Please read these first few sentences before you look at the subheadings. I want to be clear about a few points.
First, some pastors are fired for moral failure. This article does not address that category of firing. Second, my article makes some church members the bad guys. I want to be clear that they are the exception and not the rule. Third, I realize that each firing has its unique characteristics. What you will read is a typical pattern, not a fixed sequence of events for every dismissal of a pastor.
This article reflects on seven phases of the firing of a pastor. I have worked with countless pastors who shared their stories with me. These phases are common in many of them. Also, I will use a recent conversation to provide a real narrative of a real pastor in a real church. I made some slight adjustments to protect the identities of the pastor and the church.
Phase 1: The Pastor Made a Decision a Power Broker Did Not Like.
This phase can begin with an individual or with a small group of members. It can be cumulative decisions or one decision. The church I’m using as my case study began with one person who had significant influence in the church. The pastor declined to recommend the power broker’s family member for the open worship minister position.
Phase 2: The Power Broker Forms a Negative Coalition Against the Pastor.
At this point, the pastor has no idea that the power broker is working against him. He is still unaware that any opposition is taking place. The power broker never meets with the pastor. Instead, he goes directly to the personnel committee of the church. It is a strategic move by the power broker. He has considerable influence over five of the seven members. The other two are weak and will not question the power broker. Also, the personnel committee acts as the pastor’s supervisor.
Phase 3: The Negative Coalition Gathers “Fake Facts” Against the Pastor.
The power broker never mentions the issue of his family member not being recommended for the worship minister position. Instead, he leads several of the members of the personnel committee to create a false narrative about the pastor. “He didn’t visit Jane in the hospital when she had surgery.” “He spoke rudely to Marion.” “He made some decisions where he did not have authority.” “People are saying that the pastor hardly ever works.” “People are saying that he is not friendly to anyone.” “People are saying that all the new members who have joined the church under his tenure are causing trouble.”
Phase 4: The Negative Coalition Asks to Meet with the Pastor.
The pastor is caught off guard by the requested and unscheduled meeting with the personnel committee. The pastor contacted me (Thom) to ask if he should be worried. I told him that I was concerned and that he should be prepared even though he couldn’t think of any reason why there would be a problem. The expressions and body language of the personnel committee immediately communicated a bad situation to the pastor when he came to the meeting, especially since he thought most of them were his friends.
Phase 5: The Negative Coalition Presents the Concerns to the Pastor and Asks for his Resignation.
All of the concerns were false and prefaced with these three cowardly words, “People are saying.” The pastor’s first thought is to fight the charges since he knows they are false, but the power broker makes a sinister comment without explanation, “If you do not resign, your family will suffer.” The pastor accepts the four months of offered severance and signs a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). The NDA clearly stipulates that if he says anything negative about the church, he will lose his severance.
Phase 6: The Pastor Announces his Resignation the following Sunday during the Worship Service.
The NDA prevented him from saying anything other than that the dismissal was not due to moral failure. The church is stunned. The absence of any explanation causes the rumor mill to create multiple false narratives.
Phase 7: No One Comes to the Pastor’s Defense.
This church is congregational in its polity. The personnel committee does not have the authority to fire a pastor without a congregational vote. Such is the reason the personnel committee demanded his resignation. Any member of the church could have met with the personnel committee and demanded transparency. But no one was willing to rock the boat. Pastors typically tell me that this phase is the most painful. One pastor called it “the sinful silence of the majority.”
In this particular case, the pastor was able to receive a call to another church just as the severance ran out. Most pastors are not that fortunate. A number of pastors never return to vocational ministry after such a traumatic event. The pastor and his family are traumatized.
In most cases, the church that fires the pastors suffers as well, sometimes for years. One member of the church noted in my story told me, “I will regret forever that I did not speak up. It took me a year to ask my former pastor for forgiveness. Since the evil event took place, it’s like a cloud of darkness is over our church. I wonder if it will ever go away.”
It is a sad story. It is a tragic story.
