The Biggest Hiring Mistakes Churches Make
Most churches hire for what’s urgent, not what’s important. From "Unicorn hunting" to neglecting your development culture, we’re exposing the mistakes that keep your team from reaching its full potential.
In the climb to reach more people, most pastors eventually face the "Urgency Trap." You have a vacancy in the youth department or a soundboard that no one knows how to run, so you write a check to fix the immediate pain.
But as Chris Spradlin from One39 points out, writing a check for what is urgent rarely fixes what is important. If your church has hit a plateau, the reason might be sitting in the seats of your staff meeting. To build a healthy church growth strategy, you have to stop hiring based on "sexy" tools and start hiring for the soul of your mission.
Hiring "Sexy Tools" Instead of a "People Person"
One of the most common mistakes in hiring church staff is over-allocating budget to production and "cool factor." We hire an expert sound engineer or a virtuoso worship leader because we think excellence on stage draws a crowd.
However, stage excellence only satisfies people for about 90 days. After that, they want to be known.
The most underrated hire in the country is the Connections Pastor. Unlike a "First Impressions" leader who just puts greeters at the door, a Connections Pastor wakes up every day thinking about one thing: How do we move someone from the parking lot to a deep, meaningful friendship? If your budget goes to lights before it goes to connection systems, your church will have a "leaky bucket" problem.
Hunting for a "Unicorn" on a "Green but Good" Budget
Through the research at One39, we’ve identified four distinct tiers of talent:
- Green but Good: High potential, little experience. They’ve done an internship and shown promise, but they haven't been "beaten up" by ministry yet.
- Battle Tested: 3–5 years of experience. They’ve got the scars and the stitches to prove they can handle the pressure.
- Rockstar: 7–12 years of experience. They know leadership, they’ve seen growth, and they don’t need their hands held.
- The Unicorn: 15+ years of experience. They hold a mic in one hand and a toilet brush in the other. They are the "needle in five haystacks."
The mistake? Most churches write a job description for a Unicorn but offer a salary for someone who is Green but Good. When you set unrealistic expectations for a lower-tier hire, you aren't just wasting money—you’re setting a young leader up for burnout and disillusionment.
3. Hiring "Green" Without a Development Culture
Hiring a "Green but Good" leader is a fantastic move if you have a culture of development. If you don't have the time or systems to do book studies, leadership exercises, and spiritual coaching, that "Green" hire will actually cost you more in the long run than a "Rockstar" would have.
Key Wisdom: "Hiring a good but green employee will cost you more money than the battle-tested or rockstar if you don't have a development culture. You see the upside, but you can’t develop them, and in six months, everyone is frustrated." — Chris Spradlin
Build a Team That Scales
Your hiring strategy must work in tandem with your Church Staffing Ratios. If you are hiring the right people but giving them the wrong tools, you’re still going to hit a lid. To keep your "People Persons" focused on people, you need to automate the "Tools."
Simplify Your Systems with Tithely. Stop making your staff do manual data entry. Give your new Connections Pastor the tools they need to track every visitor and follow up instantly.
Transparent Pricing for Every Church Size
Don't hire in the dark. Download our Ultimate Church Salary Guide to see the 2026 salary benchmarks for every tier—from Green to Unicorn—and ensure your next hire is a "mission-fit."
Sign Up for Product Updates
Chris Dunagan is a marketing strategist focused on church tech and digital engagement. He helps churches grow through SEO, email campaigns, and tools like Tithely and Breeze ChMS, with an emphasis on online giving, content strategy, and digital outreach.
In the climb to reach more people, most pastors eventually face the "Urgency Trap." You have a vacancy in the youth department or a soundboard that no one knows how to run, so you write a check to fix the immediate pain.
But as Chris Spradlin from One39 points out, writing a check for what is urgent rarely fixes what is important. If your church has hit a plateau, the reason might be sitting in the seats of your staff meeting. To build a healthy church growth strategy, you have to stop hiring based on "sexy" tools and start hiring for the soul of your mission.
Hiring "Sexy Tools" Instead of a "People Person"
One of the most common mistakes in hiring church staff is over-allocating budget to production and "cool factor." We hire an expert sound engineer or a virtuoso worship leader because we think excellence on stage draws a crowd.
However, stage excellence only satisfies people for about 90 days. After that, they want to be known.
