Finding the right pastor is an essential job. When your church finds itself in pastoral transition, you will want the right people involved in the search for the next pastor. The first step in this process should be to look through the job postings listed through ChurchStaffing. Once you find a few that look promising, you’ll want to make sure you pay attention to these 9 mistakes many pastoral search committees are making. Learning from these mistakes will help you form the best committee and ensure the committee functions well!
1. Timing
The pastoral search process can be a difficult and stressful experience. So many things feel placed “on hold” within the church, and everyone is apprehensive to move forward until the future leadership is more solidified. Therefore, the timing of this committee is critical. You can have a committee that wants a decision and moves too quickly, or you can have a group that’s apprehensive and way too slow. While perfect timing may not be possible or likely, you can work with your pastoral search committee to help set the pace for the search.
2. Neglecting Prayer
Many factors go into a pastoral search process, but prayer must be addressed. You can have all the resumes, interviews, and meetings you want, but without prayer, your search committee will lack something significant in the decision. Prayer is our way to surrender things to God and acknowledge that we don’t have all of the answers. Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Have the pastoral search committee pray, tell God what you need, and thank Him in advance for the great candidate He will send to your church!
3. Focusing on the Wrong Things
It’s easy to get enamored with talent and abilities. Still, the pastoral search committee cannot allow those things to overshadow the things that matter most: character, culture, vision, and anointing (to name a few). When you put your attention and focus on the wrong things, you can make decisions based on lesser criteria. Decide ahead of time what the main criteria need to be. Agree on what you’re looking for and then focus on those things. Don’t get distracted by other qualities while also great. Keep the main things the main things.
4. Lacking Communication
The pastoral search committee must communicate well with several groups of people. The candidates need clear communication throughout the process. Your church will need updates and communication along the way. Additionally, each member of the committee must communicate well with each other. During a pastoral search process, anxieties, worries, and insecurities can run high in the members and leaders of the church. Communication is the answer to help settle those things. While you don’t want to rush the search process and you don’t want to make unwise decisions, your search committee also doesn’t want to overlook the significance of excellent communication. Be clear, be specific, and communicate regularly. Doing this will help people know what’s happening and trust the committee and the process.
5. Lacking a Clear Process
A pastoral search is a complex task. It’s not as simple as posting a job, accepting applications, hosting interviews, and choosing a candidate. You’re selecting the person to lead your church body, preach regularly, and focus on the overall vision for your church. Before talking with candidates and making decisions, your committee’s first decision should be defining a clear process for the search. You want to set up what steps you’ll take throughout the search, set a timeline, and identify clear criteria for the best candidate.
6. Prioritizing Preferences
We all have style preferences. That comes out in the music we like, the foods we eat, and how we spend our free time. For a pastoral search committee, this can mean preferences about preaching style, age, or other factors. The pastoral search committee cannot prioritize these preferences but must be able to set them aside to choose the best candidate for the church body.
7. Ignoring Red Flags
As you explore pastoral candidates, you will come across red flags. They could be minor or subtle, but any red flags discovered must also be fully explored. Does the pastor have a character quality that seems slightly off to you? Is there something in their story that isn’t adding up? Are their references a little questionable?
Of all the mistakes a pastoral search committee can make, this is one you want to pay close attention to. If you discover any red flags, they must be acknowledged, considered, and taken seriously. Red flags shouldn’t disqualify a candidate, but you will want to pay attention to them and look at them from all angles to decide with absolute wisdom and discernment.
8. Not Considering the Pastor’s Family
When you hire a pastor, you don’t just hire the person; you gain their entire family. As you walk through the search process, please get to know the candidate and their family. Are they a good fit for your church? Will your church be good for their spouse and their kids? The family may not lead your church, but they will be there week after week.
9. Making a “Safe” Choice
There are some strengths in choosing a pastoral candidate that you already know. You know their character, abilities, and heart. What you lose in determining the “safe” choice based on familiarity is the opportunity to stretch, grow, and broaden your church. Open up to outside candidates, but also include internal candidates. Give each candidate the same process and opportunity, and let God reveal who is best for your church in this current season. Don’t play it safe, but be willing to step out into the uncomfortable to uncover God’s best.
The search for a pastor is a challenging and critical process. Your pastoral search committee has a very sacred role to play in your church’s story. As you put together the committee, consider every person needed. Establish a group of people who will evaluate each candidate with a well-balanced perspective. You want your search committee to be able to avoid these 9 mistakes all pastor search committees make. Choosing the right pastor for your church is a fundamental responsibility. As you walk this out, remember that God cares more about your church’s well-being than you do. He will guide you and help you. James 1:5, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” Don’t be afraid or hesitant to ask Him. Whatever you need, God will give you along the way!
