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Church Staff – a Totem Pole or Bicycle Wheel?

Today is Administrative Professionals Day. In that honor, I’m sharing a guest post by Linda Gillis. Linda is a retired Church Secretary, Speaker, and Author of the Incidents and Inspiration from the Church Office meditation series for church support staff. You can find her ministry online at souly4you.com

Church Staff – a Totem Pole or Bicycle Wheel?

In doing research for my new book, Preachin’ to the Pastor … and anyone else who will listen, I am interviewing church support staff around the United States. My first interview began with Pam (name changed to protect her position), a seasoned secretary in a mid-size congregation in an upper-middle class community. She serves alone in the office as the office manager/secretary and support to two pastors, a music director, financial secretary, and a part-time janitor. We chatted over lunch and shared similar incidents from working in a church office.

After lunch, I began the interview by asking Pam, “How would you define your ministry at this church?” She hesitated before saying, “I’m the low man on the totem pole. Even the janitor gets more respect than I do.” As she continued to speak, tears formed in her eyes. “I’m the last one to learn what’s going on around here and the first one to hear all the gripes…. I work hard and go home feeling crushed. I’d quit, but I need this job. Deep inside, I really do want to work here.”

In my mind, I pictured Pam at the base of a totem pole with the janitor straddling on her shoulders and the other staff members wobbling above him. At the top of the pole, the two pastors are perched side by side with outstretched arms, forming the shape of a cross. I thought for a moment before saying, “Pam, in some ways, as the office support person, you are the low “man” on the totem pole, but you shouldn’t feel the weight of everyone above you.”

In most cases, the threshold of the office is where ministry begins in the church—when the telephone rings or someone walks into the office. The support staff is trained and available to assist pastors, musicians, youth directors, boards, and members of the church to more effectively enable the ministry of serving God. They are not hired just to produce mounds of paper, put out fires, or to pay the bills! However, an office staff is only as strong as those who serve above them on the “totem pole.” When chaos begins at the top (or anywhere on the pole), the ripple effect causes the ground beneath the office to quake, resulting in low staff morale and stress-related burnout.

Instead of visualizing a church staff as a totem pole, I prefer to think of it as a bicycle wheel. The hub (the church office) is the strength of the wheel, but a hub is of no use without the rest of the wheel. It takes many “spokes” (the pastors, lay ministers, musicians, janitors, etc.) attached to the rim and tire (the council, committees, members of the congregation) to accomplish the mission of the church. When the bearings in the hub rotate freely about the axle, the wheel turns smoothly. However, if one or more spokes attached to the hub shell breaks (or a bearing wears out), the wheel begins to wobble and become unsteady—making for an uncomfortable ride.

Be it a totem pole or a bicycle wheel, every one serving in a church deserves respect and encouragement for his or her ministry. No one should feel the weight of the rest of the staff or be out of balance with one another.

Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law.
 If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Galations 6:2,3 (The Message)

Pastor, give a shout out to those who help you do what you do!

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Ron Edmondson

Author Ron Edmondson

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Join the discussion 19 Comments

  • RevAlika says:

    Great post!

  • John Harris
    Twitter:
    says:

    I know that's how we use the analogy, but actually, the most important person on traditional totem pole is on the bottom. So, the literal "low man on the totem pole" in traditional American Indian culture, is the most important person. I use that to remind me that is true in the analogy as well. People can love my sermon, but if the toilets are stopped-up and the pre-school area isn't clean and safe, they won't come back (but they might listen to my pod-cast).

  • Kirra says:

    That is a great picture. It makes a lot of sense.

  • Bryankr
    Twitter:
    says:

    I have thought about this since 6 this morning, I am having a problem with the concept of the wheel in Mgt. I might have misunderstood something in the post, and if that is true, please feel free to correct me. It would not be the first, probably won’t be the last!

    It seems to me that the idea of “totem pole” is pretty much standard. The reason being that someone needs to be there to take responsibility and stand accountable. To be the one to say “we are going in this direction.” “We will not do this, but we will do this.” Being the low man, forgive me for saying so, but, that is the nature of the beast. It may not be a pleasant notion, I say this from a lifetime of having been there and am again today; the biggest problem these guys on top tend to have is that they sometimes forget, they can’t be a Chief unless there are some Indians to be chief of! I was not always the most popular of the low men, but I have been and still am one of the most respected. I discovered just what my place was, and I knew what THEIR place was; note, I didn’t say “job”, I said place. I actually understood what was happening and why. Part of that might lie in having been in Managment, but I did get it, and could work with them to serve the customers. I even foound a way to “keep them in line” without crossing it!

  • ronedmondson says:

    Thank you.

  • dsprtlydpndnt
    Twitter:
    says:

    I'm sharing with the church staff that works to allow me to be my part in the body. We all need to be valuable in our places. Sadly sometimes we make it hard for people to offer a sacrifice of worship in the work they do unto the Lord. Thank you, means someone noticed what I do and how I do it matters to them. Grateful God created us to need each other.
    Again, Ron, you influence me to act. Thank you!

  • As the Senior Pastor of a mid-sized congregation, I've referred to our Office Manager, Mary, as "the hub of the wheel." She keeps us all going. Our Associate Pastor took it a step further quipping, "We all work for Mary." Don't misinterpret his comment. Mary doesn't run the church, but the church wouldn't run without Mary.

    She is amazing, talented, & gracious as she serves Christ by serving our local body of believers.

    My praise to every church staff support person who serves in such a way!

    • ronedmondson says:

      You couldn't do it as well without her. I understand that. Makes sure she sees this. You can tell her “Ron said I should share this” 🙂

      • Yes, Sir, I do let her know. Thanks for the encouragement to do so. My statement, "the church wouldn't run without her," is hyperbole to emphasizing her importance. I've shared the link to your post with the entire staff. I'll add the "Ron said" part. 🙂

  • Melissa says:

    I like to think of the bottom of the Totem Pole as a STRONG base for the rest….:)