The most underrated hire in the country is the Connections Pastor. Unlike a "First Impressions" leader who just puts greeters at the door, a Connections Pastor wakes up every day thinking about one thing: How do we move someone from the parking lot to a deep, meaningful friendship? If your budget goes to lights before it goes to connection systems, your church will have a "leaky bucket" problem.
Hunting for a "Unicorn" on a "Green but Good" Budget
Through the research at One39, we’ve identified four distinct tiers of talent:
- Green but Good: High potential, little experience. They’ve done an internship and shown promise, but they haven't been "beaten up" by ministry yet.
- Battle Tested: 3–5 years of experience. They’ve got the scars and the stitches to prove they can handle the pressure.
- Rockstar: 7–12 years of experience. They know leadership, they’ve seen growth, and they don’t need their hands held.
- The Unicorn: 15+ years of experience. They hold a mic in one hand and a toilet brush in the other. They are the "needle in five haystacks."
The mistake? Most churches write a job description for a Unicorn but offer a salary for someone who is Green but Good. When you set unrealistic expectations for a lower-tier hire, you aren't just wasting money—you’re setting a young leader up for burnout and disillusionment.
3. Hiring "Green" Without a Development Culture
Hiring a "Green but Good" leader is a fantastic move if you have a culture of development. If you don't have the time or systems to do book studies, leadership exercises, and spiritual coaching, that "Green" hire will actually cost you more in the long run than a "Rockstar" would have.
Key Wisdom: "Hiring a good but green employee will cost you more money than the battle-tested or rockstar if you don't have a development culture. You see the upside, but you can’t develop them, and in six months, everyone is frustrated." — Chris Spradlin
Build a Team That Scales
Your hiring strategy must work in tandem with your Church Staffing Ratios. If you are hiring the right people but giving them the wrong tools, you’re still going to hit a lid. To keep your "People Persons" focused on people, you need to automate the "Tools."
Simplify Your Systems with Tithely. Stop making your staff do manual data entry. Give your new Connections Pastor the tools they need to track every visitor and follow up instantly.
Transparent Pricing for Every Church Size
Don't hire in the dark. Download our Ultimate Church Salary Guide to see the 2026 salary benchmarks for every tier—from Green to Unicorn—and ensure your next hire is a "mission-fit."
podcast transcript
Chris Dunagan is a marketing strategist focused on church tech and digital engagement. He helps churches grow through SEO, email campaigns, and tools like Tithely and Breeze ChMS, with an emphasis on online giving, content strategy, and digital outreach.
In the climb to reach more people, most pastors eventually face the "Urgency Trap." You have a vacancy in the youth department or a soundboard that no one knows how to run, so you write a check to fix the immediate pain.
But as Chris Spradlin from One39 points out, writing a check for what is urgent rarely fixes what is important. If your church has hit a plateau, the reason might be sitting in the seats of your staff meeting. To build a healthy church growth strategy, you have to stop hiring based on "sexy" tools and start hiring for the soul of your mission.
Hiring "Sexy Tools" Instead of a "People Person"
One of the most common mistakes in hiring church staff is over-allocating budget to production and "cool factor." We hire an expert sound engineer or a virtuoso worship leader because we think excellence on stage draws a crowd.
However, stage excellence only satisfies people for about 90 days. After that, they want to be known.
The most underrated hire in the country is the Connections Pastor. Unlike a "First Impressions" leader who just puts greeters at the door, a Connections Pastor wakes up every day thinking about one thing: How do we move someone from the parking lot to a deep, meaningful friendship? If your budget goes to lights before it goes to connection systems, your church will have a "leaky bucket" problem.
Hunting for a "Unicorn" on a "Green but Good" Budget
Through the research at One39, we’ve identified four distinct tiers of talent:
- Green but Good: High potential, little experience. They’ve done an internship and shown promise, but they haven't been "beaten up" by ministry yet.
- Battle Tested: 3–5 years of experience. They’ve got the scars and the stitches to prove they can handle the pressure.
- Rockstar: 7–12 years of experience. They know leadership, they’ve seen growth, and they don’t need their hands held.
- The Unicorn: 15+ years of experience. They hold a mic in one hand and a toilet brush in the other. They are the "needle in five haystacks."
The mistake? Most churches write a job description for a Unicorn but offer a salary for someone who is Green but Good. When you set unrealistic expectations for a lower-tier hire, you aren't just wasting money—you’re setting a young leader up for burnout and disillusionment.
