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Whether to hire a member of your congregation or someone from outside to work in the church office is a dilemma for any pastor or board. But it doesn't have to be a snare, says Bill Hossler, former pastor of the 800-member Colonial Woods Missionary Church in Port Huron, Michigan, and now vice president of the Missionary Church denomination. "As long as you hire based on sound principles, the outcome should be favorable," Hossler says.

Experience has taught Hossler that church members can work out better in the office than nonchurch members. "What I've found is that members have a vested interest in the church, are more available, and are more known to the church," he says. In other words, selecting a church member increases your chances of hiring a known commodity.

Carl Baker, a pastor at Flagstaff (Arizona) Church of the Nazarene, agrees. "The church members we've hired tend to have a longer tenure. They see the position as a calling rather than just a job," he says. He warns that it would be wise to consider the prospective employee's history with the church before hiring, however. "If someone has had difficulty with other members, you're probably better off not hiring him or her," he says. "Not everyone will agree with an inside hire."

The key to success in hiring from within is establishing upfront a clear understanding of staff expectations, Hossler says. For example, if any confidences are broken, that is grounds for dismissal. "Also, I tell prospective staff members that they will see all the warts that Christians have," he says. "If they can't accept that, they should not accept a church position."

Hiring a member of your congregation can alleviate many potential problems in the hiring process, especially if you already know the person and have insight into his or her gifts, demeanor, spiritual maturity, and ability to maintain confidences and avoid gossip. On the other hand, if you hire someone for the wrong reasons and it later becomes apparent that he or she has in sufficient job skills, the entire congregation could become em broiled in the situation.

A pastor in the upper Midwest learned a hard lesson about choosing a person based on needs rather than qualifications when he hired a church member to work in the office. The woman was not qualified for the position. She struggled with the computer and was overwhelmed by the workflow. She was often late, and when she missed work she expected to be excused because she had problems at home.

When the pastor confronted the woman about her performance, she complained to others in the church that she was being unfairly treated. When she was fired, she caused a major stir. The pastor felt constrained by propriety from sharing his perspective on the situation.

In another case, a large church hired a music minister from among its members. The man had definite ideas about altering the church's worship style and thought he had been given a free hand to make changes as he saw fit. When other members began to complain about song selection, the choice of soloists, and other elements of the new worship style, the music minister took the criticism personally.

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