority vote of all members and not a board. But by a board it would be different I suppose. I have seen times where they dragged members out of the woods to vote on a Pastor.
     
  8. KellyWhite

    KellyWhite New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2006
    Messages:
    49
    Likes Received:
    0
    My experience has been that when the congregation is not happy with the pastor, he gets the message and leaves of his own accord.

    A pastor evaluation in the form of a survey for the entire congregation would be a bit tacky.
     
  9. Brother Bob

    Brother Bob New Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2005
    Messages:
    12,723
    Likes Received:
    0
    How true;
    Don't take long for both parties to figure out where they stand I don't think. On the other hand there can be a lot of confusion when left up to the entire congregation for I have seen it happen and what a way to tear up a church in a hurry that takes years to put back together.
     
  10. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2005
    Messages:
    9,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    Welcome, Kelly. You are right and so is Brother Bob.

    I happen to be the chairman of our deacons (and we definitely don't consider ourselves a board--we are servants). Our deacons believe that our pastor doesn't work for us. How can we evaluate someone who is not responsible to us?

    At my church, our pastor is head of the staff. Two of our paid staff are also deacons. Figure that one out. The pastor has supervisory authority over two deacons. I'm one of them. Unusual, but it works.

    I'm also wondering how an evaluation process works in a church with a plurality of elders. Who evaluates whom? Do the elders evaluate each other.
     
  11. piaairline

    piaairline New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2005
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    0
    Since this is "unusual", does that mean most churches have the board over the pastor, and the pastor is "monitored" by the board?

    Thanks.
     
  12. bapmom

    bapmom New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2005
    Messages:
    3,091
    Likes Received:
    0
    pia,

    I think most do have the board over the pastor...but in most IFB churches it is as Tom Butler described. Don't know about others....Im not in others. [​IMG]
     
  13. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 23, 2002
    Messages:
    9,469
    Likes Received:
    1,228
    Faith:
    Baptist
    It gets a bit stickey once you add the requirements necessary for incorporation of a church.

    If there was a single pastor, then usually in the churchs' constitution, the deacons would be defined as the trustees of the church.

    If the deacons are named as trustees by the church constitution, then they hold the authority (and the legal responsibility) in the church (according to the law).
    By law the pastor is their employee :eek:
    .

    Of course, that's not the way it usually works out, but that is the way the courts see it. :rolleyes:

    Rob
     
  14. piaairline

    piaairline New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2005
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    0
    I can understand if the Board is in charge of logistic but I thought the pastor is the head of spiritual guidance. Does the Board get in the way of how the pastor behaves, talks, or give sermons?

    Thank you.
     
  15. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2005
    Messages:
    9,031
    Likes Received:
    2
    The situation I described in an earlier post, where the pastor has two deacons on the staff, is unique and I wouldn't recommend it. It so happens that both of us were already on the staff when the church elected us deacons. So the congregation went into this with its eyes wide open. To make it more interesting, one of the deacons is also the church clerk, and the other one (me) is chairman of the deacons. And it's been that way through three or four pastors.

    Both of us are intensely loyal to our pastor, and work hard to make sure that there is never any cause for him to be concerned about his back.

    Now you can understand why it would be almost impossible for us to participate in any evaluation process for the pastor.
     
  16. piaairline

    piaairline New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 12, 2005
    Messages:
    32
    Likes Received:
    0
    Should the pastor be evaluated for the way he speaks, preach, or behave? My pastor is strict and he's like bitter pill for many.
     
Loading...