---
title: Should You Hire Internally at Your Church?
description: Discover the advantages and drawbacks of hiring internally for your church staff, gain valuable insights on making the right hiring choices, and learn how to foster long-term success and growth for your church in this informative blog post.
image: https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/Should%20You%20Hire%20Internally%20at%20Your%20Church.png
---

[Skip to content](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/church-staff-hiring-internal-pros-cons-podcast-138#main-content)

[![cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95.webp?width=342&height=95&name=cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95.webp "cropped-chemistry_logo_homepage-342x95")](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/)

- [How We Help](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/what-we-do/) 
    - [How We Help Candidates](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate/)
    - [How We Help Churches](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/church/)
    - [Our Team](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/team/)
    - [Our Mission & Strategy](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/what-we-do/)
- [Churches](https://chemistrystaffing.com/church) 
    - [Hire New Staff](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/2021-churches-new-staff-hiring/)
    - [Free 30-Minute Church Consult](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/)
    - [Chemistry Solutions – You Don’t Have to Do Ministry Alone](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/solutions/)
    - [Final Fit Assessment](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/final-fit-assessment/)
    - [Senior Pastor Succession](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/succession/)
- [Job Seekers](https://chemistrystaffing.com/candidate) 
    - [Add My Resume / Profile](https://chemistry.fyi/kwq)
    - [Current Openings](https://chemistrystaffing.com/jobs)
    - [Free Resume Assessment](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/free-resume-self-assessment/)
    - [Step-by-Step Job Search](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/cjb)
    - [How Chemistry Can Help](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate/)
- [Resources](http://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate/) 
    - [Free Playbooks & Downloads](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/resources/)
    - [Chemistry Blog](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/)
    - [2024 Youth Pastor Compensation Survey](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/resources/2024-yp-compensation-survey/)
- [Contact Us](http://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/) 
    - [Candidates](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/candidate-contact-page/)
    - [Churches](http://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/)
- [Find a Job](https://chemistrystaffing.com/jobs)
- [My Church is Hiring](https://www.chemistrystaffing.com/lets-talk/)

[Staff Hiring](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/tag/staff-hiring)

# Should You Hire Internally at Your Church?

Discover the advantages and drawbacks of hiring internally for your church staff, gain valuable insights on making the right hiring choices, and learn how to foster long-term success and growth for your church in this informative blog post.

![Hiring Internally](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/Should%20You%20Hire%20Internally%20at%20Your%20Church.png)

# The Pros and Cons of Hiring Internally for Your Church Staff

Making the right hiring choices for your church sustains its activities and ensures church growth. Though hiring internally might seem like a tempting proposition, it's not always the best move.

## Advantages of Hiring Internally

When considering hiring from within your congregation, several distinct benefits need to be considered.

1. **Cultural Fit:** Internal hires already understand your church's values, traditions, and quirks. The cultural fit might already be excellent, meaning they might require less onboarding than an external candidate.
2. **Buy-In:** A member of your church is already invested in your mission and vision. As they're likely serving as volunteers, the feeling of attachment they have with your mission adds to their commitment.
3. **Loyalty and Commitment:** Hiring internally can inspire a higher level of loyalty and commitment, leading to a longer tenure and less turnover.
4. **Cost-Effective:** Internal hires may require less training and could be willing to accept lower salaries initially. There's also no need for relocation costs.

## Drawbacks of Hiring Internally

While hiring internally can deliver many benefits, potential pitfalls exist:

1. **Limited Candidate Pool:** You might not have someone with the right skill set within your congregation for the position.
2. **Bias and Favoritism:** It could be challenging to evaluate internal candidates objectively. Added to this, the situation can lead to power dynamics that might create tension within your team.
3. **Lacks Fresh Perspective:** Hiring within the church may lead to a lack of new ideas or challenges to the status quo.
4. **Potential Skill Gaps:** Internal candidates may lack the formal education or experience required for the role.

## Deciding on Internal Hires

When choosing to hire internally or externally, consider the specific skills necessary for the role, think about the willingness to delegate authority or support to this person, and weigh the long-term benefits and risks.

Importantly, ensure the bias or relationship does not cloud your judgment. Be ready to invest in training for the internal hire and make the best decision based on the role, candidate, and needs of your church.

In conclusion, hiring internally can be a great strategy for some situations, provided the candidate fits the role and the church's ministry. Ensuring this alignment fosters long-term success and growth for the church.

To gain deeper insights into the hiring process, listen to [today's Healthy Church Staff Podcast episode](https://www.buzzsprout.com/2210840/15404797). The episode explores the advantages and disadvantages of hiring internally, offering practical advice for church staffing process.

