Episode Details

A church can have a strong reputation and a long history while the people serving on its staff quietly wear down. When departures come as surprises, the harder question is whether leaders can see what their staff is experiencing.

In this conversation, Tim McConnell, Lead Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, describes stepping into a 154-year-old church and finding deeper staff culture concerns the longer he looked. He explains why he asked his elders to prioritize staff health, what an outside, anonymous Best Christian Workplaces Employee Engagement Survey showed, and the steps that followed, including conflict training and a short weekly gathering for the whole staff. According to the church's survey reports, disengagement fell from 28.9% in 2023 to 2% in 2026. For pastors and ministry leaders, it is a candid look at how to measure and improve church staff health.

You'll Gain Insight On:

• Why asking "are the right people staying or going?" can tell you more than overall turnover
• How an outside, anonymous survey can show what leaders can't see from their own chair
• Why healthy conflict and cross-team communication take deliberate practice
• What a lead pastor says it takes to begin: humility, patience, and outside help

Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/unhealthy-church-staff-culture-how-to-spot-and-measure-it