If you have a sustained drop in income and you don’t have an emergency operating reserve fund you will have to lay people off.  To prepare for this possibility, a staff contingency plan will serve you and your church very well.

Step 1: Create a Covid-19 Staff Priority List

List your staff in order from most essential to least essential.  For example, the lead pastor may be seen as most essential and janitorial may be least essential (a building not in use doesn’t get very dirty).  However, there are several principles you will need to keep in mind to do this effectively.

First, is to abandon all thoughts of tenure and hierarchy.  This isn’t about privilege and rights – it’s about survival.  Specifically, survival during Covid-19 ministry realities. 

Second, is to prioritize according to Covid-19 effective ministry.  Since most ministry has now moved online this means your part-time tech guy might be the most essential person to have on the team.  Small groups will keep your ship afloat, but stage production will not.  The most essential people on your team will be those you are actively connecting and building community with your people.

Third, is to realize that some activities and positions generate income while others do not.  An obvious example would be the person who is setting up online giving will be worth their weight in gold.  Another example would be someone who is ministering in such a way to grow your church during Covid-19 – yes, that’s an actual thing.  People in your community are seeking help and seeking God right now and anyone who is growing their ministry by reaching out into the community should be considered highly essential.

Step 2: Determine Income Thresholds

Once you’ve put your staff priority list together now attach a salary to each name.  Now create your contingency layoff plan.  Once income drops to level A) who goes from full-time to part-time?  Once income falls to level B) who gets laid off?  Once income drops to level C) who else gets laid off?

Creating this painful contingency plan will do a couple of things for you.  First, it will prevent the entire church from going under.  Ignoring financial problems will not make them go away and what you don’t know can definitely hurt you.  Second, is that it will increase the confidence of your board.  Because many people are currently on the border of panic, it’s easy for church leaders to make ill-considered decisions.  Giving your board a realistic action plan will introduce calm into the room.

Step 3: Do not Abandon Your Team!

If you have to lay off staff members it is essential that you care for them.  These are people who have trusted in you to serve under your leadership.  Those people and their families are still your responsibility.  If you had wisely created a 3- or 6-month operating reserve fund you wouldn’t be in this boat.  Take responsibility for financial planning and step up as a leader in their time of need.  There are several ways you can do this:

Inform your people of government support options.  New programs and supports are being released by nearly every level of government on almost a daily basis.  Even large financial institutions are offering mortgage deferral options and other support during this crisis.  Be an expert on taking care of your people.

Help your team with bi-vocational or other opportunities for employment.  There’s a good chance that you have good connections in the business community.  Use those connections to help your team to find temporary work during this time.  You may also help with resume creation and other job-hunting skills to help your team members find temporary work.

Give ongoing pastoral care, counselling, and community to your team members.  This is going to hit them very hard and it’s essential that they know that they matter to you and that they still feel a part of the team.

Finally, I would suggest that you give them some tangible part-time volunteer opportunities.  Unemployment not only creates a lack of cash, but it also creates a lack of significance.  Give your people a tangible way to fight back against the Covid crisis by giving them a way to contribute to getting the church back on its feet.  I wouldn’t make this mandatory, they’re in this mess because of *your* financial planning, not theirs.  Instead, I would suggest the volunteer option for their sake, rather than yours.

Step 4: Falling on Your Sword

In the end, you might end up losing your paycheck as well.  If this happens this will be an opportunity to test your character.  Is this a calling or just a job?

Of course, you will have to provide for your family.  You’ll have to be bi-vocational and will have to either look for work or start up a new business of your own.  By all means, take care of yourself.

But don’t abandon your congregation.  Even though they can’t give you a salary, that doesn’t mean that you can’t lead them.  If your church is ever going to survive this, you will have to overcome.  For such a time as this God has chosen you to be their pastor – fight the good fight.  If this was going to be easy God would have called someone else.

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