The purpose of the Pastor Congregation Relations Committee (PCRC) is to care for the relationship between the pastor(s) and the congregation and when necessary, to mediate conversations between pastors and members of the congregation, pastors and the church council/board and between pastors and other members of the pastoral team. “The pastor(s)” include all congregational leaders who hold ministerial credentials, i.e., who are licensed, ordained or commissioned by the conference. In some congregations this means one or more senior/leading pastor(s), associate or assistant or co-pastors, youth ministers, ministers of music, retired pastors (if still active in ministry), lay ministers and others.
The PCRC has a relational and mediating role. Although the agenda may include contractual issues such as salary negotiation and tenure reviews, the PCRC will serve in a consulting role and make recommendations to the church council or church board.
Pastor Well-Being Checklist
Provided by MC USA, this Pastoral Well-being Checklist is an invitation for congregations to enter into discussion with their pastor(s) about how to create a healthier and more fulfilling work environment. When the congregation takes initiative to create a healthy environment for their pastor to live, work and function, the congregation also benefits. Find this resource HERE.
For more information on PCRCs, view the Pastor Congregation Relations Committee Job Description, created by Mennonite Church USA.
Caring for our pastors: a training for pastor-congregation relations committees: May 2021 Training
Intended for those who serve on Pastor Congregation Relations Committees (PCRCs) or similar groups, this recorded webinar will help lay leaders better care for and assist in building resilience in their pastors by finding practical ways to offer care.
Eldon Fry provided input and facilitation during this time. Eldon is a published author and founded two organizations, The Encouragement Center in Colorado and Open Hands in Pennsylvania. He has served in several pastoral roles at a variety of Anabaptist schools throughout the U.S and was recently asked to be a cohort faculty member for Kairos through the Parish Resource Center. His books Growing Up Idaho and more recently Spiritual Formation: Attention Along the Way have been published and are available at Openhandsministries.org or Amazon. Open Hands has received non-profit status and serves pastors and church leaders from fourteen denominations.
View the powerpoint at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A9XBFv4yJMd25uBF99dHppfC6Z7aGO0l/view
By Amy Zimbleman, from MennoSnapshots
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and your church may be wondering how best to honor the minister who has everything. Are gift cards overdone or always in style? Would your pastor prefer a sentimental scrapbook, some RAWtools bling, a night out with dinner and a movie, or all of the above?