The Search

Introduction

The Career Services Office at DTS desires to connect students and alumni with potential employers. Our goal is to facilitate introductions and conversations between our graduates and potential ministry fits. We refer ministries to graduates and graduates to ministries while encouraging the ministries and graduates to vet one another. Ministries and candidates must both take ownership of the interviewing process. Our office promotes a systematic and orderly search process, but that process also requires those searching for candidates to apply wisdom and discernment. This guide, The Search, outlines that orderly process. While written to aid search committees looking for a senior pastor, many of the steps apply to other positions. By following an objective process, a church increases the probability of encountering a good candidate. Ultimately, the search process requires trusting God’s leading and that he is the one who provides leaders who bring him honor and glory.

The normal search process ranges from eight to eighteen months. The church needs time to say goodbye to the former pastor, prepare to receive a new leader, and initiate the search process. Your church’s constitution or bylaws may call for an established timeframe before initiating the search. This is also a potential time to hire an experienced interim pastor.

After establishing a search committee, the process can be divided into three main areas.

Who are WE? Developing a church and pastor profile
Who are THEY? Finding and evaluating candidates
Who is THE ONE? Choosing the pastor

Consider other questions as you initiate the search. How long did the previous pastor occupy the position? (A longer interim period may be needed if the previous pastor had a long tenure.) What were the circumstances of the pastor’s departure? Other variables unique to your church may influence how the search is conducted.

Step 1: Establish a Search Committee

The search committee serves an essential role—discerning the right person to shepherd the flock, facilitate the vision, and set practical goals for the church. The committee should decide on an overall plan for the pastoral search process, and, along with church leadership, identify and confirm that pastoral responsibilities are delegated for the interim. The leadership should also review the employment status of associate staff and discuss this process with them. Keep the staff informed.

Practical steps when establishing a search committee follow.

Select the committee members.

The smaller the committee, the better. We recommend an odd number of members, preferably five to nine individuals. The larger a committee, the more complex and time-consuming the process can be, and its effectiveness may be diminished. The makeup of the committee should reflect the church while simultaneously consisting of mature individuals who will represent the entire church at large and not their particular agendas. The committee members should demonstrate strong spiritual maturity, experience in ministry, and a solid biblical foundation.

Select the committee officers.

There should be at least a chairman, a vice-chairman, and a recording secretary. A financial secretary may be needed depending on the scope of the search.

Establish a regular meeting schedule.

To be effective, plan to meet weekly, especially at the beginning of the search process. You can always cancel unnecessary meetings. Meet for one to three hours at a time to discuss progress and individual candidates.

Consider that pastoral prospects are not likely to wait for months and months if other opportunities become available. The regular weekly meetings will allow quick responses to candidate inquiries.

Establish search committee guidelines.

A set of well-defined guidelines ensures orderly and fair meetings. Establish an agenda of items to cover at each meeting.

Establish voting rules and procedures.

Seek consensus on all matters. Decide how unified the search committee must be to proceed with a proposed action. If one member strongly disagrees with a decision, the matter should probably be set aside until full agreement is reached, or until some alternate decision can be reached.

Consider preliminary parameters.

Determine the limitations or parameters your church needs to consider; these may include finances, church appeal, community appeal, and doctrinal position. Make a simple list of desirable pastoral traits. These preliminary parameters are general characteristics to be refined later, but they help focus the committee and its communication.

Items to be considered for your list should include the biblical leadership qualities such as those outlined in I Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9. You also need to consider the candidate’s theology or doctrine. Do they hold to the core doctrines that make up orthodoxy? Do they agree with the church’s stance on secondary matters such as certain viewpoints concerning salvation or eschatology? If they disagree with the church’s stance on secondary matters, are they capable and willing to not cause division, or will they stir up strife over issues not related to orthodoxy? Will the candidate’s geographic location hinder their regular involvement in the life of the church? What is an appropriate salary range for the candidate? Take their needs, marital status, the size of their family, and the salary level needed to live in your area into consideration. What level of education have they received, and what is their level of experience? What is their denominational background? Is that background compatible with your church? Is the candidate willing to operate according to your church’s model of governance and constitution? What spiritual qualities do they possess? How might those spiritual qualities complement your church?

Establish a budget.

A pastoral search costs money. Establishing a separate pastoral search fund provides a clear budget for the search process and allows for accurate financial reporting to the congregation. Provide periodic accounting of those funds. Monthly reporting to the pastoral search team and church leadership provides sound financial accountability.

In establishing the budget, ask the following questions.

How many contacts do you anticipate?
How many prospects do you hope to eliminate from the selection process?
How many prospects might you arrange to visit the church?

Arrange a fund for the search process. Secure leadership approval and establish the account with appropriate checks.

