A misfit between pastor and church can only be painful for all concerned and result in disruption, distress, and brief tenures. The following suggestions are intended to help pulpit committees carry out their responsibility to find God's men for their churches.

#1. As you go through this critically important process, always keep in mind where your responsibility lies. A primary example of misplaced loyalty frequently occurs when the pulpit committee interviews a candidate pastor. We are taught from our early years to be polite, not to offend, so it is perhaps understandable that usually when a committee interviews the potential pastor, everyone tends to act as if the most important thing is to make the other person like him. A little thought about the process, about the basic function of a pulpit committee, about the committee's responsibility quickly reveals the dangerous flaw in that "like me" approach.

Whether the candidate and committee members like each other is at best secondary and perhaps completely beside the point. The responsibility of the committee is not to please the candidate pastor but is owed to God and their fellow church members, to seek and find the will of the Holy Spirit in identifying the man God would have come to pastor that church. Now this is not to imply that there is any virtue in rudeness, for we owe everyone the courtesies of polite intercourse. But committees must be willing to ask the important and sometimes difficult questions and must insist upon receiving full, frank, specific, clear answers.

Communication is an art, not a science, and the relationship between pastor and congregation is an intimate one, much like a marriage. The best time for everybody, pastor and church members, to come to a complete understanding -- and to identify clearly any significant disagreements -- is before the relationship is consummated with a call.

#2. Committee members should keep actively in mind that the candidate is not a plaster saint, but a human being with all attendant needs, weaknesses, fears, and concerns. If the man has allowed his resume to be placed before the committee and if he has been willing to meet with you, he feels open to a call and/or is actively seeking a church. He almost always has a family and is properly concerned about providing for them. The relationship between himself and his present congregation may have deteriorated to a point of almost indescribable pain. He may even be without church or income. So he may well have significant pressure to seek a job rather than God's will.

Pastors who have bought into the liberal view of the Bible (that the Bible "contains" the word of God [that is, a correct spiritual message] but is inspired only in the sense that Shakespeare was inspired and so has errors when it deals with history or science) realize that laymen are on the whole much more conservative. Consequently they frequently try to hide their real views.

Whatever the specifics, the candidate always has a powerful temptation to tell you what he senses you want to hear. In most cases this will not be conscious on his part but rather simply an instinctive, subconscious reaction to the situation. Unfortunately, in some cases a candidate will intentionally mislead the committee. Here's an example from my personal experience:

--Our pulpit committee was interviewing an attractive young man with a good resume when one committee member asked, "What is your view of the Bible?" The pastor replied, "My Bible is absolutely true and trustworthy!" and slapped his knee for emphasis. After a slight pause the committee member came back with, "Well, I'm not sure I entirely understand your answer. Could you elaborate a bit?" So the candidate added a couple of sentences and ended the same way, "My Bible is absolutely true and trustworthy!" The committee member persisted. Finally, on the seventh question he said, "Let me put it this way. In the incident of the floating ax head, do you believe the iron ax head actually, physically floated to the top of the Jordan river?" And the would-be pastor replied, "No." Clearly he had been using words as weapons, saying words

he intended us to take one way when he knew he meant something quite different.

#3. Prepare yourselves in advance. Don't leave things to the whim of the moment. Study the New Testament passages regarding pastors. Think through the situation and your responsibility ahead of time so that you know what is important to you and your church. Make out a list of questions designed to clarify where the pastor stands on those vital issues.

#4. Do NOT assume that every would-be pastor believes the Bible or is even saved. Jude warns us to be alert for "certain men" who would "creep in unawares." And in Matthew 22:37 Jesus said that the greatest commandment is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Be sure to engage fully your mind as well as your heart and soul while you set about this critically important responsibility.

May the Lord lead your committee to His man for your church.

