Clearly, employers know what policies are required by state and federal law. All congregations, presbyteries, and synods must follow AA-EEO guidelines, Equal Opportunity regulations, and the fair employment practices of the General Assembly.
The scrupulous observation of such standards also reflects our Christian discipleship. Many of Jesus’ parables and other teachings are centrally concerned with unfair labor practices, the abuse of the poor, inequitable hiring of workers, and what money meant to the people he knew (how much was a denarius worth?). He attacked those who oppressed citizens in the lowest parts of the economic pyramid and was particularly critical of the elite wealthy leaders, the local land and business owners. Jewish religious authorities, Herodian sycophants, and Roman government officials who used taxes and the financial system to fill their own pockets and build their empires. In his recent book, Jesus and the Peasants (Cascade Books, 2008), Pacific Lutheran University’s Douglas Oakman explores relevant New Testament passages from economic, anthropological, and sociological perspectives. His conclusion that Jesus supported those who struggled to earn their daily bread and mounted a fierce battle against overwhelming indebtedness in his culture, gives today’s church vital clues about how it should conduct itself in the midst of the financial and employment crises we face in the world today.
But fair and transparent hiring practices are also a requirement of common courtesy. Although churches and ecclesiastical institutions often cite Jesus’ motto, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” they do not always practice it when it comes to hiring employees.
When pastors apply to pastor nominating committees, for example, churches often fail to respond in timely ways to inquiries or do not keep candidates informed about the progress of their search processes. Perhaps committee members forget how big a step moving is for pastors and their families and for the people of the church in which they currently serve. Perhaps they do not appreciate the range of conflicting emotions such an application creates.
The abuse is also evident in some Presbyterian theological seminaries, colleges, and universities. Although these institutions advertise teaching and other staff vacancies extensively, they often do not even reply to applications, fail to return phone inquiries, and may never inform candidates about the final awarding of a position. It may be that administrators and members of search committees are so busy that they think they have a right to ignore such courtesies, or more likely, as some people suspect, they are so impressed with the superiority of their schools that they assume that candidates should consider it a privilege that they were even permitted to apply. Such actions and attitudes certainly do not reflect the mission statements of these institutions or the high Christian standards they claim to espouse.
In our church we recently advertised an opening for a custodian. Although we live in a small city, we received nearly twenty applications for a part-time job. Some applicants merely called on the phone, a few slipped a note under the door, a handful turned in a formal résumé. Nevertheless, we kept each candidate informed about our time line and sent each one a personal letter of thanks when we had finished the hiring process. It was a matter of common courtesy but it also reflected our understanding that many of the people who contacted us were desperate for work and the means to support their families.
What are the employment policies for your congregation? How does your session conduct its search process for interviewing and hiring? Do all the people involved feel that they have been treated courteously, fairly, and with concern and compassion?
Earl S. Johnson Jr. is the pastor of First Church in Johnstown, N.Y., and adjunct professor of religious studies at Siena College.
