Churches, Finding Staff Members & Courtesy
- Posted on July 05, 2005
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Since I apply for Communications or Media Director type jobs, you can be sure that the churches to which I apply are large (over 1,000) and well-staffed. They ought to at least have the courtesy of mailing or emailing losing candidates with a form letter.
Many don't, and that's just not right.
This person makes a valid point; and as I said, it's one that I hear quite often from job seekers.
I think this is one area that most churches can vastly improve on. It is pretty much standard practice in the non-church world to at least thank the applicant for applying... and it's something that churches usually don't do.
When you or your church search for your next staff member; be sure you have all your bases covered; and that includes a good plan for communicating effectively with all job applicants. Please? 
FOR DISCUSSION: What has been your experience in applying for jobs? Do you feel churches are courteous and professional in their communications with you? If you're on a church staff or search committe... how does your church follow up with prospective candidates?
Todd
I received a letter recently that I thought I’d share here. The reason I share it is because I’ve received numerous others over the past few months… all saying essentially the same thing. Here’s the letter: Dear Todd, Me again, writing this time as an ordinary Joe seeking a church staff job, such as those advertised on ChurchStaffing.com. Let me be blunt: Churches need chastising for the way they treat job seekers. I’ve applied for a number of jobs listed on the ChurchStaffing.com site. Usually, but not always!, I have received some sort of acknowledgement that my application was received. But churches really drop the ball when it comes to informing losing applicants that they didn’t get the job…
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Rev. Joyce Wright on Tue, July 05, 2005
I agree with this person. Even as a pastor seeking a pastorate in my own denomination I have determined that churches either do not know how to handle an applicant professionally or things get lost in the shuffle when it comes to announcing that another pastor has been called to fill the position of pastor.
Even on the occasions when the church has contacted me to determine interest and to request my dossier I have not been contacted when another person is called.
Having been in the secular world of business first and having been extended the courtesy of “thanks, but no thanks” I am not used to being ignored for what I consider a special type of “job.”
Most of the churches, large or small, have someone in the church who knows how to handle a business situation. Search committees I have been on as an Elder, always had at least two people who were part of the business world. If I wasn’t the Chairperson, I would be no one contacted the other people who had been interviewed, even just by phone. Very, very frustrating.
Jim Burns on Tue, July 05, 2005
It seems common for churches to not contact their applicants to let them know whether their resume has been considered or even considered. I had sent out over 100 resume’s and have had a couple of interviews. Other than those, not a word from any of the churches/organizations. If you do receive a response it’s a form letter that is cold and heartless stating how you do not meet their requirements. How do they know if they don’t even talk with you. I am amazed at the coldness of our churches and the search committees. We’ve often said to ourselves, “If this was the resume’ of one of the committee members, they’d except a response and they’d be on top of it.” One pastor friend we know found out in a church business meeting the church was not considering him. They were at the church at the request of the committee and then the chairman stood up and said, “Pray as we continue our search. We have not found the right person yet.” That was said without even saying one word to the pastor candidate in the congregation.
I am presently out of the ministry. The children’s ministries we have led were extremely successful and prospered beyond words. Since 1996 we have counseled many that have been burnt by congregations, other pastors, ministries, etc. There are many out there and very few with listening ears and compassion. We are losing it as a family in the House of God. Our own children who are in their 20’s want very little to do with the church because of how the church treats its’ ministers and their families. One of our daughters said the word she’d use to discribe the church is “RUDE!”. I agree with Jamie Glasgow’s response - “It is really a shame!” and I have never met her, but relate with her.
EAR on Tue, July 05, 2005
Wow! What great comments and insights listed above. I’ve been seeking a specific ministry position for some time. I’ve been on many churches’ top 10 list and in the final 3 several times. I’ve been interviewed “on sight” 3 times. Much of my experience has been with churches of at least 250 and up to very large churches.
~ Yes, first and last the Lord is sovereign in our lives and we (I) trust Him.
~ Yes, each of us is part of the Body of Christ and over a long period of time by many different churches I’ve received less that personal courtesy in the process. There is no adequate excuse for this. It is self-centered behavior.
I’ve arrived at what I believe would be a good ‘rule of thumb’ for churches. The level of communication up front ought to be the level of communication in the ‘post search’. If they’ve communicated by email leading up to my no longer being considered the church ought to communicate with me by email in the ‘aftermath’. If I’ve been personally interviewed but am not being considered those involved should contact me personally to let me know.
