Both church plants and churches in transition depend on finding pastoral leadership that God has equipped for the task. But how will you know? Here are some tips to help guide your search process.
Tip #1: Before you start searching for the right pastor-leader, have the leadership team prayerfully determine the DNA of your church. There are three basic elements of a church's DNA: your God-given mission, your desired and actual core values, and at least a rough idea of a vision for your church. In addition, find out as much about the existing culture of your church as you can. Discovering these key elements may take 3-6 months or more, but this will be a valuable investment of time and energy because you want to search for someone who closely and personally matches your church DNA. Determine your church non-negotiables and also its negotiables.
Tip #2: After Tip #1, prayerfully develop a grid of preferred qualifications using the input of church members and the leadership team. This list of characteristics needs to be 5- 20 items long with 10-12 being ideal, and include a short, measurable description for each one. This list will be used to acquire an approximate match of a candidate's personal characteristics with the needs of the church or new church core group. The grid's goal is to help narrow down a list of potential candidates.
Tip #3: Remember that personal character trumps other qualifications. Look for someone who loves God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength; is a devoted and growing follower of Jesus; makes disciples of Jesus who multiply other disciples; and is above reproach in life and ministry. This speaks loudly to using primary and secondary reference checks before any invitation to candidate.
Tip #4: Seek first God's Kingdom and His wisdom over what you or the church leadership think is best or who looks or sounds the best to everyone. Godly discernment is critical here. 1 Sam-uel 16:7b – "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Tip #5: Do your homework prayerfully and carefully to determine if a potential candidate has a high level of emotional intelligence. The four main capabilities or competencies of emotional intelligence include the following: self-awareness, self-management, social-awareness, and relationship management. A low level of emotional intelligence may be the number one reason why pastors and church leaders either make it or break it in ministry.
Tip #6: In your church vetting of potential candidates, seek to discern if they measure up to the biblical qualifications of being an elder in the church as found in Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3: 1-7; Titus 1: 5-9; and Titus 2:1. Don't wait until after a pastor is called and installed to question his biblical qualifications.
Tip #7: Examine carefully how a candidate leads – does he invite you to follow him as he follows Jesus? 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) - "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
What would you add to this list?
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