Tip
Pray!

Step 2: Develop a Church Profile

Developing a profile of your church will bring things to light. It should reveal both strengths and weaknesses to the church’s leadership and its members. A self-administered congregational survey can add to the reflection process, culminating in the creation of a church profile. It is helpful to include information about the general community in which the church is located in the church profile as well as information about the actual church.

Honest self-evaluation aids everyone, both your church and the candidate. Reflecting on your church provides you with insights into its inner workings. What kind of pastor would complement the strengths already present within the church? What kind of pastor might strengthen areas of weakness? Your reflection also shapes your church profile, allowing candidates to better discern if they would be a good fit for your church. An honest self-evaluation increases clarity for the search committee, making it more likely that they will choose a better match. Make sure the church profile is an honest representation of the church, not just a representation of what the search committee would like the church to be. The more time you spend understanding your church’s identity, the easier the rest of the process will be. The final decision will be more confident if you put in the hard work of clearly seeing who you are.

Community Profile

How would you describe the community (rural, suburban, urban, small city, etc.)?
What are the school districts like? What is their proximity to the church?
What is the current population of the city?
What are the population trends for the city (growing, plateauing, declining, etc.)?
What are the main types of industry and/or businesses present in the community?
What ethnic groups are represented in the community?

Church Profile

What is your ministry direction and philosophy?
What are your current ministries?
What is your church culture (relaxed, formal, white-collar)?
What are the strengths of the church? What do you do well?
What are the weaknesses of the church? Where do you need to change and grow?
What is the average age of church members?
What is the composition of the church (men, women, children, teens, singles)?
What are the possible challenges of the next five to ten years?
What is your form of church government?
How does your church respond to change?
How do you reach and impact your community?
How is your worship style best summarized (blended, traditional, contemporary)?
How would you describe a typical church member?
Why does your church exist?
What would you say you are “for” as a church? What are you “against” as a church?
How do you grow people spiritually?
What are your general expectations of a pastor? Describe desirable traits such as, “the pastor should be. . . visionary, a good expositor, one who can form a bridge between a variety of cultures.”
What makes up your mission program?
What is the history of the church?
What pastors have previously served the church and for how long?
How would you describe your leadership structure and style?
Are there any plans for future expansion?

Step 3: Develop a Pastor Profile

Define the objectives of the position.

It may be helpful to assign all your objectives to one of three areas: preaching/teaching, shepherding/nurturing, and leadership/administration. On a scale of one to ten, how important is each area to you? What do you want your pastor’s strengths to be? If you find someone who is strong in two out of the three areas, you probably have a good pastor.

Preaching/Teaching

To what kind of preaching style is the church accustomed?
Does the church expect more of a preacher or a teacher?
What would a preaching schedule look like?

Shepherding/Nurturing

Is the pastor expected to spend time with every member when there is a crisis?
Will the pastor be expected to do all hospital visitations?
Is the pastor expected to visit all new visitors and do the work of an evangelist?
Can the pastor be quiet and withdrawn in private if his sermons are great?
Should the pastor meet with the leadership regularly, both one-on-one and in meetings?

Leadership/Administration

Is the pastor the primary change agent in your church?
How will the pastor be expected to lead?
What is the relationship between the pastor and elders or the church board?

Write a job description.

This job description should be more realistic than idealistic: what a person could do in the time available and with normal expectations. It reflects the real needs of the congregation and the desired future mission of the church.

Be specific. The right match can only happen when the true character of the people and a pastor are known and made as objective and quantifiable as possible.

Make a list of the non-negotiable qualifications.
Make a list of the desirable qualifications.
Determine the necessary education requirements.
Determine the necessary experience requirements.
Determine the skills and strengths the candidate should possess.
Determine what kinds of personality traits complement the congregation.
Define the specific terms and explain in detail what you mean by certain terms, phrases, and words. In other words, when you say, “We are interested in evangelism,” what exactly do you mean?

Tip!
Keep the main thing the main thing! According to Psalm 78:72, the candidate you choose should have “integrity of heart” (character), and “skillfulness of hand” (competence).

Outline the compensation package.

Below is a list of some components included in an average compensation package. It is helpful for both you and potential applicants to give a compensation range at the beginning of the process. It is important you discuss the total compensation package with your final candidates before offering them the position.

Basic personal income (includes base salary and housing allowance)
Retirement benefits
Insurance (medical, term life, disability, dental/vision, professional liability, long-term care, renter’s insurance for the items in the parsonage if provided)
Ministry expenses (reimbursements) including travel/auto, convention/conference, continuing education expenses, books/periodicals, other professional expenses, and hospitality costs

For our full-time job board, we require a compensation range. Even if you are not sure what the minimum compensation would be per month or are hesitant to enter the actual number, we ask that churches enter a realistic number (both the lower-end and higher-end can be on the lower but still realistic side). A compensation range aids potential candidates as they determine whether or not a job can support their family’s needs. Candidates are also hesitant to apply for jobs without salary ranges since they cannot see a concrete example demonstrating the church’s level of employee investment or care.

