When Your Church Staff Becomes a Refugee Camp

The Healthy Church Staff Podcast

The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
When Your Church Staff Becomes a Refugee Camp
Jun 11, 2026 Episode 634
In this episode of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast, Todd Rhoades discusses how churches often become centers for healing trauma rather than fulfilling their mission. He emphasizes the importance of hiring individuals who have processed their pain rather than those still entrenched in it, encouraging a mission-first approach in staffing. Rhoades explains the risks of creating a staff culture focused on shared trauma and offers strategies for transitioning to a mission-driven environment. • Staff meetings can sometimes become therapy sessions due to church trauma. • Churches often become sanctuaries for recovering personnel, inadvertently prioritizing healing over mission. • Hiring is frequently based on personal pain rather than potential. • Shared trauma can dominate team culture, hindering future planning. • It's vital to hire individuals who have healed from past experiences. • A mission-driven approach ensures a forward-looking staff environment.

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