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PASTOR SEARCH COMMITTEE SUGGESTIONS
PREPARED FOR CHURCHES
IN
Simpson County Baptist Association
Johnny Sykes, Director of Missions
120 Simpson Baptist Drive
Mendenhall, MS 30114
Office: 601-867-9600
SEARCH COMMITTEE GROUND RULES TO CONSIDER BEFORE BEGINNING SEARCH
1. Agree that your discussions will be confidential.
2. Agree that you will not bring any man before the church until all of the committee is in agreement.
3. Agree that only written recommendations will be considered…Verbal recommendations are difficult for you to remember all the details.
4. Agree that all information will be available to entire committee.
5. Agree that men who recommend themselves will not be considered.
6. Agree on a percentage of vote necessary for calling the pastor (unless your constitution already speaks to this, if it does, you need to know about it.)
7. Agree to keep the church informed as needed, (example, we are working, praying and visiting prospective men, other details are not needed at the moment)
Code of Ethics for Pastor Search Committee Members
All those who have been privileged to become involved in this search certainly realize their fellow members have placed great confidence in them personally and spiritually. Each one should be encouraged and called to a solemn sense of responsibility. We covenant together to preserve a prayerful and effective service for our Lord in every aspect of the matter before us.
We will pledge to pray daily for each other and to remain in a constant vigil for matters in our congregation that may encourage or discourage our assigned task:
1. We pledge to speak plainly and with honest intent regarding all matters to be considered.
2. We will not knowing withhold thoughts or reports that bear impact upon our task, but with
careful attention to the honor and testimony of our brothers and sisters, we will offer a fair and
factual statement to the committee in session for the purpose of its deliberation and counsel.
3. We pledge to receive all information, discuss all information, and meditate upon all information with a confidence that each speaker has spoken to the common good, without intent of harm or hurt to persons present or absent. We will look for the common encouragement found in each challenge, and we shall resist the temptation, should such arise, to think less of one another.
4. In all matters, our concern shall be first to seek our Heavenly Father's will and submit attentively in prayer to His direction.
5. In order to protect the integrity of our covenant, we pledge to uphold all confidentialities.
6. We undertake this task as a spiritual challenge and recognize our personal and corporate need for prayer and wisdom in order to fully accomplish our work in the Lord.
Checklist for Pastor Search Committee’s First Meeting
1. ___Review the duties and responsibilities of the committee..
2. ___Determine the process of selecting someone to preach during the interim time.
3. ___Determine committee officers: chairman, vice-chairman, and recording secretary, (a correspondence secretary might also be needed). Take good minutes at every meeting!
4. ___Discuss the considerations listed in "Getting Organized as a Search Committee", and review the "Code of Ethics" with the entire committee.
5. ___Determine the place and time for weekly committee meetings. The importance of attendance at meetings should be stressed.
6. ___Determine how often you will report to the congregation.
7. ___If at all possible, schedule a committee retreat (one or two days) away from the church in a relaxed setting. Such a retreat would provide the committee a significant advantage for praying and developing personal and working relationships.
8. ___Pray for one another. A specific covenant of prayer should be adopted:
Seek the Holy Spirit to guide in the process.
Pray for each member to be able to function in their secular responsibilities; in family matters; and
pray that God will protect the committee from distractions.
Pray that committee members will communicate with honesty and with love in all matters.
9. ___Determine when to conduct the Church Questionnaire (Appendix 3 – Church Questionnaire).
Develop, distribute, review, and report the congregation questionnairethat seeks to determine the
expectations of the congregation regarding the next pastor.
The questionnaire would include both personal factors (age, education, experience, etc.) and pastoral
tasks (visitation, preaching, teaching, administration, etc.)
First Report to the Congregation
Announcement: "Thank you for your confidence in us. Please pray for us as we seek to serve the church in this capacity."
Confirm the preaching arrangements for the interim period and call the congregation to special commitment during this time.
