Let’s face it: the discernment process of interviewing for a call is complex on many levels.
At worst, it’s a seduction process as the church and pastor try to make the best impression. At best, in the end, it’s a matter of trust, and both parties hope they’ve made a good choice for a fruitful relationship.
Indeed, both parties will, in time, discover information they wish they’d learned early in the relationship. It is common for pastors, about the three-year mark, to ask, “Why didn’t anyone tell me about this before?!”
Unwarranted Assumptions
One liability that can sabotage pastors is common assumptions held when taking on a new call. The sooner we can assuage ourselves of these assumptions, the better.
The top three are:
Things will be different under my leadership.
The church will accept and follow my vision immediately.
I will not have the same problems as previous pastors.
Congregational Profile: Metrics, trends, and Data
If the church has prepared a congregational profile, check to see if the following is included:
Budget trends for the past five years.
Length of tenure of past pastoral leaders.
Is there deferred maintenance on buildings, facilities, and campus?
What is the membership trend for the past five years? New members and exits.
What is the congregational age profile?
What is the level of membership involvement in mission and ministry activities?
Deeper Questions to Ask
While church demographic information is essential, questions about church culture, practices, relationships, and narratives can reveal deeper insight.
We often fail to ask these questions. For example:
How was the church established? Was it a church split? A new church plant?
What was the vision of the church at its formation?
Are there congregational “open secrets?”
How has the church handled crises and disagreements?
How resilient is the church in the face of setbacks and challenges?
How have previous pastors left?
How does the church go about making significant decisions?
How has the church adapted to changing conditions in its context?
What is the decision-making process in the congregation?
What is the process for budget development?
Who are the major influencers in the congregation? How does the church welcome new or prospective members?
Can the search committee articulate the church’s polity? Its theological orientation? Its relationship with its denominational body?
Are there challenges or issues the church feels need attention immediately?
How does the church contribute to the community in which it resides?
What is the decision-making process in the congregation?
How are church leaders selected? By whom?
What metaphor, biblical or secular, best describes the congregation?
Are former pastors in the congregation?
How do church members talk about past pastors?
Is the church more focused on the past or on the future?
Are there patterns in how people leave the church?
Where are the points or issues of greatest anxiety in the church?
What clarity is there about who is responsible for what, and, how are people held accountable?
Do the number of dreams and aspirations outweigh anxieties about challenges, problems, or issues?
I don’t think congregations spend enough time in discernment conversations during the call process. When entering a discernment process for a call, sharing these questions with the search committee can help guide the conversation for deeper insight.
Israel Galindo is the Associate Dean for Lifelong Learning. He directs the Pastoral Excellence programs (Leadership in Ministry and Ministering to Ministers) of the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Seminary. Dr Galindo is a personal friend of the editor and CEO of the FWB Press/Cross & Crown.
Thanks to Charles H. Chandler in Rejected, Restored: Forced Termination is Not the Final Chapter (unpublished).
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