Pastor Search # 5

"Choosing a candidate that the church wants rather than the candidate the church needs….."

What does a church want in a pastor? Many churches will create a questionnaire asking for each member to state what they want in their next pastor. Then they compile the list and the majority wins. Wow, that certainly opens the door for lots of issues down the road. Most often the final model for the new pastor will be; twenty-five years old with forty years experience, married with two perfect children, willing to spend ninety hours per week on the church field, great administrator but willing to let the church body make all the decisions, a strong leader but more apt to follow the majority,,,,,,well, you get the idea. When we poll the audience, we will come up with a wish list rather than a true picture of what the church needs. Often, the church needs a strong leader who will cast a vision and move people in that direction. I was speaking to a group of pastors last year about leadership and I pointed out that a shepherd never asks his sheep where they want to graze today. He never sends out a survey to determine what the majority wants. The shepherd knows what is best for his sheep. He knows where the dangerous cliffs are so he keeps them away from those areas. He knows where the predators lurk so he will be on guard if his flock is in the area of danger. In other words, the shepherd will lead his flock. So, the church needs a leader. If the church determines that they have called the person God has chosen to pastor them they should be willing to follow. So, what the church needs is a person who does not necessarily fulfill their wish list but one who has the ability to move them forward. I had a sign in my office before I retired that said, “Spiritual Leadership Is Moving People Toward God’s Agenda”. Most often the church will be willing to follow if they are convinced the pastor knows where they are going.

So, how do you get a pastor that the church needs rather than one they want? At http://www.ministrytogether.com we have designed a matching system based on the characteristics of the church and the pastor. We determine how the church deals with conflict, what they believe, and many other issues and we match them with a pastor who has the same qualities. A pastor who polls the congregation to determine how to deal with conflict will not survive in a church that chooses to deal with it head on. Our database gives a church the top matches as prospective candidates. These top matches are best suited to their characteristics and will have a much better survival rate.

There have been times in my life that I wanted something so badly that I did everything I could to get it. I have to confess that I did that with one of the churches I pastored. I wanted it so badly that I spoke with the right people and made it very clear that I was sure this was for me. Well, I got it and within a very few months I knew that it was not what I needed and I was not what the church needed. It did not last long. I did not want to leave after six months so I toughed it out…It was hard. But, it was just what I wanted. I am sure the church must have felt the same way. So, we must do whatever we can to determine needs rather than wants when calling a senior pastor or any staff member….I know I learned my lesson the hard way….Preacherman.