Distribute the Pastor Search Questionnaire to the congregation.
("This questionnaire will help us determine your expectations for our next pastor.”)
Your Search Committee will use the profile we gain from this questionnaire to help narrow the list of potential pastoral candidates.
Pastor Search Committee Expenses
Understanding that there will more than likely be expenses related to securing the next
pastor, the following guidelines should be followed:
1. All expenses should be coordinated through the chairman of the search committee.
2. Reimbursement should only be expected when there are receipts submitted to the
church.
3. It is recommended that the cost of the Pastor Search Committee would come from the
line item in the church budget: Pastor's Salary or other related line items. However, it
would be wise to save as much of the pastor's salary for moving expenses for the pastor
your church will select, since there probably is no provision in the budget for these related
expenses. The pulpit supply/interim pastor expense can also come from the Pastor's
Salary line item.
4. A monthly allotment should be established early in the search. If it appears that expenditures will exceed the monthly allotment, church approval should be received prior to
financial commitment, if at all possible.
5. Reimbursements should be expected for the following items:
A. Transportation, meals, and lodging of the search committee for trips to interview a
prospective pastor. (A suggested amount for automobile expenses would be the
allowed IRS expense per mile – 50.5 cents per mile in 2012).
B. Postage expenses related to the search.
C. Telephone expenses related to the search. (The church phone should be used as
much as possible to call the candidate. Should the candidate call, it would be good
to offer to call him right back so he would not have to pay for the call.)
D. Transportation, meals, and lodging for the candidate to and from the church field.
(A suggested amount for automobile expenses would be the allowed IRS expense
per mile – 50.5 cents per mile in 2012).
6. Any other expense related to searching for a pastor that is approved by the church.
The committee should be fair and frugal with expenses. The search could last for several months.
Putting Together a Church Information Packet
Make assignments to committee members to put together a packet of information on the church and
community. Have several copies of the packet available to send to each viable candidate about the time you schedule your first interview visit. It should include items such as: Copy of church budget, church constitution and by laws, personnel policies, any policy and procedure
manuals, etc.
Chart of organizational responsibilities.
Copies of past newsletters and / or bulletins that give an indication of the types of activities in which your church participates.
Copy of your latest church calendar.
Copies of the last few monthly financial statements.
Any church brochure(s) you may have.
Information about the parsonage, as applicable (size, age, features, location, picture, floor plan, color scheme, drapes, carpet, etc.)
A simple drawing of your present facilities with a list of statistics about the building.
Any future plans voted on by the church that would affect the future of the church (you may want to include copies of your last few business meetings.
Church statistics for at least the last five years (preferably ten years) to give the candidate information
about your church (available from the ACP – Annual Church Profile).
List of organizations in the church.
Copy of the latest church picture directory.
Information about your town/area (contact the chamber of commerce).
WHAT KIND OF PASTOR DOES YOUR CHURCH WANT?
One way to find out is to ask them.
1. I want my pastor to be fulltime_______ part time_________.
2. The age I prefer is younger than 25 (specify)______26-35_______ 36-45_______46-55_________55 and up (specify)_______.
3. Marital status…..I would prefer married_______single_______.
Would you consider a pastor who has been divorced? Yes_____No______.
4. Education: My pastor should have:Some College_______A College Degree_________
A Seminary Degree_______ A Doctorate_______.
5. His strongest area of ministry should be:Preaching_______Teaching_______Counseling_________Pastoring_____.
Evangelism_________Missions________Administration________.
6. Would you consider allowing your pastor to attend school? Yes_______No______.
7. Experience (check one)
No previous experience________5 years_______10 years______ 15 years________More than 15_________.
List any other characteristics you would like considered________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________.
Names of ministers you would like to have the committee consider.
______________________________________________________________
Other questions could be added, just keep it brief. It would then be given out during Sunday School/Worship and then returned quickly.
Example
Dear Brother_____________________________,
Your name has been given to the Pastor Search Committee of
The name of your church for consideration as we seek a pastor. Naturally, we
do not know of your desires or availability.
