Six Mistakes When Seeking A New Pastor
I’ve recently had several conversations with friends at churches involved in hiring a new pastor. One friend is serving on a search committee; another was thinking about the process as a whole. I realized this is something I’ve developed some thoughts on over the years, both in watching churches seek pastors and in being a pastoral candidate myself. In what follows, I want to note some common mistakes I’ve seen. I'm addressing the advice to "search committees." I realize different churches have different approaches, but translate this into whatever group is in charge of your process. First, though, a note on something I’m not going to discuss below: a candidate's biblical or theological views per se. Mainly, that’s because I’m a part of a denomination that handles those examinations outside the local church. The decision of the local congregation is about calling and fit, not whether the candidate is orthodox or shares their theological distinctives. I realize not eve...
