Ethical Question Concerning Pastor's Family

bobbyd posted:
Although my little boy is only 4 years old...i would love to see him one day being mentored (if the the Lord wills it) for the ministry under his dear old dad!

I know how you feel. I headed a government civil servies activity and would have loved to help my son by hiring him for a job for which he was well qualified. However, this was illegal in the civil service. Also, I commend you for not accepting a church which was offered to you by a retiring pastor.

IHMO, hiring your son on your staff would not really be helping him. To the people, he would always be ministering as your son. This could tend to give him a distorted view of his ministry. Being in the pastor's family gives someone a different perspective than being on your own.

My wife is the daughter of a minister who pastored for many years. After we got married, my job moved us to a different area. In a few months we had settled into a new church. My wife commented: Boy, things sure look different from the pew than from the pulpit. I suspect this would also apply to a young minister working on a staff of another church compared to working under his father.

Your son would be much better ministering in another church with phone call advice from you. BTW, it was better for me and my son, that I couldn't hire him in my civil service organization. I didn't realize it at the time.

drfuss