Should you be open to our consideration, we ask that you complete the
enclosed form and return it to us as soon as possible. Please be assured that
we will keep this information confidential and bathe it in prayer.
Join us in prayer that all of us, both you and our church will know God.’s
will in this matter.
Sincerely,
Clerk, Pastor Search Committee
Your Address
Enclosure/questionnaire
Letter to Candidate's References
Send this to the references noted on the resume.
Enclose a self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope for return on church letterhead
Dear Mr. Reference:
The Pastor Search Committee of ____________ Baptist Church has been given your name as a reference for Rev. ____________ who is a candidate for Pastor of this church.
Our committee is particularly interested in your evaluation of this candidate and will be awaiting your earliest reply before proceeding with further consideration of this candidate.
We would greatly appreciate your forthright and honest opinion of his current and past ministry, as you know it. Please rest assured we would handle your comments with the utmost care since we recognize the importance of so doing. Any narrative or additional information you might give us beyond the questions asked regarding his pastoral skills, giving both positive and negative factors, would be very insightful and useful to this church.
The committee would appreciate it if we could have this vital information in the next 15 days.
Thank you for your help and please join our church in prayer that the church and the man will
know God's will when He calls.
Yours in His service,
Chairman, Pastor Search Committee
____________ Baptist Church
encl: Personal Reference Information Form
Personal Reference Information Form
_____________ Baptist Church
(Address)
Reference for: _____________________________ Form Completed by:_____________________________
THE ABOVE NAMED INDIVIDUAL IS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE POSITION OF __________________________________________________. PLEASE
ASSIST OUR SEARCH COMMITTEE BY ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AS FULLY AND AS OPENLY AS POSSIBLE. YOUR ANSWER WILL BE
HELD IN STRICTEST OF CONFIDENCE.
1. How long have you known the candidate and under what circumstances have you known him?
3. What do you consider his weaknesses as a pastor?
4. What can you tell us about his family?
5. How does the family contribute to his ministry?
6. Are there any problems relating to their children that would be distracting from his ministry?
7. In what capacity of the church have you particularly worked with this pastor? Circle one or more: Sunday School, Discipleship Training, Deacon, WMU, choir, committee, Baptist Association, Convention, member, other (specify)_______________________________________
How did this pastor relate to you and your group in the area of your involvement as mentioned above.
8. Does this prospect's sermons have substance? Are the sermons delivered in a manner which holds the attention of the congregation?
What do you consider his strengths as a pastor?
9. Additional comments:
Please give the contact information of at least one other person who could provide an objective appraisal of this candidate.
Name: ___________________________ Address: _______________________________________
Phone: ___________________________ Email: ________________________________________
COUNSELOR
The pastor should be an effective counselor, setting aside a portion of his time for counseling, and making referrals when appropriate.
DENOMINATIONAL RELATIONS
The pastor should be knowledgeable of and concerned about our church's efforts to cooperate and maintain historic values with sister churches in missions, education, evangelism, and other denominational activities.
EVANGELIZER
The pastor should be involved personally in evangelism, sharing the gospel with those inside and outside the church.
LEADER
The pastor should be a leader capable of inspiring, encouraging, and motivating church members to use their time and talents in doing the work of the church.
MISSIONARY VISION
The pastor should be excited about his calling to the ministry and to our church, should exhibit a vision for doing God's work here, and should enthusiastically share it with the church. The pastor should support home and foreign missions, be aware of local community needs and lead the church in ministering to these needs.
PRAYER AND WORSHIP LEADER
The pastor should arouse all people to prayer. His worship leadership should help members and those attending services to experience worship in both the church services and their personal lives.
PROCLAIMER
Each sermon should have substance and should be delivered in a manner which holds the attention of the congregation. He must prepare well and then forth-tell God's Word from the pulpit.
