There are a number of ways the search process
can go in the ditch:
Bad etiquette and
ethics – Almost every pastor can tell a horror story about being
contacted by a pastor search committee and then having said committee become as
elusive as Bigfoot. No! Be courteous! Be professional! My friend Pete Wall
says, “You’re not just looking at a candidate; he’s also looking at you!”
Dog and pony show –
It is a very bad practice to have a continuous flow of candidates in the
church’s pulpit until the committee has thoroughly vetted the candidate and is
ready to present him “in view of a call.” Like Annora Mallard says, “This turns
the whole church into a pulpit committee.” You may get a good outcome from a
bad process, but that is only because God is kind and gracious. The church has
tasked the committee/team with doing the hard work of finding a new pastor.
Ignoring red flags –
In the course of investigating a candidate there may be problems that predict a
pastor will be a bad fit for your church. Pay close attention to red flags like
denominational incompatibility, repeated short tenures, and insufficient information
on a resume. Your church is probably not the exception to some rule.
Inadequate
investigation of candidate – Many bad ministry hires could have been
avoided with a more thorough, deliberate process of looking into the ministry
candidate’s background. Everybody puts their buddies on their resume as
references. Committees have to go beyond the references the candidate has made
available. Committees should ask references for references. Criminal background
investigations should be considered mandatory, but even that is really only the
tip of the iceberg. Call the Director of Missions in the areas the candidate
has previously served. Don’t get bitten by something avoidable. Do the hard
work of being thorough.
Over-spiritualizing –
God may drop a candidate into your church from the sky, but more than
likely you will have to work really hard and turn over a few stones to find the
right person. This is particularly true of some bi-vocational churches. Most
churches in these days will need a competent, strategic leader to help them
with challenges that are facing nearly all congregations in a post-Christian society.
Those kinds of leaders don’t grow on trees.
Comments