They won't say it publicly — it can be embarrassing. Few people in ministry want to admit that the size of the salary matters. Money is a factor; yet the fear is that admitting this comes across as being beholden to dreaded mammon. But it's true.

Rare is the executive director who will tell the board, "I need a raise or I'm going to leave the ministry." Instead, she or he dutifully carries on until finally, enough is enough. The executive director might say, "I sense the Lord wants to open a new chapter in my life," because it is too difficult to say, "I can't afford to stay here any longer."

The same is true for other staff members. One of the crises today in our ministry is that the best and brightest sometimes never darken our doors, or leave after a brief stay.

Many do stay of course, toiling on because this ministry is not about money. None of us signs up for pregnancy care center work saying, "Gosh, how much can I pull in with this job?" Yet money matters. There are bills to pay and the pressure of the work is enough without having to go home and be con­cerned over financial matters.

When we are hiring an executive director (or considering our current director's salary), we must keep in mind that this person is the CEO of the ministry we want to become. This person is an executive who leads an organization that is saving lives. In addition, this person manages our staff, is the primary public relations person for the ministry and — regardless of whether we have a director of development — is ultimately responsible for procuring the funds needed for ministry growth.

The day is long past when our executive director is simply the chief counselor for the ministry. Today our executive director must be a visionary, team leader, spokesperson and one who can connect with those who can give us major financial resources. Other staff members are becoming more specialized as well, and our executive di­rector needs the resources to hire the best — or we will consistently face staffing crises.

An executive director once called me asking for advice on a hire. As I asked for the type of person she was look­ing for, she gave me several salient characteristics that were perfect for the position she needed to fill. Yet after a short time she said, "But we don't have the money to hire someone like that." In other words, she needed a pro and only had the funds for either someone who was inexperienced, or someone not presently in the work force. She knew she could not compete with the public sector to bring in the person she needed.

Our only alternative is to take a hard look at our salary structure, starting with our key employee, the executive director. This isn't about trying to shower our staff with money; that's not the issue. Our staff serves out of a love for God; we know that. Yet there is a balance here. We must come to the place where if we find the right person for a position, that person should not have to take a major pay cut in order to join our ministry.

Blessing our employees with competitive salaries honors the Lord, encourages each of them in a tangible way and in the end, lowers staff turnover and builds a more effective ministry. It is one of the wisest investments we can make.

Boards of Excellence is a LifeTrends publication. If you have a question for Publisher and Speaker Kirk Walden, contact him at kirk.walden@comcast.net