21 Steps to a Vital
Pastor/Parish Relations
Committee
Rev. Kendall Waller,
Heartland Central & South District
Superintendent
1. Pray regularly for your pastor!
2. You are required to meet 4 times
per year; 1/per month is
recommended in the pastor’s 1st
year (and more often as needs
require).
3. There can be no meetings
without the pastor present
(exceptions can only be
granted by the pastor or the
District Superintendent). We
don’t do secret or “parking
lot” meetings.
4. Confidentiality is a nonnegotiable.
• Written minutes should be
kept of each
meeting.
5. Only church members can
serve on the PPRC.
• The Lay Leader and the Lay
Delegate to AC serve on the
PPRC.
• Two people from the same
household cannot serve on
the PPRC.
• Family members of the
pastor or staff may not serve
on the PPRC.
• No person should serve on the
PPR who does not keep the
minimum expectations of a
church member.
• Members of the PPR should be
willing to support the giving of
100% to apportionments and
the polity of the United
Methodist Church.
6. The PPRC is not the Pastor’s
supervisor, the District
Superintendent has that role.
7. The PPRC’s work is
consultative/interpretive. It is also
collaborative and supportive.
• The job description of the PPRC
and the job description of the
pastor are set forth in The (current)
Book of Discipline.
• These should be annually
reviewed.
8. Healthy PPRC’s function
as a “Heat Shield” or
advocate for the pastor, in
order to make it possible
for the pastor to lead
rather than simply manage
the church.
9. The primary criterion for
evaluating the pastor should
be the “mission” of the church.
10. The Pastor is the supervisor
for all staff. The PPRC
would do well to support
that responsibility.
• Insubordination never
furthers the mission
of the church.
11. In multi-staffed churches, we
recommend functioning as a
PPRC rather than a SPRC. In
other words, delegate hiring,
firing, and evaluation of the
staff to the pastor.
12. Don’t get triangulated.
Triangulation Theory 101
Victim
Triangulation Theory 101
Victim
Perpetrator
Triangulation Theory 101
Rescuer
Victim
Perpetrator
Triangulation Theory 101
Rescuer
(Dad)
Victim
(Child)
Perpetrator
Mommy)
12. Don’t get triangulated.
If there are complaints follow these
steps:
1) First, direct the person to speak
with the pastor.
2) If the person and the pastor
cannot resolve it, then the issue is
taken to the PPRC.
3) If the PPRC cannot resolve the
issue, then the PPRC or Pastor
invites the help of the District
Superintendent.
4) Do not deal with anonymous.
Complainants need to be named
(exceptions are in cases of alleged
abuse).
5) It is not the job of the PPRC chair to
solve problems, only to convene the
committee and make sure that
issues are dealt with fairly.
6) If I get a call/letter/email, this is
how I will handle it. . . . .
13. The PPRC recommends salary to
the Church Council, after
consulting with the Finance
Committee; the Church Council
makes recommendations to the
Church Conference.
14. Evaluations occur in the Fall.
This is the process:
1) The pastor fills out a selfevaluation and sends it to
the District Superintendent.
2) The PPRC evaluates the
pastor, and then shares their
evaluation with the pastor
before sending it to the
District Superintendent.
3) The District Superintendent
reviews both the pastor’s selfevaluation and the PPRC’s
evaluation and, after meeting
with the pastor, establishes the
pastor’s goals for the year.
These goals are sent to the PPRC
so that together the PPRC and
the pastor can work on them in
the coming year.
4) The evaluations are geared to
helping the pastor become
more effective.
5) Last year’s evaluations/goals
should be regularly reviewed.
15. A typical PPRC meeting
should be:
⅓ Leadership Development;
⅓ Review of Goals;
⅓ Problem Solving.
16. The Consultations occur in December
(the PPRC is asked if they recommend
that the Pastor “stay,” “move,” or
“either”). The PPRC should meet with
the pastor to share their
recommendation to the Bishop. I
strongly recommend that on-coming
PPRC members be included in that
“consultative” decision.
• Do not take surveys or polls.
You have been chosen for this
position for YOUR perspectives.
Surveys and polls triangulate
members of the congregation,
involve other non-elected
persons in the conversation, and
can ultimately lead to a division
in the congregation.
• Please do not give your pastor
a positive/glowing evaluation
and, one month later, send in a
recommendation to the
Bishop that your pastor be
moved!
17. How can the PPRC work with the
District Superintendent to hold the
Pastor accountable for
(measureable) goals?
• Tie the achievement of
(measureable) goals to salary.
• Make it clear that if
(measureable) goals aren’t
achieved, you will not be
recommending that he/she be
returned.
• Do NOT hold pastors
accountable for goals
without also giving them
authority to lead!
An Accountable Leadership Model
• Bureaucratic:
Responsibility – Authority
= Safe but not
Effective
An Accountable Leadership Model
• Bureaucratic:
Responsibility – Authority
= Safe but not
Effective
• Autocratic:
Responsibility + Authority –
Accountability
= Effective but not
Safe
An Accountable Leadership Model
• Bureaucratic:
Responsibility – Authority
= Safe but not
Effective
• Autocratic:
Responsibility + Authority –
Accountability
= Effective but not
Safe
• Accountable Leader:
Responsibility + Authority +
Accountability
• Do NOT hold pastors
accountable for goals
without also giving them
authority to lead.
18. Total Staff Budgets should
not exceed more than 50% of the
church’s expected general budget
receipts.
A
19. The PPR Chair and the Chair
of Trustees are expected to
make an annual review of the
parsonage, in order to make
recommendations to the
Trustees for its upkeep.
20. Leadership happens best
when we function as a team.
Pastors are advised to meet
regularly and often with the
PPR Chair, Lay Leader, and
Church Council Chair. Make
a
Covenant that you will not
“surprise” each other.
21. Pray regularly for your pastor!