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Nonprofit church based in Dallas, with one local location and 164 D-FW employees.
It may not seem like church work has much in common with a pro baseball or football team. But Ben Lovvorn, executive pastor at First Baptist Dallas, sees a parallel — especially when it comes to the hiring process.
Seeking to fill key positions for its “world-class team,” the 156-year-old church conducts searches on a nationwide basis, he said. Those searches culminate in multiple meetings with existing employees to ensure the candidate is a good fit.
“We view our staff like a professional sports team,” said Lovvorn, who holds a doctorate in Christian Leadership in Ministry. “We’re going to think about the role that needs to be filled. Then we’re going to go out and recruit the very best person we can find to play that position.”
Above all, First Baptist employees are united in a “shared calling,” or mission, “to transform the world with the truth of God’s word, one life at a time,” Lovvorn said. “Even as our methods change over time, the message and the mission never change.”
Workers enjoy competitive salaries and benefits as well as considerable autonomy in their positions, he said. There’s also a focus on staff development and leadership training at First Baptist, as well as pro-family policies that include “generous paid time off” and child care at reduced rates to support working parents, he added.
The perks and policies seem to have struck a chord with church employees:
- “Microcommunication is encouraged, and micromanagement is discouraged. Performance buys freedom, and expectations are communicated often and with clarity.”
- “It’s inspiring to see how things are done with such excellence every day.”
- “I love my job because I am a part of something much bigger than any one person or even the organization itself.”
- “There is cohesion, synergy and collaboration within the workplace.”
First Baptist suffered a devastating blow in July, when a massive fire destroyed its historic, red-brick sanctuary. But the tragedy failed to dampen the church’s “spirit of optimism,” Lovvorn said, and the church has selected a Dallas-based firm to rebuild the structure.
“Even in the midst of the crisis, I think our staff is more enthused, more optimistic and more excited about the days ahead than I’ve ever seen them,” he said.