Also, the churches that are on the ball often have applications that take hours to complete. I’ve spend some 20 hours at times carefully answering their questions. Then, when no longer considered there isn’t hardly a word of why,etc. Let’s all of us get together and write a book of experiences and of practical guidelines for those involved in searches. Yours in Christ, EAR
Dr. Peter Nahodyl PhD on Tue, July 05, 2005
Dear Todd,
Interesting comments on receiving a rejection letter if you are not accepted for a position at a church. I applied for a position as a Pastor through church staffing. I did receive a rejection letter which stated and I quote” Don’t quite your day job don’t call us and we won’t call you” and the letter went on to say a few more things. Is this Christian Love? I have been a Christian for almost 40 years and I can tell you, yes there is a great deal wrong with the churches today and this is only one of their problems. Many churches, for their beliefs and practices should remove the name Christian from their lexacon. To me they only bring shame and disgrace to my wonderful Lord Jesus. Is it any wonder why the Press and media have only contempt for Christianity today. Is it any wonder why so many people are leaving the church? Is it any wonder why Christians are scorned and mocked for their beliefs or more accuratly their total lack of Biblical values and principles.
Enough said.
God Bless one and all,
Dr. Peter Nahodyl PhD. Minister of the Gospel
Victor Gonzalez on Tue, July 05, 2005
Just my 2cents.
I hve had similar expperiences when applying for a joj in a church or ministry. Only two responded back with an email. Most churches or ministries, have the same problem and is not understaffing, just not following up with the issues of the moment. The church is a business. It involves transactions, great communication, followups, etc. Jesus said that He was doing about His Father businesses (Luke 2:49) The chuch deals with people, period; christian and none christians alike. What we do makes others glorify the Father or criticize the saints and our God.
Pete King on Tue, July 05, 2005
Without trying to look like just another link in the chain of frustration here, I think this process is a combination of things. Just as most of you I experienced the occasional rejection email and amicable phone interview with both parties agreeing that going our separate ways was best. However, I also experienced many non communicative situations as well. In some instances when I called to check up on my resume some did tell me that the response was overwhelming. But I agree with the countless others that more must be done about this process. Since this door has been opened the church world is struggling immensely. With the new dawn of websites offering services to both job seekers and churches the market has opened opportunities for people from all walks of life. And with that comes the frustration and aggrivation one gets when dealing with churches and how things get done. So many factors are involved when you talk about an organization(church) that consists of volunteers and paid staff. Things will work much slower because there’s sacred cows to contend with, personalities, and preferences that come into play. Unfortunately I’ve seen this very problem occur with other non profit organizations. Same kind of challenge. It almost seems that groups with great causes seem to struggle the most with good communication, and excellence in executing proper procedures. One thing though, could help if websites offering this mediator service require that churches contact their applicants when they have received resumes and give notification whether the applicant has the job or not. Perhaps an email survey could be filled out by both parties which would give insite as to the process of hiring church positions. That way if you had a particular church with this problem the survey would send off a red flag that shows they haven’t contacted their applicants. then the “powers that be” could notify the church of the responses people are giving about their effiency in this area. It could be an emailed report or even phone calls could be make if it persists. Although Of course, something this large would require a lot of man hours and work. Just a thought. Maybe someone has a modified suggestion to this solution.
JGS on Tue, July 05, 2005
I have had the same disappointing experience in applying for jobs listed on this site. Often the church sends a lengthy questionaire that takes hours to adaquately fill out along with a request for videos or DVDs. I have sent many of their requests back, never to hear a reply. How unprofessional! I have decided to not fill out any more questionaires until the church has the common courtesy to contact me personally after they receive my resume.
I do appreciate the convenience of churchstaffing.com for trying to connect with churches looking for staff personnel. Thank you for the work you do. I hope the churches reading these posts or placing ads on this site will take responsibility for making it a rewarding experience for all involved.
Lynn on Tue, July 05, 2005
I second the remarks about the self-centeredness of most churches. Many require candidates to “jump through hoops” that require a great deal of time and energy or which reflect worldly standards (sending samples of work, videos, completing very lengthy questionnaires full of questions which should have been saved for the interview process, sending a picture before the church will even talk to you—never did get that one!!—etc.). And many qualified applicants are expected to juggle all this with the demands of a CURRENT full time job and family! The expectations of these prospective employers are often unrealistically high (sometimes I’m not sure that Jesus Himself would make the cut), yet their salaries are often shamefully low. And yes, I’ve had experience with the pre-interview meetings where churches take advantage of applicants within driving distance to make an often- hasty assessment of “fit.”
I’ve encountered a broad spectrum of consideration when it comes to notification of where I am in the process. When churches are thoughtful and keep me informed, I make a point of thanking them profusely and let them know that their caring reveals a lot about their character. As for the others…Unless they have a very good explanation for keeping me entirely in the dark, I knock non-communicative churches off of my list, even if they come back to me weeks or months later.