STUDENT
The pastor should have an ongoing program of study (including, but more than personal Bible study & prayer) to develop new skills and knowledge and participation in activities which renew his physical, emotional, and spiritual energy and zest for his ministry.
VISITOR
Within the limits of his time, the pastor should visit the church membership, including times of hospital care, grief, personal crisis and joy. The pastor should be friendly, approachable, and personable and should relate well to each age group in the church.
SOME QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK
1. Tell us of your conversion experience.
2. Tell us of your call to preach.
3. Tell us of your education. Where? How much?
4. How much pastoral experience have you had? Where? Who are some people that we could talk with about your ministry? Names & Addresses. Do you have nay problems with us checking?
5. What are some of your doctrinal beliefs?
a. Inspiration of Scriptures
b. Eternal Security of the believers
c. Ordaining women
d. Speaking in tongues
e. Divine healing.
What do you believe about authority in the Church? Should the pastor have total
authority? The Deacons?
6. Where do you fit in the denominational controversy?
7. Do you use Southern Baptist literature?
8. How do you feel about the Cooperative Program?
9. How do you feel about the local Association?
10. Are you the husband of one wife?
11. Do you have any financial problems that might embarrass the church?
INITIAL INFORMATION & QUESTIONAIRE FORM
Last Name____________________________Middle Initial:______First Name___________________
Candidate Preferred:__________________________Spouse Name_____________________________
Address:_______________________________City________________State:_________Zip_______
Daytime Phone: ( )_________________________Evening Phone: ( )______________________
Mobile Phone: ( )____________________________E-Mail:______________________________
SPECIAL INFORMATION
___Yes ____No Have you or your spouse ever been divorced or had a marriage annulled?
___Yes ____No Have you or your spouse ever been arrested or indicted for a felony?
___Yes ____No Do you or your spouse drink alcoholic beverages or use illegal drugs?
___Yes ____No Do you or your spouse live such a lifestyle that it could be an embarrassment to the church?
___Yes ____No Are you aware of a health issue that could hinder you from performing as a pastor?
___Yes ____No Do you object to having a criminal and credit background check done?
If you reply “yes” to any of the above items, give an explanation in writing on the reverse side of this page or attach an explanation if more space is needed.
BELIEF AND PRACTICE STATEMENT
___Yes ____No Do you agree with the statement including the statement that the Scriptures are “truth without any mixture of error”?
___Yes ____No Do you believe that the miracles and historical events recorded in the Bible actually occurred?
___Yes ____No Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the virgin-born Son of God who died for our sins, rose bodily from the grave and is coming again?
___Yes ____No Do you recognize immersion of believers as the scriptural mode of baptism?
___Yes ____No Do you agree that the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture?
___Yes ____No Do you actively engage in personal evangelism?
___Yes ____No Do you give regularly (tithe) to your church and encourage others to do so?
___Yes ____No Will you lead the churches of the association to participate in the Cooperative Program?
If you reply “no” to any of the above items, give an explanation in writing on the reverse side of this page or attach an explanation if more space is needed.
Signature:______________________________________Date:_____________________________
Important Questions to Ask a Prospective Pastor
Instructions: Each member of the committee should have a copy of these questions. Carefully choose from the following list the questions that your committee feels are pertinent to your church. Check the questions that you would like to ask. Add your own. The list is not intended to be exhaustive, or to be used in its entirety, or in a particular order, although it could be. Take notes during the interview and rate the candidate on a scale of 1 to 10 for each category. Once the interview is over, transfer your scores to the Interview Summary on the last page.
Name of Candidate: __________________________________ Date: ___________________
Ministry Experience:
What have you learned in the congregation you now serve that will make you a better pastor?
Describe a ministry experience with the congregation you now serve that captures you greatest strengths.
Describe a grievance you have had with any of the churches you have served. How was it resolved?
Have you had a positive or negative experience with a church building program?
Describe your weaknesses and your strengths.
Education:
What skills do you bring to this position that you believe will serve you and the church well?
