Easing the Load

How job-sharing can work from the top down

by Robert Welch

Mary recently took a job as office clerk at her church. The church was growing and needed help in the church office to input data and do secretarial work.

But Mary didn't want to work full-time. Her husband, Jim, is a traveling salesman, and at times Mary accompanies him on trips throughout the Midwest. Occasionally she also likes to take time off to take her grandchildren on outings.

So Mary worked out an arrangement with another woman to share the church job. Both work half-time on a regular basis. But when one needs time off, the other fills in so the job continues uninterrupted.

Think It Through
Job-share arrangements such as this are common in the church today. Ushers, greeters, choir members, orchestra players, preschool teachers, and Bible study leaders pool their talents, filling in for each other when necessary. Even at the seminary where I teach, professors work as a team, relying on the professional skills of each other and filling in when someone on the team isn't available.

Job-sharing works for the church, yet the church has all too often made use of such arrangements without thinking through their administrative and legal implications. If you're spreading full-time work around to save money on salaries and benefits, for example, perhaps it's time to take a closer, more honest look at job-share arrangements.

Why Job-Sharing Works
No question about it, there are many advantages for both employer and employee in job-sharing:

• A larger number of individuals become involved, providing opportunity for a broader use of the gifts of church members or employees.
• When someone chooses to take time off or gets sick, qualified substitutes can fill the void.
• No one individual feels responsible for the entire workload. It's more comfortable feeling part of a ministry group.
• Job-sharing offers people the opportunity to pool different skills and abilities that no one individual may possess.
• Job-sharing develops individuals for greater responsibilities and potential leadership positions.
• Job-sharing allows flexibility in scheduling to accommodate the different times that individuals are available to work.

Job-sharing can work in many areas of church work, but how well does it work with ministry positions? Can you have two ministers of music, a team of youth pastors, a true copastorate?

The list goes on. Could a worship leader and choir director split one job? Could two worship leaders share the work of planning services? Could a teaching pastor conduct the liturgy on Sunday morning and another pastor take charge of parish duties during the week?

The answer to these questions is yes. It's also "it depends."

How to Make Copastorates Work
Jerry Vines and Homer Lindsey have been copastors for many years at First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, Florida, one of the largest churches in the nation. They say their arrangement works because it's based on teamwork. And teamwork most often works when it includes these principles of management:

Adequate supervision. Regardless of how many people are on a team, each should be responsible to someone for the work he or she does. A designated administrator should assign, administer, and evaluate the work done by copastors, administrative assistants, or Sunday school teachers.

A clear job description. Even if two or more people share the same position, the job description should say specifically what must be accomplished. It's easier to do a job if you know exactly what's expected.

A list of qualifications required. One of the greatest errors in writing a job description is failing to describe what qualifications are needed to complete a job. Stating such requirements becomes even more important if two or more individuals are expected to do the same work. Dissimilar skills in various team members will result in unequal work distribution and accomplishment. Ultimately, this will lead to poor work performance.

Equitable wages and benefits. While most churches are not regulated by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, they might be wise to heed EEOC rules for employing and paying people. If a church employee works enough hours to merit protection under the EEOC nonexempt guidance for salary and benefits, for example, a church should offer wages and benefits accordingly. Other laws that apply to church employees are the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the Internal Revenue Service's Flex Plan, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

An excellent guide to this aspect of personnel management is The Church Guide to Employment Law, written by Julie Bloss and published by Church Ministry Resources, P.O. Box 1098, Matthews, NC 28106 (704-841-8066). The main point is that salary and benefits for the same work should be equal. If pay does vary, the difference should be based on tenure, merit, or additional responsibilities that are not included in the description of the job that two or more individuals are asked to share.

A good desk manual. A desk manual is like a recipe book; it describes in detail what ingredients are necessary and how they must be combined to get a job done. The manual should describe the day-to-day activities as well as infrequent tasks of a position. If two people are doing one job, the manual should describe the activities of each person. A manual helps ensure consistent job performance. It's a great operations guide for job performance as well as an excellent training tool for new employees.

A positive team spirit. People on good ministry teams support one another. They foster respect for each other's contributions, thereby discouraging competition, jealousy, and pride. They blend with each other, taking up the slack for each other when needed. And they work through conflict or differences in a constructive manner that builds team spirit.

Heed the Rules
Job-sharing can be a great benefit to the church. It can also be a great convenience for employees. But administrators who think their churches can save the cost of benefits by hiring two part-timers rather than one full-timer should do a bit more study to make sure they aren't violating state or federal guides on employment. They should also question whether they're doing what's really best for employees.

A church may find it easier to employ qualified individuals if it offers time-share and work-share options. It can hire several part-timers to share one job, or hire part-timers to supplement the work of full-time employees. With the right guidelines, work-share programs are an innovative way to accomplish the mission of the church.

Bob Welch is associate professor of administration and associate dean for advanced studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Your Church. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail yceditor@yourchurch.net.
May/June 1998, Vol.44, No. 3, Page 66

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