Tip!
The former pastor shared life experiences with the members that no subsequent pastor can. Constant comparison with the former pastor is unhealthy. There may be expectations that the new pastor will do the same things as the previous pastor. Surfacing these expectations will help eliminate a difficult transition.

Step 4: Find Pastoral Candidates

Once the church’s needs are identified through the church and pastor profiles, the search committee outlines the qualifications of the new pastor. These qualifications serve as the basis for finding and contacting pastoral applicants. Make sure the search committee and church leadership are on the same page.

Secure names and resumes from the congregation.

The search committee now accepts names of potential candidates and recommendations of referral sources from the congregation. Many people within the congregation have contacts and networks that can provide the names and resumes of potential candidates. A general request can be made to the people at large with a recommended cut-off date for receiving the information.

Secure names and resumes from top schools and seminaries.

Contact seminary and Bible college placement offices regarding prospective candidates. According to your church’s doctrinal statement and background, determine which schools are most appropriate for securing the names of potential candidates.

Network with other churches, Christian leaders, and pastors.

Contact known Christian leaders and pastors who may be aware of a larger pool of good, available candidates.

Seek denominational resources.

Contact denominational officers, leaders, superintendents, and area directors. They may know pastors who desire a change but have not informed anyone else.

Stress the importance of confidentiality.

Remind the search committee of the significance of confidentiality. Some potential candidates may not want their names publicized.

Develop an information packet.

The search committee should develop an information packet for interested applicants. Include the church and pastor profiles, the church’s vision and mission statements, the doctrinal statement, a copy of the church budget, and the church’s constitution and bylaws. General information about the compensation package should also be included.

It is also appropriate to include information about the community, city, and state. You can get most of this information from the local chamber of commerce.

Designate committee members to contact candidates and ask if they would be willing to receive an information packet regarding the church and position.

Step 5: Evaluating Prospective Candidates

ROUND ONE

Compare your church and pastor profiles with potential candidates to eliminate individuals who fail to match your profiles. Obvious areas of elimination include glaring differences in theology, ministry philosophy, and church governance. This step in the search process requires churches to exercise wisdom as they weed out candidates who are clearly not a good fit. Keep everyone in the congregation informed concerning the committee’s progress.

Evaluating a Resume

Is the resume organized? Does it follow a logical, concise pattern? If your church is informal and creative, look for creativity in the candidate’s resume.

The resume should provide enough information to identify whether or not a candidate matches your church and pastor profiles. Be observant and look for exaggeration or vague statements needing clarification.

A well-thought-out format and structure indicate that a candidate is potentially a neat and organized leader who applies careful thought and organization to their personal study, sermon preparation, and leadership.

Learn to look for what is missing, especially concerning personal information. The resume should provide information about the person’s conversion, calling, family, and personal walk with the Lord. Contact the institution(s) listed to better understand the degrees candidates hold.

Tip!
Ask only those questions that will help you evaluate the candidates in this round. You can also ask for a video of a recent
message. If you ask for more information, you might want to send them a thoughtful note or gift to let them know you appreciate their time. Remember this process is a ministry.

ROUND TWO

Contact the remaining candidates for availability. Some may have taken another church or decided not to pursue a change of ministry. Send information about the church and position to candidates who indicate they are available. You may want to use a questionnaire or an application to ask important questions and obtain valuable information. There may be many qualified candidates but not all will be a good fit for your ministry.

Use initial telephone contacts to screen and evaluate prospective candidates. Face-to-face meetings usually occur after you have made at least two phone contacts—one individual phone contact followed by a conference call. The key to successful telephone contacts is to prepare in advance. Plan your questions but be flexible; leave room to engage in unanticipated discussions that are important to you and the candidate. Phone or virtual meeting conversations should generally last between thirty and sixty minutes.

The first individual phone interview will reduce the number of potential candidates significantly. Learn as much as possible about a candidate through phone contacts before a face-to-face interview. Review important areas to get a sense of common ground and to indicate whether or not they will fit with your ministry. Doing so will aid the committee in understanding the candidate’s personality, sense of humor, and desire to pursue the process further. After phone conversations, narrow down the number of candidates (ten to twenty) to allow the search committee to focus on candidates who are a good, potential match for the church. Determine an appropriate time and place to interview the candidates.