How did you obtain these skills? How do you apply these skills to your work?
Do you have plans regarding future education? What role do you believe the church should play in your continuing
education?
Philosophy of Ministry:
Describe the mission of your present congregation. In what ways have your ministry influenced this mission?
Describe your personal vision for ministry. Is there any particular congregation presently reflecting this vision for
ministry?
What attracts you to this church? How long would you like to stay at this church?
Describe your leadership style. To what extent are you self-directed in your ministry responsibilities?
Give an example of how you have relied on someone else to give you direction.
Churches desire a pastor who has personal integrity. What does this mean to you?
How do you respond to criticism?
Theological and Ethical:
Describe a personal experience that has significantly shaped your own theology.
To what degree if any do you differ with the historical doctrinal positions of this church?
Describe several ethical principles that guide your work.
Do you identify yourself with any particular religious political group?
Do you consider yourself a Southern Baptist? Why or why not?
Congregational Life:
What changes may be in store for our congregation if you become our pastor?
What church structure do you view as best in helping a congregation to achieve its mission?
What planning model do you use in guiding the mission of a church? (How do you set goals, prioritize
plans, define and evaluate success?)
Describe your operational strategy during the first 6 months with this congregation. (What would be your most important priorities?)
How have you approached the issues of finance and stewardship with your present congregation?
How do you conduct business meetings?
Worship Leader:
Describe a typical worship service for which you plan to lead. Do you use an order of service?
Describe the style of music you prefer and share its role in the service.
What special services do you like to conduct throughout the year?
How do you balance worship so it addresses the needs of different age groups?
Preaching:
Describe your routine process of preparing sermons.
How do you select sermon topics?
How much time do you devote each week to sermon preparation? How does that compare to time spent
counseling or administration?
How long do you typically preach?
How do you feel about other ministers preaching at our church?
Are there any topics you feel uncomfortable preaching about, such as finances or current moral issues?
Pastoral Care and Counseling:
What role does pastoral care and counseling have in your present position? Give us an example of a typical
week of pastoral care activities.
What duties are more important than pastoral care? What duties are less important?
Do you consider yourself a counselor? What type of counseling do you perform?
More recently, sexual misconduct within the church has become a more visible issue. What safe guards
have you initiated to protect yourself and the church from such misconduct?
If a middle-aged man asked you to counsel him about divorce at his home, would you? What if it was a
woman?
How do you equip church members to provide care to other congregational members?
How do you view your role in visiting members and church guests (visitors)?
Do you have any restrictions on the performance of marriages? Describe your approach to premarital
counseling.
Do you feel that a pastor should have an unlisted phone number? Why or why not?
Christian Education:
Do you encourage participation in state and associational training?
Describe your present model of education for the church.
What successful approach have you found to adult education? (preschool, children, youth)
What is your role in Christian education?
What Bible study curriculum do you currently use for the different age groups within your church? How do you
determine which to use?
What educational programs, other than Sunday School, do you emphasize?
Missions and Evangelism:
What role does evangelism play in your current church? (Worship, activities, etc.) Do you view some activities or services being more focused on evangelism than others? Which ones?
What types of outreach programs do you feel are important and relevant to this congregation?
How do you view the responsibility of world missions in your current church?
How do you now allocate financial resources to the local association, state and national mission endeavors?
Some people believe a church can become too big. Others feel that every church should become as large as possible.
What’s your view?
Administration:
Do you have a job description now? What parts of it do you feel confident about performing, and with what parts of it do you feel uncomfortable?
What is the primary role of the deacon body? What responsibilities, priorities or boundaries should the deacon body have in defining our church ministry?
What accountability should exist between the deacon body and the pastoral staff members?
How would you describe your working relationship with your present deacon body? Have you ever experienced conflict with a deacon body, how was it resolved?
What training and orientation have you provided for deacon bodies in the past?
Staff Relationships:
Describe how your management or leadership style affects your relationship with other church staff members?