3. Hiring "Green" Without a Development Culture
Hiring a "Green but Good" leader is a fantastic move if you have a culture of development. If you don't have the time or systems to do book studies, leadership exercises, and spiritual coaching, that "Green" hire will actually cost you more in the long run than a "Rockstar" would have.
Key Wisdom: "Hiring a good but green employee will cost you more money than the battle-tested or rockstar if you don't have a development culture. You see the upside, but you can’t develop them, and in six months, everyone is frustrated." — Chris Spradlin
Build a Team That Scales
Your hiring strategy must work in tandem with your Church Staffing Ratios. If you are hiring the right people but giving them the wrong tools, you’re still going to hit a lid. To keep your "People Persons" focused on people, you need to automate the "Tools."
Simplify Your Systems with Tithely. Stop making your staff do manual data entry. Give your new Connections Pastor the tools they need to track every visitor and follow up instantly.
Transparent Pricing for Every Church Size
Don't hire in the dark. Download our Ultimate Church Salary Guide to see the 2026 salary benchmarks for every tier—from Green to Unicorn—and ensure your next hire is a "mission-fit."
VIDEO transcript
In the climb to reach more people, most pastors eventually face the "Urgency Trap." You have a vacancy in the youth department or a soundboard that no one knows how to run, so you write a check to fix the immediate pain.
But as Chris Spradlin from One39 points out, writing a check for what is urgent rarely fixes what is important. If your church has hit a plateau, the reason might be sitting in the seats of your staff meeting. To build a healthy church growth strategy, you have to stop hiring based on "sexy" tools and start hiring for the soul of your mission.
Hiring "Sexy Tools" Instead of a "People Person"
One of the most common mistakes in hiring church staff is over-allocating budget to production and "cool factor." We hire an expert sound engineer or a virtuoso worship leader because we think excellence on stage draws a crowd.
However, stage excellence only satisfies people for about 90 days. After that, they want to be known.
The most underrated hire in the country is the Connections Pastor. Unlike a "First Impressions" leader who just puts greeters at the door, a Connections Pastor wakes up every day thinking about one thing: How do we move someone from the parking lot to a deep, meaningful friendship? If your budget goes to lights before it goes to connection systems, your church will have a "leaky bucket" problem.
Hunting for a "Unicorn" on a "Green but Good" Budget
Through the research at One39, we’ve identified four distinct tiers of talent:
- Green but Good: High potential, little experience. They’ve done an internship and shown promise, but they haven't been "beaten up" by ministry yet.
- Battle Tested: 3–5 years of experience. They’ve got the scars and the stitches to prove they can handle the pressure.
- Rockstar: 7–12 years of experience. They know leadership, they’ve seen growth, and they don’t need their hands held.
- The Unicorn: 15+ years of experience. They hold a mic in one hand and a toilet brush in the other. They are the "needle in five haystacks."
The mistake? Most churches write a job description for a Unicorn but offer a salary for someone who is Green but Good. When you set unrealistic expectations for a lower-tier hire, you aren't just wasting money—you’re setting a young leader up for burnout and disillusionment.
3. Hiring "Green" Without a Development Culture
Hiring a "Green but Good" leader is a fantastic move if you have a culture of development. If you don't have the time or systems to do book studies, leadership exercises, and spiritual coaching, that "Green" hire will actually cost you more in the long run than a "Rockstar" would have.
Key Wisdom: "Hiring a good but green employee will cost you more money than the battle-tested or rockstar if you don't have a development culture. You see the upside, but you can’t develop them, and in six months, everyone is frustrated." — Chris Spradlin
Build a Team That Scales
Your hiring strategy must work in tandem with your Church Staffing Ratios. If you are hiring the right people but giving them the wrong tools, you’re still going to hit a lid. To keep your "People Persons" focused on people, you need to automate the "Tools."
Simplify Your Systems with Tithely. Stop making your staff do manual data entry. Give your new Connections Pastor the tools they need to track every visitor and follow up instantly.
Transparent Pricing for Every Church Size
Don't hire in the dark. Download our Ultimate Church Salary Guide to see the 2026 salary benchmarks for every tier—from Green to Unicorn—and ensure your next hire is a "mission-fit."
Sign Up for Product Updates
Chris Dunagan is a marketing strategist focused on church tech and digital engagement. He helps churches grow through SEO, email campaigns, and tools like Tithely and Breeze ChMS, with an emphasis on online giving, content strategy, and digital outreach.
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