Let’s say that you want to serve God’s church as a Catholic priest. If that job were to be listed as a help wanted ad, the position description and accompanying detail might appear as follows:
Position:
• Pastor or parochial vicar
Key accountabilities:
• Shepherding hundreds or thousands of members to a close, personal relationship with God Almighty;
• Profit and loss responsibility for finances and effective cash flow management (pastor);
• Profit and loss responsibility for members’ souls;
• Operating within established organizational guidelines;
• Management and supervision of staff and volunteers covering a wide array of roles and responsibilities;
• May include supervision and spiritual and management development of parochial vicar (pastor);
• Other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.
Successful candidate will demonstrate:
• Respect, compassion and the patience of Job for people in a wide variety of circumstances;
• Strong self-starter/self-management attributes with the wisdom of Solomon;
• Commitment to lifelong learning and study from ancient texts up to and including modern literature;
• Effective interpersonal skills with people of all ages and backgrounds;
• Effective communication and presentation skills;
• Excellent listening, counseling and peacemaking skills;
• Strong teamwork and delegation skills;
• Effective planning and organizing habits;
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and adapt openly and quickly to crisis and change;
• Ability to excel in a long hours, low pay position.
Job description:
Large multinational organization is looking for a results-oriented self-starter to lead and manage a local operation and members within the geographic area it serves. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic organization instituted before 100 A.D. and operating in every corner of the planet.
Candidates must be able to demonstrate a history of commitment to the teachings of Roman Catholic Christian tradition; encouragement and consolation of members, their families and friends; effective interpersonal, communication and teamwork skills; and a skilled planner and organizer.
The position’s key result areas include meeting and exceeding leadership and management expectations of a wide variety of members and occasional guests; balancing the fiscal budget to meet organizational goals and objectives while managing cash flow for optimal operation; maintaining and enhancing the beauty and functionality of the location’s physical plant; operating from standardized procedures with other responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.
You will be expected to be in prayer for a substantial portion of each day as outlined in the manual provided.
A post-graduate degree is required for consideration to fill this position. Experience in living a life of faith is a plus.
If you’re looking for an eight-hour per day/40-hour per week and head out the door position, you need not apply. Sixty-hour work weeks are common. You must be available for long weekend hours as this is when members, their families and guests will gather at your location.
Your ability to speak effectively in front of large groups will be critical to your success. Your ability to listen with discernment and without rushing to judgment will serve you well in this position.
Your single day off per week is not guaranteed, since you’ll be on call at odd hours for crisis and emergency visits to private homes, assisted care facilities and hospitals.
Compensation includes a modest salary, below $25,000 annually, which is under $12.50 per hour based on a 40-hour work week and less than $8.50 per hour for 60 hours per week.
Room, board, health insurance and modest retirement plan are provided. You will be responsible for your own reliable transportation, particularly for those positions managing and serving multiple locations.
Short-term rewards for this position often arrive as intangibles, from the smiles of joyful children and the silent gratitude of a family in mourning to a kind word or an offer to help from an empathetic member.
Eternal rewards can be significant based on your faithful and obedient response to God’s specific calling and consistent application of your God-given talents and gifts.
Carroll is an entrepreneur and consultant based in Mt. Pleasant. Contact him at john@johncarroll.com or follow him at twitter.com/johnearlcarroll.