What accountability would be expected among staff members?
How comfortable are you in providing direction to staff members?
Who should be included in staff meetings?
What type of conflicts have you experienced with other staff members, and how was it resolved?
How do you feel about a church member being employed as the church secretary, janitor, etc.?
Have you ever had to terminate a church staff member? If so, how did you handle it?
How would you respond to other staff members who in your opinion are doing a poor job?
Financial Issues:
What are your salary expectations?
On what basis would you expect future raises?
How many weeks of vacation do you presently receive?
Do you have a retirement plan?
What insurance plans do you have?
Community Relations:
What responsibility do you feel the church has to respond to the social problems affecting our community?
What organizations are you currently involved with outside the church?
Family Life:
Tell us about your family.
How does your family feel about the possibility of this job change?
What things would you like the church to do to provide support to your family?
If you were to move here, what type of housing would you be looking for?
If you were to die or become disabled, how would your family be provided for?
Personal:
Why are you a pastor?
What motivates you as a pastor?
What spiritual disciplines guide your life?
How do you cope with stress?
Have you been previously married?
When you face a personal problem, whom do you turn to for support and counsel?
Have you had any health problems in the past few years? How about now?
Do you take regular vacations?
Have you ever been charged and/or convicted of a crime?
Have you ever had financial difficulties? Will you give permission for a credit check?
Do you have outstanding debts with which you are struggling?
Do you have any sever problems with your children or teenagers?
Do you have any outside business involvements? If so, how involved are you?
Questions about our church:
How familiar are you with the history of our church? Do you have any questions about our past?
How familiar are you with the current life of our church? Do you have any questions?
What do you see that you like about our church?
What questions do you have about this position that have not been answered?
Are there any concerns about which we have not asked, which might be of a sensitive nature for you or our church?
Example
Dear Brother__________________________________,
We appreciate so much our visit with you in your church last week. This was a blessing to us.
We feel that we must continue to seek the man that our Lord would have serve our Church. Please join us in this prayerful search. Thank you again for your time and interest.
Respectfully submitted,
Clerk, Pastor Search Committee
PULPIT COMMITTEE WORKSHEET
The Pulpit Committee of the ________________________________Baptist Church at
_________________________________________________is authorized by our Church to make the
following commitments to our new pastor as he begins his work with us.
I. Annual Salary.….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…$____________
II. Annual Car Allowance.….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…$____________
III. Housing
( ) A parsonage is furnished
( ) A parsonage and all utilities are furnished
( ) A utility allowance of .….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…$____________
( ) A house allowance of .….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…..$____________
IV. Vacation
Annually the pastor will receive a ______________week.’s vacation with the pulpit supply and
salary paid by the Church.
V. Revivals
The pastor may be gone for ___________week.’s each year to conduct revivals. Pulpit supply
preachers shall be paid by___________________________________.
VI. Convention Expense.….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…$____________
The pastor may use this money to attend the conference or conventions which he feels
will help him most in his work.
VII. Book Allowance.….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….$___________
VIII. Retirement.….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….… $___________
IX. The Church will pay.….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…..$___________
towards Social Security.
X. Hospitalization Insurance.….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….….…..$___________
XI. Other agreements
(Such as promised raises, work on parsonage, Christmas Bonus, that he can go to school, etc)
Date
Pulpit Committee Chairman ____________________________________________
New Pastor______________________________
Example of New Pastor POSITION DESCRIPTION –PASTOR
PRINCIPLE FUNCTION
The pastor is responsible to the congregation for the spiritual and administrative leadership of the church.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
1. Works with the Deacon Fellowship in providing spiritual and administrative leadership for the church.
2. Supervises the Associate Pastor, Minister of Education and Minister of Music and through them all
other employees.
3 Gives leadership to the work of the Personnel Committee and makes recommendations pertaining to
church employees to the committee for appropriate action.
