There is more and more being written about the job churches face in finding pastors these days. The problem is not a lack of candidates, it is more how to sort through and find the right candidate for your church. Full disclosure: I am engaged in the ministry of assisting churches in finding pastors, so, yes, I do have some personal interest in this. But I also have observations from talking to churches day in and day out, and I want to share some of those observations.
The issue boils down to this...in churches and denominations that most often use the "search committee" model of finding a pastor, the process is often longer and more painful than either candidate or committee member expects. This is largely due to the fact that pastoral search committees are made up of good and Godly people who have never done a search before and will never do it again. I cannot tell you how many former search committee members have told me, "I served on a search committee once, and I will NEVER do it again!" I also cannot tell you how many pastors have told me that the worst part of a search process is the painfully long time it takes for a church to make up its mind, and the normally poor communication between church and candidate. Many pastors just shake their heads and groan audibly when the term "search committee" is even mentioned in their presence.
Why does this happen? It appears to me that it happens because most search committees do not really have a grasp on where to start, what to look for and how to assess their needs and the gifts and experience of the candidates who apply for their pastoral positions. In short, teams of 5-9 lay people are charged with hiring an ordained man with years of experience, and the eyes of the whole church are upon them. What a pressure-packed position in which to find one's self! No wonder they take so long! Many of them are terrified they will "get it wrong."
I talked to one church recently that began its search process in July of 2008. In late February of 2009, they were still gathering resumes to begin the process of paring down the field to find potential candidates. That is 8 months of "starting" the process! In the meantime, there is a church without a Pastor, surviving on guest ministers or an assistant pastor, if they have one, to fill the pulpit.
It is true that some churches, mostly those who have had a tumultuous separation with their previous pastor, need some time between pastors to heal and gain new vision. This is where interim pastors are worth their weight in gold. But many churches would be served best by finding a new pastor, or assistant pastor, in a relatively short period of time. To do this, most churches need the help of someone who knows the search process, knows how to assess a pastor and a church, and knows how to find the right match between pastoral candidate and church.
More on this tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you know of a church searching for a pastor, please stop now and pray that they would be given wisdom in their search, and all due speed in finding the pastor God has for them.
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