Rate of forced terminations appears to be slowing down
___By Charles Willis
___LifeWay Christian Resources
___NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Forced terminations among Southern Baptist pastors and other full-time church staff appear to have leveled off, an annual survey of state Baptist conventions indicates.
___The survey, coordinated by the LeaderCare ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources, shows the total number of forced terminations reported by 22 state convention church-minister relations directors dipped to 987 in 2000. The 1999 total, which also reported on full-time pastors, bivocational pastors and full-time staff, was 1,077 in 26 state conventions.
___In 2000, the number of pastors forcibly terminated was 750, with 482 of those fully funded pastors and 268 bivocational pastors. The total of other fully funded staff terminated was 237.
___"About five years ago, we saw a very significant decrease in the number of forced terminations in our convention," said Neil Knierim, manager of LifeWay's LeaderCare section. "We have been able to maintain this significant reduction, and while we have not seen a significant decrease in the last couple of years, we have not experienced a return to the higher numbers of the past."
___A 1984 study on forced terminations in the SBC indicated 1,056 pastors were terminated annually. Among causes cited in that study were lack of unity and the presence of factions in the church, conflict over leadership styles, relational incompetence and tenure. Terminations of other church staff persons were not counted in the early surveys.
___Four years later, the survey was repeated, and forced termination totals had increased to 1,392 pastors annually. Primary reasons included lack of communication, problems related to immorality and unethical conduct, performance dissatisfaction, authoritarian leadership style, power struggles and personality conflicts.
___While the numbers of pastors terminated have declined since the 1984 survey, the causes of forced termination have remained essentially unchanged. The 1999 survey found once again the most common causes for firings cited by directors of missions in reports to state convention church-minister relations directors were control issues regarding who will run the church, poor people skills of the pastor, pastoral leadership style perceived as too strong, the church's resistance to change and conflict that existed before the pastor arrived.
___For the 2000 survey, rather than devote resources to affirming the same causes for termination reported in previous years, different data was gathered related to fully funded pastors.
___Among new findings:
___ The average severance compensation was 2.55 months, while the average period of time the pastor was without employment was 2.92 months.
___ On average, terminated pastors were allowed eight weeks to stay in a church-owned home after being forced from their positions.
___ While 35.2 percent of pastors forced to leave their pulpits received financial assistance and 41 percent received professional counseling, approximately 55 percent returned to church-related vocations during the reporting period.
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