DUTIES
1. Serve as the preacher/teacher of the congregation and give first priority to the study of God's Word in
preparation for his preaching/teaching ministry.
2. Direct the pastoral care of the congregation in cooperation with the ministerial staff and deacons.
3 Lead the worship of the congregation and be responsible for all worship services, including the observance
of the church ordinances, revivals and special services.
4 Serve as the chief administrator of the congregation and give leadership for the total church program,
supervise the church staff and develop goals for the ministry of the
5. Recommend salary adjustments to the Personnel Committee and coordinate with the Personnel Committee
concerning staff administration
6. Serve as an evangelist and lead the congregation in seeking the salvation of the lost and nurturing of
the saved. .
7. Represent the church as denominational representative to the Association, the Baptist General Convention
of Texas and to the Southern Baptist Convention.
8. Act as a moderator of all church business meetings. In his absence, he will appoint a member of the
ministerial staff or the chairman of the deacons to serve in his place.
9. Serve as ex-offico member of all committees of the church and as staff advisor for the following
standing committees: Personnel. Deacon Nominating, Missions, staff Appreciation and the Deacon Fellowship.
How to Make a Recommendation and Vote on the Pastoral Candidate
The process of calling a pastoral candidate:
1. The committee should announce one month in advance of when the candidate will preach in "view-of-a-call."
2. The candidate should normally preach both the Sunday morning and Sunday evening services.
3. Schedule the church vote one week later to allow the church members and the candidate one week to earnestly pray about the matter. The less the Committee is perceived to rush the process, the more confidence is engendered by those church members who might be cautious.
4. The Pastor Search Committee should lead the church to conduct a secret ballot vote regarding the call of the candidate as pastor. (It is strongly suggested that children and youth be asked to immediately sit with their parents, and parents should be given a few minutes to discuss this important occasion with them prior to the vote.)
5. Pray with the congregation that God's will to be done in this matter.
6. Each active member should be provided with a secret ballot, and those voting should indicate on the ballot either yes or no.
7. The Pastor Search Committee should count the ballots.
8. It is suggested that a vote to call the candidate as pastor should require at least 75 of the voting ballots (see Church Constitution for required percentages).
9. The results of the vote should be shared with the congregation waiting in the worship center.
10. The candidate and family should be notified of the vote results. The candidate should respond to the "call" within one week. It would be anticipated that if the candidate
responded favorably, he would commence his ministry at the church approximately one month later (or at the time previously determined in his interview).
11. If the vote of the congregation is not favorable, be prepared to make an announcement to the congregation immediately. Notify the candidate as soon as possible, and regroup the committee to proceed to the next candidate.
How to Present the Candidate to the Congregation
This process is crucial to an informed decision by the church. The committee must do two things simultaneously, anticipate and meet the needs of a church decision; provide a clear invitation to the candidate and his family.
The church constitution and by-laws might provide a clear procedure for calling a pastor. If so, it should be strictly followed, but with personal warmth that is characteristic of the congregation.
You are inviting its prospective lead family to be a part of its fellowship, ministry and life. Things must be in order.
A written recommendation and introduction of the candidate should be provided to the church at least one month prior to the vote on the candidate. This must be done in a manner that does not cause undue concern in the current pastorate of the candidate. The candidate must appreciate the need for your church to be informed and in prayer about this historic decision in the life of the church.
A brief biographical sketch with picture of candidate and family is very appropriate. A brief statement of the type of ministry in which the minister is currently serving and a succinct explanation as to the conviction of the committee in presenting this candidate should be shared.
This explanation is not to be a campaign speech to sway the votes of the church, but rather an open explanation as to the process used by the committee to bring this particular candidate before the church.
Schedule a get-acquainted weekend. Arrange for the candidate to preach at all services on that Sunday. Schedule times for the candidate to visit with the church staff, deacons, church ministry leaders, church organizational leaders, and the various age groups of the church. Schedule a question/answer time to allow church members the opportunity to satisfy their concerns.
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