This is Part 3 in a series about the most important staff relationships in your church. While every staff member is important in his or her own way and worthy of individual participation and contribution, there are a few positions vital to the health of the church. These staff members have a direct line to the lead pastor. And the lead pastor should work hard to cement these relationships.

In this installment, I want to talk about executive pastors. This title can mean a lot of things, but I want to zero in on one aspect of the job description: finances. When I think of an executive pastor, I usually think of someone who sits in the second chair and works on the operational side of the organization. A strong executive pastor allows the lead pastor to serve more in his or her area of strength.

Among the operational tasks of the executive pastor are handling the finances and ensuring the economic health of the church. If you don’t have an executive pastor on staff, you probably either have a treasurer or you outsource your finances. Whatever title or position you give the person who manages finances, I want to highlight some keys to making sure that relationship runs as smoothly as possible.

When we talk about finances, it’s easy to let the heart get ahead of the mind. In a marriage relationship, finances almost always top the list of reasons to argue. It’s the same with a church staff, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Why You Need This Position

You may be in a place where you can’t afford to hire an executive pastor to handle the finances of your church. Or you haven’t yet outsourced budgeting, payroll and expenses. It may be due to a lack of funding, or you may have done it yourself for so long that you feel you do it better than anyone else. Can I just encourage you to hand over the reins to someone else, someone more qualified?

As pastors, our main focus should be on ministry. That doesn’t mean we neglect the financial health of the church or do not get involved in money discussions. But it does mean we understand that there are others with the right skill set who can compensate for our shortcomings or maximize our capacity.

Most pastors are trained in biblical studies, theology, leadership and practical ministry. Rarely do seminaries cover finances as a major portion of their degree track. However, your executive pastor in charge of finances should generally have an understanding and competency in the business world or have a lot of experience and knowledge in the finance sector. Lean on this wisdom, tap into that knowledge, and let your financial expert fill in the gaps for you.

The bottom line is integrity in all you do as a church and a pastor.

Another reason this position is so valuable is it allows you to take a more hands-off approach to the church’s finances. There are always two sides we must navigate, from knowing too little about the church’s money to being too involved in it.

When you have an executive pastor you fully trust, you can empower that person to take care of the minor details and alert you on major ones. Then you can determine when to get involved and how deeply.

In addition, your executive pastor can be a great resource and asset in helping you, and the rest of the staff, in the area of personal finance. In fact, it may be a great idea to put him or her in charge of a ministry to the whole church to teach about personal finances, stewardship and generosity.

Help the Money Expert Help You

The relationship you have with your executive pastor is a two-way street. As I said before, many executive pastors come from the business world and may have little, if any, experience in ministry. To them, the church is just like any other organization, with bottom lines, returns on investment and human resources. But to the rest of us, it is a ministry. And we evaluate successes completely differently.

This is where you come in. Take the time to provide mentoring in practical ministry. Explain the differences between running a company and a local church.

Coach your executive pastor on the ways economics differ in the kingdom of God and the world. Lead him or her as a pastor to grasp the power of walking in faith in terms of vision and future casting, without neglecting common sense and the principles of stewardship. This part of the relationship is so important; it’s walking the line of vision for the future and current reality.

Pastors are often visionaries, while executive/finance roles are often grounded in the present reality. This personality and role difference can cause misunderstanding, tension and frustration if you’re not careful. Having conversations on how, when and who makes decisions is crucial for these two critical roles to complement and not compete with each other.

Your relationship with your executive pastor can affect the relationship with the rest of the staff. This person is often closely involved with the hiring and firing of other staff positions, taking care of human resource matters, and determining raises and benefits. Being on the same page will make that whole process run more smoothly.

A good relationship will also allow you to be both Kingdom minded and financially responsible when it comes to major decisions. The bottom line is integrity in all you do as a church and a pastor. Work together to make sure that standard is upheld.