May I ask a few questions that I would have for you if I were interviewing for this position?
1. What is the salary?
2. What are the hours? Are there business hours?
3. What job responsibilities will have?
4. Are funerals, weddings, non-Sunday morning services paid or included in the salary?
5. How are taxes taken out? Will I be a full employed person by the church with benefits (Social Security, FICA etc...) or will I be a self employed contractor? I'm sure that you know that self employed people are taxed heavier than employees...
6. Will I be paid weekly, bi-weekly or on the 15th and the end of the month?
7. What is the evaluation process? Explain to me how the pay raise system works in your church.
8. Is there a 90 probationary period?
9. Please explain the leadership chart and where I would fall in that chart.
10. Please explain the termination process. Most churches have a 2 week policy. If you leave the church you have to give them 2 weeks to give them a chance to find someone else. If the church asks the musician/M.O.M. to leave they have to either pay 2 weeks salary or require the musician to play the last two weeks.
There are other considerations that come into play concerning the philosophy and beliefs of that particular body. There are somethings that I wouldn't put up with no matter how much the pay is (Pastor-worship/15 offerings/questionable prophecies/stance on female preachers etc...) but on the business end those are things that I have to know as soon as possible.
Of course the church musician would lead the interview because no one knows better than him/her about what they need. I hope the board listens to his/her suggestions because if the two can't work together then the board will be meeting again to interview another church musician if you know what I mean...
MrSparrow
