Logistics > Pastoral Search Committee Process

by Rick Labate rickl@pcsda.org

Ministerial directors often meet with churches when a pastoral vacancy occurs. Their job then becomes important in helping to ascertain the best pastoral fit for the church or district. Ideally a pastor’s strengths should meet the church’s needs. If such a match is found, this can be a good indicator of the possible future success of the church under a potential pastor's leadership. It can also play a large part of the professional and spiritual fulfillment of the pastor. While it is important to always follow the protocol of one’s particular conference, the following questions can be useful when meeting with a church to ascertain their needs for pastoral leadership:

•“What are the greatest strengths of the church?

•What’s working well?” This question is important because the next pastor would not want to tear down what is working well.

•“Is this a place where someone can find a friend?” Almost every church will say they are a friendly church, but sometimes they are often only friendly to one another. How would a new person feel?

•“What is your preferred future? What needs to happen, change, begin or end in order for this church to be what you believe God wants it to be?” This question helps the search committee dream as to how things can be better. It also helps churches to begin to understand that some necessary changes and growth usually need to occur.

•“What pastoral characteristics are needed to help make the previous question a reality? “At this point search committees will often begin to romanticize about the next pastor in two ways: (1) they will often forget exactly what they just mentioned in the previous question and think of well-known pastors and their gifts and skills. It is important to ask them the question when they bring up a characteristic, “Does that trait help you to achieve one of your preferred future items in the previous question?” (2) they will often formulate a list of so many glowing and excellent characteristics that there is no human alive who could live up to the list. It is important at this juncture to help them see if their list is truly realistic. It is also helpful to have them prioritize the characteristics helping the search committee to understand that if they can get a pastor with two, three or even four of the top characteristics they have done well.

•“Any pastors come to mind who fit the answer to the third question?” At this point the MD will take names. This is not primarily for the purpose of those names being a probability but rather it tells the kind of pastor they are really looking for.

As you begin to work with a church in finding a new pastor, make sure you are well acquainted with the actual hiring and placement in your conference so that you will not overstep important boundaries in the process.