"Sorry, Pastor, we have been so busy," the woman said. "One of the deans is getting a book ready for publication and our energies have been focused on that. We'll send your resumé out as soon as we can." I hung up the phone wondering why I had paid the placement fee.

Another service lectured me on how I needed to be patient. It had been three months since they had sent my resumé to a church. "There are a limited number of churches looking for a pastor," they said.

I shared my frustrations with a fellow pastor. He said, "Try the Internet."

Using the phrase "church placement," I found several sites that specialized in placing ministers. I clicked on one of the links. My computer screen was filled with opportunities. It was overwhelming. Several listings caught my eye. Within an hour or so, I had sent my resumé, a family photo, and my philosophy of ministry to 25 churches. Traditional methods and placement services would have taken six months to contact that many churches. The next day, I received ...