Many pastors complain of strained staff relationships. What makes a successful pastoral staff? Sharon Sterrenburg enjoyed a positive staff situation at Whittier Hills Baptist Church in California for six years. She writes this open letter to Pastor Dan Blied not only to thank him for his leadership, but to suggest why his staff relationships have been so productive.
Dear Dan,
Ten years ago, you asked me to come on church staff as women’s coordinator. It was a growing, enriching experience. Why? I’d like to say it was due to the person you chose for the job, but I have to be honest! It was because of good leadership-yours and the board’s.
A while back, I was telling a class at Talbot Seminary about my time at Whittier Hills, and one of the students asked, “What made it a good working relationship? Give us details so we’ll know how to do it right.” After I tried to do so, one asked, “Have you shared this with the leaders and thanked them?” Ouch! I admitted I hadn’t.
This letter, then, is an attempt to do just that. I want to explain not only what you did right, but also to say, “Thank you.”
I had a well-defined job. As I began work, I was handed a job description: I was to enhance the ability of other women to minister to women, give counsel to individual women, and minister the Word to various groups of women in the church. It was specific enough to tell me what the church expected and general enough to let me be creative.
I had good resources from the start. Women from the church had come to the board asking for help, and you responded by incorporating women’s ministries as a vital part of the church’s vision. On my first day of work, I was given an office, secretarial help, and access to all the resources accorded other staff. I’ll never forget the first visit from one of our women. She looked around the office and exclaimed, “Sharon, the church is serious about this ministry, aren’t they!”
You also were generous with your library and ideas; you stocked my filing system! I got a copy of anything you thought would be of help to my ministry. I’m sure the finance committee is still wondering how a copying machine could wear out so fast.
I had a team. I not only had a team of women to work with, but also a staff team. I relished each weekly meeting where together we knocked around ideas and tried to coordinate a cohesive program. The diversity of the group-church administrator, pastor of family ministries, pastor of care, two youth pastors, and you, the senior pastor-was stimulating, and group prayer strengthening.
I had regular encouragement. You frequently visited my office to check on things. You showed interest in each of my programs. And you answered my questions. I remember how I would return from lunch and often find four or five books on my desk, with a card marking the place where I would find information about the question I had asked that morning. Each of the staff learned to be careful what we asked, since you took us seriously!
I had someone who believed in me. The way you listened showed that. The staff talked about this once, and we all agreed-instead of looking at us, you seemed to be looking with wonder at what God was doing in us. Soon, we too were looking for God in our lives rather than at ourselves
Also, I’ll never forget the time I asked you which Bible study guide to use for an upcoming study on Matthew. You answered, “Write your own.” And you didn’t leave me hanging; four commentaries on Matthew were lying on my desk the next morning. Eleven separate Bible studies resulted from that push.
I had a role model. I appreciated your love for the people. It corrected my tendency to put program before people. I especially was impressed with your integrity in handling Scripture. Your commitment to the Bible was not only inspiring, it was contagious. Everything we did had to be checked against Scripture first.
I had good leadership. I have come back to where I began this letter. In the end, I told those students that good leadership enabled me to have a wonderful job. Our staff has gone their separate ways, dispersed throughout the Southwest. But I know the others are as grateful as I am for those years together.
-Sharon Sterrenburg
Titus Touch Ministries
La Mirada, California
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