Church Mating Season
Keith Drury
Spring is mating season for churches. It’s the time when churches invite prospects to submit resumes to enter the competition for becoming the next pastor of the church-up-a-notch. We are all supposed to be flattered that we are getting a break to be considered. Well, at least it’s mating season in the independent churches and free enterprise denominations. Others have systems more like arranged marriages. So, have you been asked to submit your resume yet? I heard of at least two churches
this Spring who are insisting Pastoral applicants complete an exhaustive application along with their resume. One candidate complained it took four hours to complete the questions.
I don’t know exactly how pastors became applicants who are running to compete in a selection process, but the idea of a four-hour employee application bugs me. So, I’ve made an application of my own. It’s for a church to complete when they are competing to get me to come. I think I’ll insist their board or search committee complete it before I consider sending my resume. Here it is:
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CHURCH RESUME INFORMATION
Thank you for inviting me to submit a resume to be considered for the position of senior pastor at your church. I’d like to consider your church but I need some information first. Please have your board or search committee complete the following application and you will be given serious consideration in the process of submitting resumes. Please answer all questions thoroughly and with total frankness.
I. CHURCH
A. What event has shaped your church most in the last ten years?
B. How would you estimate the potential for reaching the unchurched there in the future?
C. What is the seating capacity’ of your sanctuary?
D. When was the last time your church completed a building project?
E. How fast did you pay off that debt? What is the total amount of your present indebtedness?
F. What is your average weekly income? How much is that over last year ?
G. What percentage of your church families would you estimate tithe their income locally? Board?
H. What is the percentage make-up of your Sunday morning attendance
___Children ___Youth ___Young Adults ___Adults ___Middle-Aged ___SeniorsI. What is the make-up of your membership
___Children ___Youth ___Young Adults ___Adults ___Middle-Aged ___SeniorsJ. What are your attendance patterns at meeting other than morning worship?
K. What is the pastoral history of your church?
Who were the pastors during the last 15-20 years?
What single sentence would you give typifying the ministry of each, and reason for their leaving?L. Where does your church stand on the tongues issue? (Place an x on the following continuum.)
Strongly opposed ______________________________________________ strongly favorM. What are some touchy issues with the people in your church… divorce, alcohol, tobacco, materialism, or others, which a pastor would need to use care in preaching about?
N. Describe how your pastoral selection process’ works. Will you interview only one person at a time, taking that person all the way to a vote for acceptance or rejection before initiating another interview? Or, will you interview a variety of candidates, hearing several before you decide which one to recommend? Do you plan on a “trial sermon”? Are you thinking of multiple interviews? Describe your process:
O. What kind of programs beyond worship for all ages does your church presently have in place?
P. What style of leadership typifies the desire of your church? (Place an x on the following continuum.)
Board leads ______________________________________________________Pastor leadsQ. How would you typify the worship style of your congregation? (Place an X on the continuum)
Formal & orderly ______________________________________________Free and informal.R. How many people are weekly involved in organized scheduled outreach to the poor or the unchurched?
S. How many converts would you say your church has seen in the last year?
T. How would you typify the way your church treats visitors ?
Extraordinarily warm_____________________friendly_______________________________________reserved.
II. COMMUNITY
A. Describe your community in a short paragraph (population, prominent employers, general atmosphere and attitude.
B. The church may do all of the following things, but all of them cannot take priority. What is your ranking of the following seven emphases in priority order (#1 highest, #2 next, etc.):
__Missions __Worship __Fellowship __Preaching __Evangelism __Serving ___TeachingC. Finish this sentence… Our church is best known in this community for:
D. What do you believe to be the most pressing need in your community right now?
E. Describe the largest church in your community or surrounding area. What is it like and how are you different/similar.
F. Over the last five years or so, when people have left your church, what did they say was the reason?
G. What do you think were the primary reasons?
H. What are the five biggest changes you would like to see happen in your church?
I. How and when was your church started? By whom?
J. Who do you feel has been your most ideal pastor’? Why?
III. PASTORAL LEADERSHIP
A. What do you believe are the most important priorities for your new pastor
(#1 most important, #2 next most important, etc.)?
__Time with family __Prayer __Visitation __Preparation for preaching
__Counseling ____Administration ____Denominational/para-church workB. What are your weekly time expectations for your new pastor?
(i.e. How many hours would you expect your pastor to spend each week in each of the following activities?)
___Time with family ___Visiting ___Counseling ___Prayer ___Preparation for preaching
___Administration ___Denominational/para-church work_C. What provisions do you make for the pastor’s personal and professional growth?
D. How would you typify the prayer support for your present pastor?
E. What is the pastor’s financial support package and the related matters of pension, health care, life insurance etc?
F. What are the arrangements you make for a parsonage or housing allowance?
G. What is the make-up of your present staff if you have such? If not, do you plan for staff?
H. Some church boards expect to play an exceptionally strong role in the selection of assistant ministers and other staff. Others expect the senior pastor to “hire the staff.” How do you believe staff should be added to the church?
I. Do you make provisions or exceptions to the idea of the pastor’s spouse serving on the paid staff at the church?
J. Over the past fifteen years which pastor’s spouse do you believe has functioned in a most ideal way? Why?
IV. REFERENCES
A. Your current or most recent pastor (name and telephone number)
B. Immediately prior pastor (name and telephone number)
C. Prior pastor (name and telephone number)
D. Community person (someone familiar with your church, though not an attender)
E. Denominational or para-church official who knows your church (name and telephone number)
F. Recent special speaker who visited your church (name and telephone number)
Thank you for completing this application. Be assured that your application will be given prayerful consideration and should we wish to pursue further discussion you will be contacted.
By Keith Drury, You are free to transmit, duplicate or distribute this article for non-profit use without permission.