Pastor Employment & Governance Guide

The Pastor Search Committee Toolkit helps you find the right pastor. This guide helps you keep them.

Most small churches have no framework for the employment side of pastoral ministry. They extend a verbal offer, set up payroll incorrectly, skip the background check, and have no written policies in place when the pastor arrives. Then they wonder why the relationship ends badly.

The Pastor Employment and Governance Guide gives small church boards everything they need to handle the legal, HR, and governance side of pastoral ministry correctly, from the offer letter through retirement or departure.

What is inside (11 sections, 60+ pages):

• Section 1: The Offer Letter – What to include, what to avoid, and a complete template ready to customize
• Section 2: Clergy Payroll Basics – W-2 vs. 1099, housing allowance rules, SE tax, and the most common mistakes that cost pastors thousands of dollars
• Section 3: Background Checks – What to check, when to check it, and how to handle concerning results
• Section 4: Essential Policies – The 13 policies every church needs before a pastor starts, including counseling boundaries and child protection
• Section 5: The Annual Review – A structured process for the annual pastoral review, including a self-evaluation form
• Section 6: Pastoral Boundaries – Financial, relational, and social media boundaries that protect the pastor and the congregation
• Section 7: When a Pastor Resigns – How to handle a resignation with grace, clarity, and appropriate communication, including notice period guidelines by tenure
• Section 8: When a Church Must Let a Pastor Go – Termination process, documentation, severance guidelines by tenure, and legal considerations
• Section 9: Pastoral Retirement – Planning ahead, honoring a retiring pastor, and the boundary after retirement
• Section 10: Conflict Resolution – When the pastoral relationship is in trouble: early warning signs, the conflict resolution process, and when to bring in outside help
• Section 11: Templates and Forms – Ready-to-use documents including offer letter template, housing allowance board resolution, pastoral self-evaluation form, and key documents checklist

Important: This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Employment law varies by state. Consult an attorney familiar with clergy employment before making significant employment decisions. For clergy tax matters, see the Church & Clergy Tax Guide by Richard Hammar (ChurchLawAndTax.com).

Instant download. PDF format. 60+ pages.