Pete King on Tue, July 05, 2005
Sorry if my sollution came out wrong. I’m not talking about churches sending surveys. I’ve been through that one. Actually I’m talking about mediators such churchstaffing.com(Sorry Todd! Please don’t kill me for suggesting this!) sending a brief survey that would allow the mediator to find out if the church is following up on their applicants. I personally have no problem filling out something with a few questions about my experiences with a particular church. Communication is the key and that’s what needs to take place with this new approach to ministry.
David Gray on Tue, July 05, 2005
I agree with all these comments that I have read. I am working on my MDIV and I was called to full time ministry 3 years ago asa youth minister but yet I am not yet in a full time position. Every church that God has ever called me to has rejected me. It is horrible when our churches can’t even figure out God’s will for their church. They can’t even act like christians when they turn you done. I’m sure I’m not the only one that can’t make a living due to churches hiring the wrong people.
I recently received a rejection letter from a church that God clearly called me and my wife too. Our response was that each of us wrote a letter back to that pastor describing our call to make sure that he knew that he had made the wrong decision. I’m hoping I hear back from him in the next couple of days.
We must have a different system of hiring staff members or else these problems that everybody seems to be having will not end.
Those of us who know and acknowledge the problems are the ones that must change them if we are ever in a position where we can do something about it.
Larry Hamlet on Tue, July 05, 2005
With all due respect to all the above comments I must object to the common comment about the church being a business or trying to compare it on any par with a worldly corporation. The business of the church is not at all about business. It is supposed to be about the Father’s work. Ergo, the church should be superior at all times and in every way to any mere business corporation.
The Father sets every standard for the church. And what work does the Father do and care about? He cares about people as individuals. Granular individuals. Each one is extremely important. He takes special care with each and every one.
Churches and Staffing Firms take a great risk just blowing people off even if they feel they’ve already found their man. In Matthew 25:38(45) the question was asked “When did we every see you a stranger…?” How can you be so very sure that the “stranger” in the resume is NOT the man the Lord has really sent you? More than for simple response, I ask where is the follow-up?
Most men here are griping about not getting the acknowledgement or reject letter. The church staff or committee is supposed to follow up by asking questions to each prospective candidate to find out who the man behind the resume is. I remember that only a couple of decades ago every church went this extra mile. But in the last decade when I was looking I only had 4 churches actually ask me a question in 6 years. The rest relied entirely on whatever my resume said to them.
For the record, King David was not in full view. It took a little digging. As the church we must EXPECT to roll up our sleeves for a serious and granular look. High level overviews tell you little, if anything, about the inner man. A resume and fancy interview can be a total lie. How will you see through before the damage is done?
As proof that the present common method is not working well I offer you the reality of the sheer number of repeat “we’re looking (yet again)” ads on this site alone. Oftentimes within only 6 months of their previous attempts. The church has deferred to corporate HR laziness. Even in my (worldly) corporation they take a scant look at a resume and very often blow off some of the best people in the industry.
The businesses aren’t doing it right. So why follow their example? Shouldn’t we dig deep and take a hard look at every man regardless of how much “work” that is? How much work does it really take reading the completed questionnaires of 250 candidates? Isn’t that really the task in the first place? There’s no use complaining about it. Rather rejoice that you have so many great choices to pick from!
Shouldn’t the CHURCH set the standard for the rest of the world? And if every church did that we wouldn’t be having this conversation now would we?
Larry on Tue, July 05, 2005
I have 15 years of experience in corporate Human Resources on 3 continents. I’ve also been in ministry for many years and I’m the part-time associate pastor for a small church seeking a full-time pastor.
The biggest problem with most churches doing staff searches is that few have anyone helping them do it that has any HR expertise. As a result, their HR “process” can be extremely lacking. In addition, depending on the position, there are legal and regulatory considerations. The Holy Spirit works best with those who are trained, whether it be in HR or the Bible.
Even in this day and age, it’s overwhelming to try to respond to every resume which comes into the office, whether that is a corporate office or church office. Unsolicited resumes should not expect a response. If you get one, consider yourself fortunate. Think of it this way: how many pieces of unsoliticted mail do you get at home trying to sell you something? Do you write back and tell them “no thank you”? I know this sounds harsh, but few churches have the manpower necessary to respond to every resume received. We received 60 before we even put out the word we were looking for a pastor.
As for those who have actually been contacted by a church for a discussion or interview, YES, it is totally inexcuseable not to contact that person and tell them they have been given due consideration and are no longer being considered for the position. That is indeed common courtesy in any hiring situation.
Let me say a word about resumes. If you plan to submit one, PLEASE have someone with corporate hiring experience review it. I can’t tell you how many resumes I’ve seen from potential staff members that were horrible. Your resume IS your first impression. There is no excuse for misspelled words, poor grammar and other instances of bad writing. Take your resume seriously—you can be sure the committee who reviews it will.
