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by Rick Labate rickl@pcsda.org
You may or may not be responsible for finding and vetting potential pastors to work in your conference. If this is one of your responsibilities, the protocol in your conference can vary from speaking with a pastor to ascertain interest in a call on the front end of the process, or in some conferences you may speak with the pastor only after the name as passed all required committees. If this is one of your responsibilities then the following questions may prove helpful. The questions are divided into speaking directly with the pastor first (interview) and speaking only with those who know the candidate but not to the pastor (vetting).
Pastoral Interview Questions
1. What do you like best about your current ministry?
2. What do you like least about it?
3. Tell me about an average “good day” in your ministry. An average “bad day.”
4. Describe the best person who worked with you or for you, or for whom you worked?
5. What brings you 80 percent of your pleasure, joy and fun? Why?
6. Tell me about your spiritual journey. How does this position fit with God’s working in your life?
7. What makes you interested in coming to this church/conference?
8. What are your expectations of a board? What do you hope they will be and do for you?
9. What do you see as your main strengths and weaknesses?
10. What is one area you would like to grow in professionally? Personally?
11. If you could divide your time between people and tasks, what would be a good split for you?
12. Tell me about a time when you felt you reached your peak performance.
13. If anything were possible, what would you like to be doing in ten years?
14. Missionary Eric Liddell says in the movie Chariots of Fire, “When I run, I feel His pleasure.” How would you fill in the sentence, “When I _________ I feel His pleasure.”
15. Tell me about a time when you had a conflict and how you handled it.
16. Tell me about a time you were criticized and how you dealt with it.
17. Tell me about a time your sense of humor, or taking yourself less seriously helped you.
18. Who are two or three people that serve as role models for you?
19. What do you have “an unscratchable itch” for?
20. What principle(s) are most responsible for your success?
21. What is your personal motto/vision? Vision? Values?
1. Membership growth of Church(s)
2. Attendance
3. Tithe
4. Baptisms (un-churched vs. churched, biological, )
5. Equipping events/training provided
6. Assimilation Process/systems
7. Discipleship—definition/plans
8. Evangelistic Meetings/lifestyle or event
9. Benchmarks evident
10. Evangelism events or process
People to talk to
•Employer/President / VP of Administration / VP of Finance
•Treasurer
•Other pastors who know candidate
•Past or current lay leaders
•Ministerial director
Questions
1. Are they on time to meetings?
2. Does he or she make excuses?
3. Is he/she a team player?
4. What makes them a great employee? Average employee?
5. Is there evidence of spirituality?
6. Evidence of leadership—what type of leader?
7. Are they supportive of Christian Education—how?
8. Does this individual understand mission/vision/values?
9. How would they identify candidate with excellence, quality?
10. Time management/balance—put in a good week of work, questionable?
11. To ask the conference treasurer
1.How are they with their personal finances—debt, no issues?
2.Do they ask for cash advances?
3.Is there church on time with payments/ remittances/reports
4.General sense of professionalism
12. What are the top strengths that come to mind when you think of this pastor?
13. What are the main areas in which growth could still take place?
14. What are their gifts and interests in evangelism?
15. Describe their interpersonal skills.
16. How does he/she correlate with needs of potential church(es)?
17. Is there evidence of their walk with God? How would you describe it?
18. What was the biggest change this person has made and what was the result?
19. Who is someone on the other side of the issue I can speak with?
20. Talk to me about their pulpit ministry.
21. Are they effective in training, equipping, and administration?