Rebuilding after a leader has engaged in misconduct is difficult. Wounds from pastoral misconduct run deep. It will take time for fellow staff and the church body to recover from the sense of betrayal, disappointment, and disillusionment. After misconduct has been properly addressed through a leave of absence, termination, or restoration plan, the board now faces the often difficult reality of moving forward.
Rebuilding Trust
Rebuilding trust with staff and the church body will take time. People need the time, space, and grace to process and walk through their own difficult feelings around the leader's misconduct and how the board decided to handle it. Feelings will be mixed. Avoid major changes for the next year as you rebuild trust. Even if the pastor was able to engage in a restoration process and is still on staff, trust has been broken, and rebuilding it will take time and effort.
Asses your blind spot to create a culture of health and accountability inside your organization. Allow outside voices in to evaluate your culture, to highlight areas of weakness that may not be obvious or apparent to your church staff.
Ask questions like:
What problem areas do we tolerate more readily? Pride, anger, lack of self-control, and gentleness often go unaddressed. From our experience and observations, "small" misconduct left unaddressed becomes a large misconduct issue.
Do we care for our pastors well? Are they getting regular time away? Sabbaticals? Proactive marriage counseling? Outside friendships?
Do we hold our pastors to a high standard of accountability? Requiring mentoring programs is a very effective way to establish organizational accountability.
Do we have a clear process for discipline? And does it apply to all employees?
Are we prepared to address misconduct issues when they arise again? Do our documents clearly provide who makes the decisions for termination, restoration, etc.? Are these people aware of this responsibility?
Outside voices are incredibly important in this process, but so is hearing your staff’s opinions and experiences. Often, lower-level staff are aware of problem areas that leadership is not. Creating a culture of approachability and ownership at all levels can help lead your organization into a healthy future.
We know rebuilding after misconduct is hard, but do not be discouraged. Remember, you have been placed in your role, at this time, for a purpose. Your purpose is to help the church move through the difficulty and come out on the other side. Your church and ministry need you to lead well during this season.
We would love to partner with you in rebuilding your organization. If your organization does not have a trusted legal counsel to help guide you through this time, please reach out to us. We provide General Counsel Services, Board and Employee Training, Strategic Planning, Restructuring, and so much more.
The information provided in this article does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice or investment advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available in this article are for general informational purposes only. The information contained in this article may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This article contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user, or browser; the author does not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
Readers of this article should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.
Anthony & Sparkman, PLLC is a law firm with attorneys located in both Dallas/Fort Worth and Kalispell, Montana, that provides legal counsel to both churches and nonprofits around the world. John Anthony & Michele Sparkman have spent over a decade providing general counsel to churches and nonprofits on issues ranging from incorporation, governance, employment, policies and procedures, taxes, succession planning, real estate development, and much more. For more information, visit our website at www.thenonprofitteam.com.