Generally, search committee members call between 7 and 9 p.m. during the week—usually at the candidate’s home number unless otherwise directed. Every search committee member should share in the responsibility of personally calling the candidates.

Keep the candidates informed of their standing throughout the process. Acknowledgment of the candidates is important in each step of the search. If the process extends over a longer timeframe, maintaining open contact guards against candidates feeling strung along.

A list of questions to ask candidates during your phone conversations and interviewing process is available here.

Following the First Phone Contact:

Determine if there was a good match between the candidate and the church profile. Is this candidate a good “fit” for your church?
Decide what new questions arose that need answering.
Determine what areas need further clarification.
Determine if the candidate should be kept in the pool or eliminated. Remember to write letters to candidates who are no longer under consideration.
Determine the references to be contacted.
Establish who on the search committee should do the reference check, which takes place in the next round.

ROUND THREE

Review the candidate’s completed application and questionnaire (if you chose to use one or both). View or listen to their sermon(s) as a group or as individuals, whichever is appropriate. Schedule a follow-up meeting or conference call with the entire search committee to discuss the candidate’s materials or other questions that have surfaced. At this point, try to narrow the list down to your top two or three candidates. Once again, keep the congregation informed about how the committee is proceeding in the search.

Evaluating all Material

If there are gaps in the ministry or employment history, ask the candidate about those stretches of time for clarification and understanding.

Review the educational accomplishments of the candidate. Be certain you are familiar with the schools and courses of study the candidate completed. You may want to verify the degree or courses of study with the school(s) indicated on the resume.

Note personal interests, hobbies, and skills that might reveal more about the person and their match potential.

Family information, spouse background, and personal interests reveal personal values, character, and how candidates relate to others.

Always be aware of inconsistencies between the provided information and your working knowledge of your church. Address those inconsistencies as soon as possible to foster a greater likelihood of a good match.

Evaluating a Sermon

What does the passage or topic reveal to us?
What does the passage mean?
How does it apply to me?
Was the exposition true to the text?
Was the presentation clear and easy to follow?
Did the candidate possess a natural and appropriate sense of humor?
Was there a spiritual passion that flowed from a personal walk with God?
Did you learn anything from listening to the sermon?
Would you pass the sermon on to someone else?
Would you listen to that person again?

Checking References

Ask the potential candidate for permission to call their references. Call the references and ask questions that surfaced during the interview process. Ask each reference for another reference that may not be listed on the resume; go two references deep. Call the references’ references. Talk with prior employers and churches listed on the resume. Make sure you ask tough questions designed to surface relevant information.

Ask the candidate’s permission to conduct both a criminal and credit background check.

Tip!
Remember, this process is a ministry from start to finish. Communicate often. Send progress notes, and letters of both acceptance and rejection. A servant spirit should pervade every action the search committee makes. Be sensitive to the candidates and their
family situations. Help them feel special.

ROUND FOUR

The search committee narrows the search down to one candidate. Take time to observe the candidate in their environment. It is also appropriate to fly in the candidate and spouse for a short visit to determine if the process should go forward. This visit allows time for further dialogue with the entire search committee and the opportunity for the candidate to observe a worship service. Remember the prospective candidate is also seeking God’s will to determine if this is where they should minister.

If the brief visit confirms a good match, and there is a unified and positive response from the congregation, then the search committee may offer to host the candidate for a few days.

Avoid putting your final candidates in the awkward position of bringing up compensation. Your final candidate or two should know the details regarding salary, benefits, insurance, and/or a housing allowance.

Choosing the Pastor

Give the candidate and the congregation the schedule with dates, times, locations, and expectations. Inform the candidate and their spouse regarding the type of expected dress, the places where they will stay, and the names of the individuals who will assist them. This should be an encouraging time of ministry and understanding. The ministry happening at this time should reflect the true nature of the church and the candidate.

The church and candidate should have shared values and culture. A church and pastor are a great deal like a large family where real acceptance and cooperation flow from a relationship that begins with common interests and develops over time through shared life experiences.

Selecting a pastor and offering the position should be a unanimous decision among the search committee and the leadership. Total agreement is non-negotiable when it comes to doctrinal issues, philosophy of ministry, the purpose of the church, and the style of worship. One candidate should be presented to the church for the position.

When the candidating period ends, the leadership and/or congregation should vote in accordance with the church’s constitution or bylaws. The results of the vote should be shared with the candidate, giving him the opportunity to accept or reject the call. When the call is accepted, the leadership should immediately establish the details involving the start date, the move, and how the congregation will support their new pastor and their family throughout the process. Announce the decision to the congregation and remember to contact everyone involved (schools, denominations, etc.) to let them know the position has been filled.

You have a wonderful opportunity to sense God’s leading and provision through your pastoral search. May God richly bless you and your church.