How do you fire an employee who is a church member?

As sad as this situation may be, it is bound to happen.

The most important thing is to be very open and honest in the hiring process. Many times church members want to work in the church bookstore because they see it as a ministry. It is a ministry-and a very special one-but it is also a business, and any business will have personnel changes from time to time.

Hiring church members is wonderful, but they must understand three important things about their employment:

- They are part of a ministry, but this does not mean prayer and Bible study all day. It is work!

- People will come into the store who are not church members and sometimes not even Christians. People will be people, and with that comes all types of customer service issues.

- Our expectations are high. We are a team and each member must carry their weight. We strive for excellence-our church and our Lord deserve no less

Once the interviewer understands the expectations, it is the manager's job to "hold their feet to the fire." Have the employee go through a 90-day probation period. This gives them time to adjust and learn the new job. After the 90-day period the manager should meet with the employee and go over their progress. Give the employee time to express their evaluation of their work. Good communication is vital.

If the employee doesn't meet the expected standards, then termination is expected. Sincerely express that the dismissal is not personal and that you do not want it to affect their relationship with you or the church. If possible, help them discover what type of job they would excel in. If possible also give them time to locate another job so they can exit without having to miss a paycheck.

Terminations are always difficult, but they do not have to end with hurt feelings or with a member leaving the church.

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