### [![Todd Rhoades](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/883a0d42581424e9bbe7c77dccfeed6b) Todd Rhoades](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/author/todd-rhoades)

Todd has invested over 30 years in serving churches, having served as a worship pastor for over 15 years, a church elder for more than a decade, and in various ministry leadership roles in both the business and non-profit sectors. As the original founder and developer of ChurchStaffing.com, Todd fundamentally changed the way thousands of churches search for pastors and staff on the internet. Todd is a graduate of Cedarville University, and lives in Bryan, OH with his wife, Dawn.

[![Facebook Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/facebook.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/toddrhoades3) [![Twitter Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/twitter.svg)](https://twitter.com/toddrhoades) [![Linkedin Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddrhoades/) [![Website Author](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/web.svg)](http://chemistrystaffing.com/todd-rhoades)

## Latest Resources

Browse Articles

![What's Actually Killing Your Church? The Surprising 250-Year Diagnosis](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/blog-images/featured/featured_158.png)

#### What's Actually Killing Your Church? The Surprising 250-Year Diagnosis

Church decline isn't what you think. Discover what's really threatening the church today vs. 1776 and the 1900s—and why low numbers aren't ...

![What's Actually Killing Your Church? The Surprising 250-Year Diagnosis](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/883a0d42581424e9bbe7c77dccfeed6b)

###### Todd Rhoades

July 07, 2026

![Stop Apologizing for Small Groups: Why Your ](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/blog-images/featured/featured_126.png)

#### Stop Apologizing for Small Groups: Why Your "Failed" Bible Study is Actually a Discipleship Goldmine

When attendance drops in your small group discipleship ministry, don't panic. Discover why smaller groups create deeper disciples and stron...

![Stop Apologizing for Small Groups: Why Your ](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/883a0d42581424e9bbe7c77dccfeed6b)

###### Todd Rhoades

July 06, 2026

![Stop Screening Out Your Best Candidates: Why Competency Matters More Than Seminary Degrees](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/hubfs/blog-images/featured/featured_142.png)

#### Stop Screening Out Your Best Candidates: Why Competency Matters More Than Seminary Degrees

Church hiring practices may be filtering out incredible candidates. Learn why competency should trump credentials in your ministry staff se...

![Stop Screening Out Your Best Candidates: Why Competency Matters More Than Seminary Degrees](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/883a0d42581424e9bbe7c77dccfeed6b)

###### Todd Rhoades

July 06, 2026

[![Elements Logo](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/logos/logo.svg "Elements Logo")](http://chemistrystaffing.com)

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consecteturor adipiscing elit. Tincidunt donec vulputate ipsum erat urna auctor. Eget phasellus ideirs.

###### Menu

[Home 1](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/home/1)

[Home 2](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/home/2)

[Home 3](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/home/3)

[About 1](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/about/1)

[About 2](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/about/2)

[Contact 1](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/contact/1)

[Contact 2](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/contact/2)

[View More](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/)

###### Company

[Team v1](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/team/1)

[Team v2](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/team/2)

[Team Member](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/team-member)

[Pricing 1](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/pricing/1)

[Pricing 2](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/pricing/2)

[View More](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/)

###### Resources

[Blog v1 cms](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/blog)

[Blog v2 cms](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/blog)

[Blog Post 1 cms](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/blog/elements-blog-2-0-0-1-1)

[Blog Post 2 cms](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/blog/elements-blog-2-0-0-1-1)

[Case Studies](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/case-studies)

[Case Study](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/case-study)

[View More](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/)

###### Landing Pages

[Form v1](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/form-landing-page/1)

[Form v2](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/form-landing-page/2)

[Simple Form](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/simple-form-landing-page)

[Full Screen Video](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/full-screen-video-landing-page)

[eBook v1](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/ebook-landing-page/1)

[eBook v2](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/ebook-landing-page/2)

[Webinar](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/webinar-landing-page)

[Conference](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/conference-landing-page)

[Schedule a Demo](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/schedule-a-demo-landing-page)

[View More](https://blog.chemistrystaffing.com/)

[![Visit facebook](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/facebook.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/) [![Visit twitter](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/twitter.svg)](https://twitter.com) [![Visit instagram](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/instagram.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/) [![Visit linkedin](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/linkedin.svg)](http://www.linkedin.com/) [![Visit youtube](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/youtube.svg)](https://youtube.com) [![Visit telegram](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/telegram.svg)](https://telegram.org) [![Visit whatsapp](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/8768169/Elements/Theme/icons/social/whatsapp.svg)](https://whatsapp.com)

Copyright 2026 | Chemistry Staffing