Sadly, it is a story that is much too common.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Posted on November 11, 2024
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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97 Comments
I would like to be able to re-post this post – verbatim, no changes – on my own site. I want to write a post regarding what I would hope that this pastor would do “next time.” Looking for your permission though…
This happened to me three times in ministry. The first time I was a youth pastor, A little green and had admittedly made some rookie mistakes. I realized those and resigned as part of the process. I went to another assistant pastor position and had a very good experience. I was then called to be the senior pastor of a small church. The first few years were fairly rough, but things smoothed out. Year 13 the church decided they wanted to go a different direction and asked for a vote of confidence. It went exactly the way you described in your article. I decided to submit my resignation and we left. The church I now am pastoring used a similar path to try to dismiss me. I tried everything I could to meet with those that were opposed to one of the decisions I made. I shared specifically how the decision I had made was biblically the only direction we should take, but they insisted on having a church vote. In the end, they did not have enough of a quorum to vote, so the whole bunch of them left and we stayed. We had a few rough years, including Covid, but by God‘s grace, we have come through that time, and are experiencing some moderate growth and people are being saved.
I am saddened that a few professing Christians can act, speak, and influence with what appears to be no fear of God. I fear the harvest of such actions in the lives of my grandchildren, if for no other reason.
We all know the why’s & why nots of this type scenario. As a member of the church, we should ask why a NDA was signed if the issue was not moral. Secondly, a statement from the personnel committee should be forthcoming with truth or lies verified. It is very troubling that some (few) professing Christians can act in such ways with no fear of God about how this can impact His glory, church, and even their own families. So sad.
I have never been fired by a church. On a couple occasions I came close. I’ve had several close friends go through being fired and I saw first hand the devastation it caused. Everything you have written is accurate.
My family and I were chastised by a church board for befriending a homeless man. We were told they did not want those kind of people coming to the church. – A meeting was called, and one woman said quote, “Pastor we know you and your wife like helping people, but that’s not the kind of church we want to be”. – She got a bunch of “Amens” – We resigned.
Wow. When we were helping homeless people, one of our church members said, “We’re a church, not a charity.” Whoa. I couldn’t be around these people any longer; Clearly, Jesus had left the building.
Our went through a similar dismissal, but the “board” did the nitpicking. The leadership team stayed silent & hubby humbly bowed out. The most painful ministry experience ever for our family. God was gracious & opened the door for full-ministry within the secerance period. We are grateful.
That is so painful. I am grateful you made it to the other side.
Not exactly how it played out for me, but close. I am now happily pastoring as a hospital chaplain.
Good for you, Tim.
A similar situation happened to me but the only difference is that the group of rebellious members sued me and a few of the deacons in court. They slandered me and ruined my reputation. They ultimately dismissed their lawsuit but the damage was done. My name and my ministry in the city was destroyed. The most difficult part was the fact that almost all the pastors in town who were friends of mine turned their back me. Ministry can be painful and lonely but God is able. I am getting better day by day with much prayer and therapy.
I am so sorry, DK. You discover your true friends in times like that. My prayers for continued healing.
Your blog on The Firing of a Pastor brought back harsh memories of a church we once belonged to. The first time a pastor was forced to leave, we were new in the church and did not know who the power broker was. The second time it happened, we were very aware of this person, but we were part of the newer members group “causing trouble.” The pastor was forced to resign and went to seminary. He ultimately graduated and had a successful pastoral ministry and is now a missionary. His replacement however was not so fortunate. Within a short time after the new pastor’s arrival, the power broker started stirring up things. This time I was well aware of what he was doing and had done. We proceeded to bring church discipline on him. That seemed to work for a while, especially knowing that people were on to his methods. We ended up leaving the church to start a youth ministry at another church. We heard that the power broker later left as well.
You bring up a good point, Mark. These power brokers often leave one church to inflict damage on another.
Just lived through this. Uncanny how accurate this is.
I am so sorry, Dustin. And I am sorry that is indeed an accurate pattern.