Five Advantages of a Flexible Church Staff

By Sam Rainer

Few established churches turn on a dime. Some don’t turn at all. One of the contributing causes is inflexibility. Leading an organization full of inflexible people is like trying to run a marathon without bending your knees. It’s anything but smooth.

Every church has some inflexible people. Part of being a pastor is helping people get unstuck and unfrozen. And most churches also have plenty of people ready to move. Part of being a pastor is encouraging them to lead by example. Working this flexibility into the congregation takes patience, love, and a lot of time.

But on a day-to-day basis, a flexible staff is a freeing gift for the senior pastor or key church leader. Being a flexible staff person does not mean being a doormat. Nor does flexibility imply apathy. It’s also not a “whatever goes” mentality. Rather, flexibility is a willingness to give up preferences for the greater good. It’s a submissive spirit to what is best, even if it means giving up something valuable. When the church staff is flexible, a senior pastor gains several leadership advantages. I’ll share five of these advantages.

1.  More care. When a staff person is flexible, it shows he or she cares. Servant leaders tend to be more flexible. Flexibility demonstrates selflessness. In fact, much of what drives rigidity is selfishness.
2.  Less conflict. A flexible staff person is less likely to stir up unnecessary conflict. Inflexible people tend to create personal territories, hide in work silos, and hoard…