Can I Have Six Months to Find Another Job?

A Denominational Missions Agency Story and Personal Reflections

Can I Have Six Months to Find Another Job?

It was February 1983. I was called into my boss’s office at the Home Mission Board (HMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention in Atlanta.

I began working for this missions agency almost two years earlier. 1982 was my first full year.

When I entered my boss’s office, a couple of other people were there. Our division director and an associate vice president.

I was the agenda.

I spent too much money traveling during 1982. In fact, I matched my salary with the money I spent on travel.

Did they call $24,000 in Atlanta a salary?

The annual travel budget for people at my staff level was $10,000. I knew that. I also knew they asked me to get a national strategy launched in large metropolitan areas throughout the nation.

The people confronting me were long termers. They came to the HMB during the era when they would travel for a couple of weeks at a time.

I am glad I did not work for the HMB during those years.

They were aware I would fly to a city or two and then turn around and come home within three days. They said I needed to take longer trips and stay over weekends rather than coming home.

That may have been good during their era, but my generation and the ones to follow it would not do this.

My Travel Pattern

I traveled 125 days in 1982. I kept careful records as I was aware I was spending missions contributions from the churches of our denomination.

My daily cost for airplanes, rental cars, lodging, food, plus travel to and from the Atlanta airport was under $200. I also stayed at reasonably priced hotels and ate on a moderate budget.

They still pressed me to change my travel pattern.

I had a four-year-old and a one-year-old at home. My wife had them all the time with a limited budget due to the cost of living in Atlanta. My responsibilities to and love for my family required more days at home.

My Push Back

I reminded the HMB leaders they asked me to get this national strategy launched, I was careful with my travel costs, and I had a family who needed me.

They appeared unmoved.

Then I asked, “Would you be willing to let me have six months to find another job? I am unwilling to change my travel pattern because I need to be home more.”

This shocked them. They knew I meant it. They dismissed me and stayed in my boss’s office a few more minutes.

My boss later said I had made a good case to them.

However, I went home not knowing if I would have a job the next day or not.

The Response

Days later the response came. I did not need to change my travel pattern. If I could be careful about my travel, they would appreciate it. They accepted the case I made.

I was as concerned as they were to limit my travel. The previous year was a very heavy year in getting the national strategy launched.

Within another year I reduced my days out of Atlanta to 100 and my nights away from my family to 80.

This was tolerable for me, my family, and HMB.

But Then . . .

. . . within a few months I was approached by a regional denominational executive about moving from a national position to a high-ranking state position that would take my family to South Carolina.

Just when we got to where we could reasonably handle the travel!

We came to South Carolina and have been here since 1985 except for a five-year assignment in North Carolina.

Interestingly, the person who replaced me suffered from what was called the travel illness. He traveled 200 days per year.

People with the travel illness cry every time they see an airplane take off and they are not on it.

In our denomination the travel illness was also known by the name of a denominational worker who was always on an airplane going somewhere.

We would laugh about it in my group of closest ministry colleagues. We had all arrived at airports from time-to-time and this person was being paged over the airport loudspeaker.

I never had this illness. I was always glad to be home.

I did stop taking the overnight “red eye” flights from the west coast to get home, as my wife had to keep the kids quiet the next day so I could sleep.

Reflections from George:

First, whether a person is functioning in a national or international denominational role, a regional or local role, or in the most important role—local church ministry, figuring out how to balance time and energy between ministry and family is always a challenge.

We ought to always be challenged by the pressures and speak up about the expectations ministry places on us compared to the expectations our family deserves to place on us.

Only retirement has ultimately allowed me to put my time pressures into a reasonable balance.

Second, the travel illness is real. Over my almost 50 years of denominational and consultant travel, I have seen many people with the travel illness. It became very easy to recognize.

I always wondered what was going on at home that they did not want to be there. What were they doing with their down time arriving a day earlier and staying a day later than everyone else?

I recall financial irregularities, sexual acting out, alcohol and substance abuse, and side businesses on their church or denominational time and budget.

A couple of guys I knew could write a restaurant guide to every village, town, and city in their assigned geographic area. They also were the only two guys I ever knew who drove luxury cars no one else could afford.

When I was a close enough friend to anyone with the travel illness, I sought to engage them in conversation. I always found denial. At least until an incident happened to expose them.

Your Reactions:

How are you handling—or did you handle—these dual expectations for your life and ministry? I welcome your comments below.