Finally, if you have not been through any kind of interview situation in awhile, I suggest you set up a mock interview with someone—even if it’s your spouse, who can ask you questions that might be asked by a search committee. It helps you formulate your thinking and answers ahead of time. And remember - be completed, but be brief. Our committee asked one potential pastor, “Tell us about yourself,” and he stopped talking after 50 minutes!
God bless the seekers and the sought.
Michael Otto on Tue, July 05, 2005
I am so frustrated but am aware that churches do not attach real faces/joys/hurts/needs to people that are applying anymore than they do to the people in their community that are searching for a REAL Body of Christ.
I know that God will place me in the Ministry that He wants to work through me,
yet the process to even get a church call and get a feel for a man’s heart, rather than to just stare at the outside(resume).
My life/Ministry/Gifts are so much more than what I’ve done to this point in my life, it’s the willingness to be so much more today. What if Moses or Paul were never given an opportunity to expand on the good and bad from their pasts? God Bless everyone as they continue to trust God in this process…
MB on Tue, July 05, 2005
I appreciate this discussion and the many comments that have been made, even those with which I disagree.
Having been in a search for staff positions a number of times, and over long periods of time, I agree that a church owes a response to an applicant as a “professional courtesy”, if nothing else.
One of the reasons that many churches do not do this is because they lack professional skills and wisdom. Most of those who are part of a search committee are not trained professionals. Most pastors, if conducting a search, are not trained in that way either.
I was totally oblivious to this idea until our most recent search. I have tried to respond to every candidate’s application, though I might have allowed some to fall through the cracks.
Other posters have mentioned that sometimes a church is deluged with applicants…that’s a good and important insight. For us, we have had hundreds of responses to our opening. Nobody is going to write a detailed, personal letter to each person who applied.
For those of you hurt by a “form letter” with no reasons as to why your application was turned down, and/or stating that you weren’t qualified…the church has no obligation or need to include that information. While it’s true that they don’t really know you, the opposite is true in that you really don’t know them either.
A rude or insulting letter from a church is one thing, but a simple acknowledgment and informing that an applicant is not going to be considered is as much (and even more) than what most businesses do.
And for anyone who walks into a church ministry with a chip on their shoulder because of not being treated with professional respect in the hiring process, just wait until you see how you’re treated once you land a position…even if the hiring process was very professional (with some exceptions).
This whole thing goes both ways…once again, I believe a church should be professional in their approach. But I think it’s important that the applicant should respond in a professional way…even when not treated in a professional way.
I could give examples of “resumes”, intro-ductory letters, and materials sent that would make you wonder why the person would even think they would be hired for any position. In some ways, they are just as insulting as some of the letters that some on this blog have received. Yet…we responded to them in (what I hope was) a professional way.
In addition, we have personally contacted individuals whose resume appeared on Churchstaffing.com and other websites of this nature. We informed them about the opportunity, etc. and asked for them to respond back indicating their interest.
Just like the churches not contacting applicants, the vast majority of the applicants never even acknowledged our inquiries. Frustrating? Yes…and we could have stewed over it…but we just needed to move on.
We have had candidates come, we spend lots of money bringing them in…have a great time with them…and everything seems to be on track…then, they decided to say “no” based on issues that they already indicated
they were OK with…
We’ve even had candidates indicate interest ...we buy them plane tickets… and they called to cancel the trip…sticking us with the bill.
Sometimes churches aren’t very professional and sometimes candidates aren’t very professional…
But, somewhere in all of this we have to take this beyond what is professional and understand God’s leading in all of it… whether everything is handled professionally or not.
When I came to pastor my present church, I got the information for my salary package handwritten on a scratch piece of paper and received a very short letter from a part time Secretary that esseentially said, “Yeah…come if you want”. It wasn’t very professional…but it was God’s leading. And God has blessed the ministry beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
MW Gay on Tue, July 05, 2005
I left the business world 14 months ago and am presently pursuing my MDiv having been called into full-time ministry. No matter that I have over 30 years of business experience during which time I started what became multi-million dollar operations employing at times as many as 50+ employees. I foolishly thought (apparently) that I could go on-staff of a church in an administrative / assistant pastor type position (XP?) to gain ministry experience while I was pursuing my MDiv. What I am shocked to find is how even the smallest churches had come to require an MDiv as a basic qualification prior to entertaining one’s resume. Does anybody else find this “disconnect” with the real world somewhat laughable? The manner in which I’ve seen some churches run would suggest that churches need more businessmen with a ministry heart on-staff than another minister who has no clue about business (you know, basic courtesies like returning telephone calls, acknowledging receipt of someone’s resume, etc.)
Since I actually was able to do more ministry while in business (and give a whole lot more money when I had an income), I’m seriously considering leaving “full-time” ministry to go back into business so that I can get back to doing ministry.
Sad . . . .
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