Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Though we often try to keep them separate, work life and personal life intermingle in any job. For the staff of a church this is especially tricky. The church is deeply personal for members of the community. It’s a community made up of relationships. For staff members, it’s something in between.  

In a church, like in any organization, there are program staff and administrative staff. One of the main tasks of program staff is developing and maintaining relationships. They teach and perform liturgy as well, of course, but it has always seemed to me that relationships are central part of ministry. The priests and youth ministers work to strengthen relationships within the community and between individuals and their faith and God. The administrative staff, on the other hand, is primarily task-oriented.

Of course, it’s not quite that simple. In my experience as a parish administrator and a receptionist my role in the community was often a confusing one. I did not attend services there (a the recommendation of the rectors for whom I worked), but I was still involved with the community. When I did go to an event or a service, I was often asked about service leaflets and pledge statements, which discouraged me from participating. Still, I was there every weekday, and got to know the parishioners. For many visitors I was a representative of the church. 

Where does the personal end and professional begin? How much can and should they be separated?

It seems to me that program staff are almost always acting in a professional capacity whenever they are interacting with the parishioners. It comes with a job in which relationships are central. For administrative staff, however, lines can be drawn to make the situation more easily navigable.

While it made it difficult to feel connected to the work I was doing, I think it was wise of my supervisors to recommend that I not attend services. Not only does it cause complications with payroll for hourly employees, but parishioners will also inevitably bring up typos in the leaflet or ask a question about their pledge statement. Better to separate them as much as possible.
Church leaders should also try and prepare their administrative staff for the interpersonal aspects of the job. Give them tools to deal with visitors and parishioners when they visit the office, of course, so that they can help maintain and develop relationships within the community.

In addition, keeping work within working hours as much as possible is a way of respecting the administrative staff’s time and role in the church, especially since most churches can’t afford to pay particularly well. Vestry members and church rectors should also talk openly and honestly with the administrative staff about their role in the community. It’s an ongoing conversation, and the best thing that church leaders can do is to be aware of the tension and be considerate.