I shall always prize a man from a church in southern Illinois. He was the chairman of a pastor search committee, and he came to visit with me prior to arranging an interview for the whole committee. He attended our church (in a major metropolitan area). He had lunch in our home (in a large suburb). At the end of the weekend, he asked, “How long do you think you could live in a community of 5,000 people?” We ended the process there.
What I appreciated about this man is what I would like to see more often in the search process: he knew his church and his community, he took time to learn about me, and he did it in person.
Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?
Then why do so many search committees approach the task like a posse rounding up train robbers? These deputized amateurs mean well, but they often show the finesse of Gabby Hayes. Their work should be stealth-like, but everybody in town knows what they’re doing. There’s no way seven strangers can sneak into a worship service unnoticed. And sometimes, their operation ends with a lynching.
After 25 years as a pastor with experience on both sides of the search process, I have a few recommendations.
Find out how it’s done
Your goal is to find a godly pastor of proven character who fits your church, one with leadership gifts and skills to accomplish God’s plans for your church. No matter how thorough your search, there is no guarantee. You could end with a mismatch. But with much prayer and some sensible guidelines, you may locate a leader who is well-suited for your church for this time.
That process begins with honest assessment. Search committees are convened infrequently (we hope) and are not usually populated by people with past experience. Most are not skilled in hiring, but must serve as human resources directors. They are not theologians, but will ask theological questions. They do not run a church, but have to evaluate someone for their ability to do so. They usually operate on the basis of what they “like” and “do not like.”
That being the case, it would seem best to get good counsel, from more than one source, on how to proceed. Denominational leaders can be helpful. Pastors of other churches make good coaches, too.
DNA test your church
The first thing many churches do when the pastor leaves is take a survey: what do we need in a pastor? Before you do that, the committee must understand that every church has a distinct culture. Take some culture samples.
Use surveys cautiously. They are valuable if the leaders of the church “guess” at the results first, then compare those with the actual findings. This shows how well you know the church. They are valuable if an outside leader or consultant helps you know what to look for.
One church took a survey, and it revealed one thing: they lived in their past. Every area of perceived strength was from their golden days, and those were long over.
How do you know who you are? It’s not easy. We tend to talk a good show. My key: actions reveal reality, not words. Forget the mission statement; it’s a dream. What people have done recently shows what they think is important.
It’s important to involve new people. They often see you more clearly than you see yourself. Above all, get face-to-face, form home meetings, be personal.
Here are a few simple questions to get at actions:
What are the most popular programs of the church? (Don’t tell a prospective pastor you are a praying church when no one comes to pray, no one stops to pray with another, and there is minimal prayer in Sunday school.)
What do members of the church get upset about? (People argue about things that violate their DNA, even if it’s convenient parking). Along this line, what was the last argument about at the board meeting?
What happened to the last person who changed the program—sang different songs, modified the schedule? (This shows if you are open to change.) Was it easy to make the change? Did people get angry?
What have been the longest-term successes of the church? (These are your potential “idols.”)
What has been the length of tenure of pastors? Of staff members? Have you had more than a few angry departures?
Ask members to describe what the people of the church do with their time. Describe what the budget is spent on. (If the members hang out with each other and spend all their spare time in the church, then don’t talk about being concerned for evangelism.)
The church’s DNA most likely comes either from a long-term pastorate or from a highly negative or positive experience.
I was close to accepting an invitation to candidate at another church. A good friend, who had attended the church while in graduate school, knew the church well. It was a wonderful group of people, she said, with over sixty years of admirable history. Nevertheless, she noted, no pastor had ever served more than seven years, and most terms were much shorter.
I asked the committee about this history, which they dismissed as irrelevant. This was a matter of not having the right pastor, they said. They wanted long-term ministry but never found the man who fit. I doubt it. That behavior pattern is usually an indicator of the church’s DNA.
After you have checked the DNA, determine what the church needs in a leader. Cynical friends of mine say churches always pick someone who is the opposite of their previous pastor. Great doers follow great teachers and great teachers follow great doers.
The exiting pastor can offer insight. One pastor told his board that there were a few qualities he had built into the church that they should not change. They ignored him, brought in a total contrast, and took the church through years of pain and conflict.
Sometimes you speed up
Someone has convinced search committees that the only way to get a full pool of names is to solicit resumes from every pastor in North America. Now Internet accessibility has made this solicitation simpler—and complicated the whole process. One church I know received 500 resumes.
There is a better way.
Take time to talk to people who know pastors. Contact folks who both know your church and know candidates who are worth pursuing. If you do not know people who can make those recommendations, start with seminary presidents or professors, or pastors of churches nearby.
