A study of church leaders, volunteers, and members on the use of volunteers in the church

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of church volunteers, leaders, and members on the use of selected human resource principles with respect to church volunteers.;Nine focus groups were surveyed across the country, namely Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. Eighty three participants, church leaders, volunteers, and church members were studied using a focus group interview technique and a pre and post written survey. The research instruments required subjects to provide their perceptions on the use of selected human resource principles in the church environment with respect to church volunteers. Those principles were open recruitment, training, supervision, evaluation, and rotations/transfers of volunteers. Participants also submitted their views as to how these human resource principles should be put into practice, and they identified the benefits and challenges of using the focus interview method.;An analysis of the data revealed that: (1) The practice of open recruitment of church volunteers would be welcome in churches and volunteers would respond favorably to such an effort. (2) The training of new recruits and periodic training updates of existing volunteers is both expected and desired by all subjects. (3) Church volunteers should be appropriately supervised. (4) Church volunteers should be evaluated. (5) Rotating or transferring volunteers into other positions is supported by all subjects. (6) All groups and all regions have basically the same opinions in support of all five human resource principles studied. (7) The use of the focus group interview sessions as a research instrument was found by the subjects to be valuable in stimulating worthwhile information, ideas, and debates and in promoting better working relationships.