When interviewing a pastoral or ministry candidate, employers should leverage the interview to answer two critical questions:
- Does the applicant have the experience, skills, or potential to thrive in this role?
- Does this applicant seem like a good fit for the culture of the church or ministry?
Top-notch candidates will be both capable and compatible. Be careful not to let highly capable candidates join an incompatible team or highly compatible candidates take on a role in which they are not capable of thriving.
Each question category below is marked as either capability or compatibility. Ensure that interviewers are aware of the role’s requirements and the ministry’s culture. More resources are available at https://alumni.dts.edu/career-services-new/churches-and-ministries/.
Faith Journey (Compatibility)
- Tell us about when you decided to follow Jesus.
- Tell us about your faith journey since you became a believer.
Family Life (Compatibility)
- Tell us about your family.
- What are some ways you balance ministry and family? What are some ways your employer could support your priorities?
- What role does your family expect your spouse (if applicable) to take?
Style and Culture (Compatibility)
- How would you describe your relational style? What are some strengths of your style, and what are some challenges?
- Tell us about a time when you resolved a conflict well.
- Describe your ideal ministry team. With what personality types do you work well?
- How do you react when someone gets credit for work you have done?
- How do you respond to criticism, both fair and unfair? Describe a time you received unfair criticism. How did you react?
- What do you do in your spare time? What hobbies do you have?
Logistics (Capability)
- What other roles are you considering?
- What kind of schedule (studying, meetings, counseling) do you anticipate?
- Are you planning to pursue further education?
- Why are you leaving your current position (if applicable)?
Experience (Capability)
- Tell us about your formal education and how it prepared you for this role.
- Tell us about any informal education or training that prepared you to take on this position.
- Tell us a bit about your work history.
- What previous jobs have prepared you for this role?
- What responsibilities have you enjoyed in your previous roles?
- What responsibilities have you not enjoyed in your previous roles?
- Describe your counseling experience.
- Describe your teaching experience.
- Describe your approach to budgeting and finances.
- Describe your experience with recruiting and training volunteers.
- Describe your experience with evangelizing and discipling new believers.
Vision (Compatibility)
- Tell us your vision for this role.
- If we were to give you free reign, how would you structure this ministry?
- What spiritual gifts has the Lord given you?
- What is your ultimate vocational goal? Where do you see God leading you five years from now. Ten? Twenty?
- How long are you looking to stay in this role?
Leadership (Compatibility)
- What are some major lessons you have learned in ministry?
- What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of your current ministry?
- What would your pastor/elder team say are your strengths and weaknesses as a ministry leader?
- What are the responsibilities of this role that you would least enjoy?
- How do you stay current with ministry ideas and practices?
- Describe some individuals who have had an impact on your ministry. What did you learn from them?
- What are two or three books that impact your ministry?
- Who are some of your favorite authors, speakers, or theologians?
- How would you order the following in terms of your ministry priority? Why?
a. Evangelizing
b. Discipling
c. Counseling
d. Developing programs
e. Developing lay leadership
f. Fellowship
g. Supporting and engaging with missions
Doctrine (Capability)
- Are there any parts of our doctrinal statement that you could not affirm? If so, what parts and why?
- Share the gospel with me.
- What is your view of the Bible?
- What is your preference for church government?
- What is your conviction concerning sign gifts, such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healing?
- What are your beliefs on divorce and remarriage? What marriages will you officiate, and which will you decline?
- How would you describe your style of preaching (if a preaching role)?
- How do you define the word “inerrant” as it relates to the Bible?
- Are there any books of the Bible you would not use when preaching?
- What is your view on baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit?
- What percentage of the church’s budget do you believe should be devoted to foreign or domestic missions?
- What are your expectations for deacons and elders? Who should be allowed to take on those roles?
- Who should join or be a member of the church?
- What is your view on the following:
a. Eschatology
b. Eternal security of believers
c. Atonement
d. Calvinism and Arminianism
e. Baptism
f. The Lord’s Supper
g. Preaching
h. Heaven and hell
i. Tithing
j. Women’s roles
k. Alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, etc.