Get their top recommendations and make them your short list. Another church I know looked at only ten possible candidates. No need to purchase a new file cabinet to house all the resumes.
One church told me, “You are one of four we are interviewing. We will complete our process in six weeks and let you know where you stand.” And they called me on time!
On the receiving end, I can tell you it is wonderful to get a personal letter soliciting your resume. “We received your name from Dr. X and he recommended you highly. Are you interested?” Boy was I interested!
Since the Internet Age has arrived, use it to get names. Then stop using it. Make your contacts with candidates personal and speedy.
Here is a true story.
A church advertised its opening through an Internet posting. Interested prospects were advised to send in resumes via e-mail attachment. The search committee then directed them to a website for “all their questions to be answered” and to complete an online questionnaire. In addition, candidates were asked to mail in sermon tapes. Two months later, there was a phone call—not to get acquainted, but just three minutes to ask permission to contact references.
A month after that an e-mail arrived, noting that the committee had appreciated “getting to know” the pastor but they would be choosing someone else.
May I say it directly? Make your communication personal. Get voice to voice as soon as possible. Good communication requires it. And resumes can’t tell the whole story. I have seen many search committees make an entirely wrong assessment of a resume. Get the person on the phone before making conclusions about “no go” signals—age, education, doctrinal convictions. When I look for staff, after a preliminary assessment of the resume and a recommendation or two, I make a call. Personal is good.
Next, meet face to face as soon as you think the person is a good possibility. One church sent me one letter, telling me I had been recommended. They asked me to respond to “one question” if I was interested. I responded. They called two weeks later and apologized for taking so long! I can still hear that conversation, “Mark, we think you are one of our top possibilities. We do not like to spend much time with mail and phone calls. Would you come out for a visit, at our expense, no strings attached?” Wow, this committee knew how to communicate!
When I visited, I had time with every member of the committee individually and with the whole group. I met with staff members in a discrete way. They put me in a nice motel. They rented me a car. They gave me a clear schedule. I had a number to call if I needed to reach them.
I ended up being their candidate and the process continued with this level of professional and personal care, including flowers in our room when we arrived!
Dying in the “process”
Timing is an issue. A bureaucratic “process” can mean losing an opportunity. If someone rises to the surface, follow up now, even if it violates your methodical plan of attack.
One search process I shared in brought to us a man recommended by two thirds of our sources. We debated whether to scuttle our multi-step process and go for him. We did, and we were glad we did. He was being interviewed by others. His hope was to work with us, but he was going to take what came first.
When you have a short list, don’t keep the candidates waiting.
Answer the tough questions
Whether your church addresses its problems during the interim or saves them for the new pastor, be prepared to ‘fess up to them. Tell candidates the truth about who you are.
Every church has a history. Every church has limits to what it will change. Instead of “We are looking for a new leader to take us into the future” how about this: “We are an established church that is fairly committed to a formal pattern of worship and adult Sunday school. We may get used to drums, but forget the rock and roll. And our idea of good worship is where people use their hands to hold their hymnal.”
That I can buy.
Tell me the building needs repair or remodeling. Tell me the parsonage has an outhouse. Don’t cover your warts. I am far more attracted to humility and honesty than to a place dressed to kill.
And don’t go on too long about your “potential.” Every church has “potential,” which means “the things we should be doing but aren’t, and we hope getting new pastor will get us to do what we’ve haven’t wanted to do so far.” Potential is rubbish. If it is real opportunity, why isn’t someone doing something about it already?
Here is an inside secret for a search committee. Those of us who are experienced are looking for a church that has the right answers to these questions:
Do you have any problems? (If you tell me “we all have problems,” I am heading to the airport fast. Tell me, “Yes, we had a staff member who we hurt deeply by treating him poorly” or “We have a changing population in the neighborhood.” These I will buy.)
How long have you had these problems? (Not long, I hope, or you have not a problem but a dysfunctional church.)
What have you done to fix them? (Do not say, “Well, it’s all in the past now, we are moving on.” I want to know what you did to make it right.)
First you hold hands
Here’s one more place to slow the process, just a bit. If possible, make the candidating with the congregation a two-Sunday process
I have done this at two chuches. It was invaluable. I came, I preached. I spent the week with members and committees in many settings. When I preached the next week, these were now people I knew.
The goal was as much time with as many different people as possible. This is courtship. What’s the rush? I can say that reality begins to come through about Friday of the week. Questions emerge repeatedly. Attitudes are seen. You get to see the candidate under pressure and he gets to see you in your own living room. This makes for a good decision.
Mark Lauterbach is a church planter with Sovereign Grace ministries in Washington DC.
Copyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information onLeadership Journal.