I. Biblical Guidance:

I Timothy 3:1-7

--above reproach

--husband of one wife (not divorced)

--temperate, clear headed

--prudent: foresighted, wise, discrete, good management of practical affairs

--respectable: estimable, decent & correct in character and behavior

--hospitable: generous and cordial reception of guests

--able to teach

--not addicted to wine

--not pugnacious or belligerent

--gentle, honorable, kind

--uncontentious

--free from love of money

--manage own household well

--keep children under control

--not a new convert

--good reputation with those outside the church

I Timothy 4:12

--speech & conduct: love, faith, purity -- example to others

I Timothy 4:13

--exhort and teach

I Timothy 4:16

--pay close attention to himself and the doctrine he teaches

II. Resumes:

In reviewing resumes and later during interviews we need to look for evidence of the above qualities. Other characteristics to consider on resumes are:

--age

--experience

--seminary graduate

--theology: Does he believe the Bible is without error of any kind?

--viewpoint: Is he open to non-SBC ministries?

--gifts: Expositional ability, evangelistic interest, capable counselor.

--previous results: Have his churches grown in spiritual maturity and numbers?

--tenure pattern

--progression of experience

--involvement in a range of programs

--involvement in growth programs

--experience in an urban setting (or rural if your church is rural)

--will he and his family be happy in our setting?

--experience in a building program

--health and appearance

--imagination, ingenuity, and initiative

--school and community involvement

--will our church be a step up, down, or laterally

--present position and location

--family situation

--expected salary and benefits

Personal

1. What are your personal priorities? (God, spouse, children, job/ministry)

2. Describe your salvation experience. (If not on resume.)

3. Why are you open to changing pastorates?

4. Do you have any health problems?

5. In what ways do your wife and children participate?

6. What outside activities do you enjoy most?

7. Have you ever been divorced?

8. Do you drink alcoholic beverages?

Theological

9. What is you theological perspective? (Follow up as necessary.)

[Questions 9a-9h have been added in light of six years further experience in dealing with pastors, churches, and theological problems.]

9a Did the Red Sea literally part so that the Children of Israel walked across on dry ground?

9b Were Adam and Eve real, historical people?

9c Was Jesus born of a virgin without a human father?

9d Were the books of the Bible written by the stated authors or by someone else?

9e What are your views about the conservative resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention?

9f If called as our pastor, how would you lead our church to participate within the SBC, the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and/or the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia?

9g What is your view of the "Cooperative Baptist Fellowship?"

9h How do you feel about the changes that have taken place at Southeastern Seminary since 1987?

10. What is your reaction to non-denominational ministries such as Young Life, the Bill Gothard seminars, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes?

11. To what extent, if any, do you believe a pastor and his congregation should be involved in such issues as:

--pornography --drug abuse --jail ministry

--abortion --hunger --ERA

12. How do you keep up to date on church related issues?

13. If you were convinced that God wanted you to preach on a certain subject or initiate a certain program but were opposed by the deacons, what would you do?

Families

14. How would you help us develop stronger families?

15. How do you counsel someone contemplating divorce?

16. How do you counsel someone contemplating remarriage after divorce?

17. How do you prefer your church to respond to visitors? Do you visit visitors?

18. How do you handle the counselling of ladies? (A pastor should NEVER be alone with a woman other than his wife with the door closed. That rule may sometimes be inconvenient, but it protects him, the lady, and the church.)

Goals:

19. What would your ministry goals be for our church?

20. Do you set personal goals and objectives for meeting them?

21. What is your goal for ten years from now?

22. What are some achievements that bring you satisfaction?

23. What have been significant professional disappointments?

24. In what ways has your current church changed during your tenure?

25. How do you measure your success?

26. How do you measure the success of your church?

27. What would you consider a successful tenure at this church?

28. Do you consider yourself an effective leader? Why?

29. Who are leaders you admire? What qualities of theirs do you emulate?

30. How do you generate enthusiasm for your initiatives?

31. What would you expect from this church?

32. In your judgment how important is organization of activities?

33. What if your initial program here does not attain its objectives?

34. In which of the many aspects of the pastor's role do you consider yourself strongest? weakest?

35. How do you compensate for weak points?

36. What kind of worship services do you encourage: morning, evening, Wednesday night? Formal, informal?

37. Do you have children's church, children's sermons, VBS?

38. How often do you prefer to have the Lord's supper?

39. At which service do you conduct baptisms?

40. What do you do during Sunday School?

41. How do you prefer to interact with other church staff members?

42. How do you organize your day, week, month?

43. What do you consider the proper role of deacons?