Church Staff and Healthy Relationships

This post is from the defunct blog “Dying Church”

Last week John Campea wrote about "Whether working in a church is a hindrance to your spiritual development?" But I would say — "Is working in a church a hindrance to your relational life — especially with fellow staff?"  One of the reasons churches are dying is because of traditional program staff's difficulties in having team based, servant hearted relationships.  In the friends I know in large church ministry the term 'collegial relationship' is a dying term. Obviously – on this weblog we are speaking of a church which is willing to take up its cross and die – so as to live a life of grace. How might power dynamics, core values, and accountable relationships play into churches that have staff driven ministries.  Are they dying churches as referred to above – or just dying churches. Who was it that said — when I meet a Buddist monk – I meet a holy man.  When I meet an American Protetstant pastor – I meet a manager. Thoughts?