Interviewing With a Pastoral Search Committee
So the pulpit search committee has contacted you, Pastor, and wants to sit down for a formal interview. How do you do to prepare for the meeting?
Every pastoral candidate is prepared to answer questions, but are you prepared to ask them? Neglecting this critical aspect of the interview process is a recipe for disaster. It leaves you without crucial information as you seek to make a Holy Spirit-led decision. You would never buy a car without asking questions, so why would you “buy” a church without asking questions?
When you accept an invitation to interview, let the committee know that you will come prepared for a two-part interview: part one, during which the committee asks questions of you; and part two, when you will ask questions of them. You and the search committee will need to build time into the meeting or a second meeting scheduled. If they refuse this approach, you have your answer on whether you should become pastor of this church.
But if the committee accepts – and almost all committees not only accept but appreciate this approach – what questions should you, the pastoral candidate, ask?
Before we get to the questions you may not have considered, here are 20 obvious questions:
1. When and how did the church begin? An elevator version of your church history (3 minutes)?
2. Do you have good relationships with nearby churches?
3. What are the church demographics? Has there been a recent shift?
4. What is their schedule of services? How long has this schedule been in place? Open to change?
5. How many members does the church have? Any recent increase or decrease?
6. What is their Sunday attendance? What is the attendance in other services? Any recent increase or decrease?
7. Request a copy of the church constitution and bylaws.
8. Request copies of their financial statements. What is their debt structure? Are there any financial challenges?
9. What is the current ministry staffing, and is it expected that they will continue to serve? To whom do staff members answer: you or the board?
10. What is the church’s commitment to and involvement in missions and local outreach? The number of missionaries supported and at what level? Are they open to development in this area?
11. What is the substance and style of worship services? Gifts of the Spirit? Altar? Are they open to change?
12. What is their view of Scripture? Inspired? Inerrant? Infallible?
13. Does the church differ in any way from the denomination’s fundamental doctrines?
14. What are the church’s positions on __________ (current hot topics)?
15. When and why did the previous pastor leave? How did the church handle this departure?
16. How has the church directed its ministries between pastors?
17. What are the pastor’s salary and benefits? Vacation and sabbatical? How often reviewed?
18. What will be expected of your spouse?
19. What is the role of the board in your church? Can you describe a healthy board–pastor relationship? Who makes decisions? (Follow up this question by asking if everyone agrees.) What is the structure of board meetings – all business, or does it include Word and prayer?
20. What were the previous pastor’s strengths? What made him a good pastor? Don’t ask for negatives – let them tell you if they choose to do so. Stay away from this potential landmine.
The questions above are the bricks of the building, but what about the mortar, the “stuff” that holds it all together?
Here are ten questions you might not have considered. Think of them as the questions behind the answers – how you dig in to their responses to the questions above and discover more of what you need to know about the church you may be about to pastor.
1. Begin with the following introductory question of committee members:
- His or her name.
- Family – married, children, ages
- What they do for a living
- How long he or she has been at the church.
- Their places of service since becoming a part of this church?
- Briefly, briefly, briefly how they met the Lord – (church, witness of a friend, miracle, etc.).
2. In a sentence or two, what is your church’s vision? Is this the board vision or the vision of the church as a whole?
Why has God established this church here at this time? Why does God want it here tomorrow and next year?
3. What are the primary ministry focuses of the church, the ministries that define this church?
These are their “babies,” the things a pastor will find difficult to “disturb” when he begins. Things like Discipleship, Worship, College, Youth, Community Service, Hospitality to the Poor, etc.
4. What are your church’s three greatest strengths? Two greatest weaknesses?
5. What has been the church’s biggest challenge or conflict of past three years? Ten years? What will be my biggest challenge if I become your pastor?
Watch their attitudes in responding: negative, tentative, wounded, “we met it and we mastered it!”
6. What is your idea of the perfect pastor? (Leave it open ended)
7. How should your pastor spend his days? Prioritize his time?
As a part of this, ask about evenings, day off each week, conferences & seminars.
8. Why are you interested in me as your pastor?
9. Is the church open to change? Examples of major changes in the past five years?
10. Ask each committee member his or her greatest concern for their church.
Look for the concerns that hold them back, not so much in the words, but in the way they express them; second, look for boots on the ground reality in dealing with these concerns.
Ask each committee member his or her greatest dream for their church.
Look for dreams that compel them forward, not so much in the words, but in the way they express them; second, look for boots on the ground reality in pursuing those dreams.
“If there were no limits on time, money, personnel, what is your greatest dream for this church?
FINAL THOUGHT:
In asking the questions above, you are seeking real answers. But more importantly, you are looking for two additional vital pieces of information:
1. The subtle but clear measures of the church’s heart and heartbeat. Is their collective heart Spirit-fired, Word-based, doubt-filled, worshipping, missional, hopeful, selfish, confident, fearful, faith-filled, faithful, servant-heart, humble, arrogant, etc.
2. The intangible but evident indications of the relational health of the church. Do these committee members like each other and enjoy sharing their journey together? DO they share the journey or only attend the same services and meetings? Are they representative of the church at large?
As you ask members of the search committee to look at their church, you will be more able to assess how accurately they know themselves and how honest they are in looking at themselves. By their comfort with each other, eye-contact, laughter, side-glances, silence, kidding, and disagreements, you will have a window into the relationships of committee members, and so, into the shared life of this faith community.
All information you need as you prayerfully consider joining your journey to that of this church.
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