Churches should consider using a severance agreement when a decision is made to dismiss an employee. This legal memorandum provides guidance regarding whether, when, and how severance pay may be provided to church employees who are terminated from church.When parting ways with an employee, it's important to have a signed contract. Use our free and fillable severance agreement template today. A severance agreement is a contract that an employer may ask an employee to sign when they are terminated from a job. NOTE: The following termination agreement is a very basic template for churches and pastors to use strictly as a resource. Termination of staff shall take effect with at least four weeks' notice, or payment of equivalent salary in lieu of such notice. A severance agreement usually includes information on severance pay, the continuation of benefits and details on the legal responsibilities of both parties. We've created a sample employee termination form for church leaders. This download includes: Download the form here.