by Sandy » Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:59 pm
The public relations required by these organizations doesn't permit the admission that the hiring process is political, and not spiritual. I don't deny that there are trustees who do pray for the Lord's leadership, and that there are individuals who have a genuine interest in the job and who pray for the Lord's sense of direction, but I think those things are often overwhelmed by 1) the influence of some powerful trustees who have backing of "defacto" leadership from outside the board, 2) the salary and benefits package of the job itself, which makes the position attractive beyond the perspective of having the chance to lead a missional organization whose head has the additional opportunity to move to the head of the book publishing line, and other perks and 3) the fact that the head of NAMB becomes a widely recognized name and personality within the SBC itself, which also carries some defacto power to do favors for people whose influence can return to benefit you, and to maintain your influence and your power.
Considering NAMB's size, the number of employees who are under the direct supervision of its president in its headquarters building, the number of other management people in various divisions, and how the work gets done, I think NAMB could be successful, and find a long term, committed, successful leader if it did the following:
1. Cap all NAMB salary and benefits packages, and limit the president's salary and benefits to the median salary package in the SBC among churches which average between 250 and 350 in worship attendance. Naturally, division heads and other executives would make less. You would then be able to drop a lot of dead weight, "coffee clatch," employees as well, and you would have a staff that would be there for the work and the commitment, and not for the money and the perks. I think you would see productivity, as it is measured by a Baptist entity, improve to the point where the trustees would be astounded.
2. No trustee or executive employee of any SBC entity or agency, including the executive committee and its paid leadership, may submit a recommendation for this position, and no individual with a recommendation, endorsement or reference from any said group will be considered for the position.
3. Preference will be given to NAMB staff members who have served in the field as church planters, associational directors of missions, NAMB missionaries, and others who have demonstrated a commitment to NAMB's work by their service in the field in other than executive level positions.
It'll never happen, of course, but that's what it would take