Can I say an AMEN to that!  I have had the same issues, every one of them.  These ten suggestions are the very same ones I came up with myself after three bad hires of a music minister.  I am still currently without one and will stay that way until I find the right person.  Every one of them caused a great amount of hurt when they left.  Take your time and do the hard work.  It will pay off in the future.  Thanks for the great advice.

I would add to this list the us of certain personality assessments.  One of the greatest challenges I’ve found is the fact that individuals seldom present themselves completely in an interview.  Although this is natural, it is also potentially lethal.  As executive pastor in a very large church, I began to use assessments of various types (the more important the role, the more in-depth the assessment) to provide me with “inside information” on the candidate.  Seldom was I led astray by these tools.

I think #2 is GREAT and is something that I often recommend.  What it says is that after receiving the name of a reference, ask that individual whom he or she would also recommend talking with.  This tends to remove the reference checking process from the “fans” of the candidate to include other persons whose opinions may be a bit more objective.

In my experience, it is dangerous to hire from within the congregation if the person has been a part of the church for a long time with lots of webs of support and loyalty when one is in a relatively small church (750 and under). If for some reason the chemistry or the ministry doesn’t work out, you have a MAJOR conflict on your hands. If the church is 1000 or more, you can still have damage, but it’s much less hurtful. Sometimes you THINK you know people, and you discover serious quirks along the way.

Here is a list I drafted in this past year:
1.  Chemistry...is this a person I want to spend time with...or would I find myself regularly avoiding them?
2.  Strengths...Can this person fill the existing leadership gaps...or do they add redundancies to the current leadership mix?
3.  Match...I this the best fit for the position to be filled...or is this a convenient or safe choice at this time?
4.  Sub-culture...Does this person reflect the primary socio-economic and educational profile of this organization...or are they a “fish out of water”?
5.  Theology...Is this person within our acceptable range on the theological continuum...or are they marching to a different theological drummer with specific agendas or perspectives that has the potential to divert the time, attention and energy away from the organization’s stated mission and vision?
6.  Philosophy...Does this person agree with and commit to support the strategy by which we live out that mission...or might they become divisive in public and private conversations within their arena of influence?
7.  Loyalty...Can this person set aside personal preference for the sake of the mission, vision, values and ministry strategy...or will their preferences become a backroom agenda that becomes destructive to the organization as a whole?
8.Authority...Will this person respect those who serve at a higher level of leadership...or might they have tendencies toware insubordination in light of past performance?
9.  Past...Does this person’s past reflect stability personally and professionally...or are there patterns of behavior and frequency of transition that raise concern?
10.  Future...Can this person meet the requirements and expectations for the next levels of ministry development...or what’s the risk of the investment necessary to equip them?

I also suggest a leadership covenant clearly indicating the non-negotiables as well as the process to:  (1) review ministry priorities and performance, and (2) remind them of the process and structures (3) restore them to more effective service, or (4) remove them to more suitable roles within the church or to another ministry setting.

Great article I also echo what’s been said above that the interviewee should also be asking questions.  I’m sure with little adjustment these could all be reworded to be used by the one being interviewed to determine from her/his perspective whether it is s good fit for them.
Having recently resigned from a 4 year stint as a youth pastor, I will ask many more questions of the next ministry that we interview with. 
Consider the possibility that a church not asking the questions that Gary has suggested, or some form of them, should be e red flag.  If they aren’t concerned about the issues that these questions deal with, you may find out you’ve signed on for more than you’ve bargained for say 3-4 years down the road.

Very good article, and an important issue. A couple reflections - from my perspective as a Christian songwriter and church music director - and formerly a hospital executive, and manager of many resources and individuals.

1) Never forget that employment/work arrangements are a two-way street. A mutual love of genuine teamwork is an ingredient for organizational success. (This means neither the boss nor the employee always gets their way.)

2) The best “consultant line” I ever heard was, “What you permit, you promote.” Think it over. It applies to everything from parenting to friendships, to work relationships and marriage. Think about Moses and the Ten Commandments.

3) On hiring friends, I once heard this from a musician: “Musicians can make great friends, but friends make lousy musicians.” Lesson: let a candidate’s gifts, skills, nature, faith and other existing attributes be the reasons you consider them. If you try to imagine your friend into a necessary skill that doesn’t exist, be prepared for disappointment.

4) Last, before assuming that all unsuccessful employees’ strengths or nature is the cause of their failure, take a good look in the mirror, and assess whether you’ve been an “enabler” rather than an empowerer as a boss.

Great job Gary!

Nice article.  While I agree in principle with most of your points, in my experience, many church staff and/or search committees are very unprepared for the interview and hiring process.  As such they read points as you have made and not know where to from there.  Example: they want to ask, ask, ask..but simply don’t know what or how to.  They are wanting to find the issues you discuss but don’t understand the process of asking open-ended questions, follow-up questions, looking for behavioral qualities, etc.
Before my church position, I spent many years in the business world and have interviewed over 1000 folks.  Coming into the non-secular arena has opened my eyes to our vulnerability in hiring.
While I don’t totally disagree with hiring someone you know, it can and often does create distractions and negatively effect objectivity and the ideas pool.  It just depend on the job being hired for.
Finally, I would ditto your point on giving clear expectations.  All interviewers would be wise to remember that making a bad hiring decision not only hurts the organization, it is a disservice to the hiree.  The right hiree is qualified, motivated, and prepared to succeed.

I have a question as well. I know exactly where Brandon and Jade are coming from. I have a music degree and have been involved in assisting many ministries through out my experience as a Christian. However, experience “leading” a ministry is a factor. It is just simply impossible to get leadership opportunities. I have just recently been through a very difficult time which led to my leaving a church where I have helped lead worship for the youth. My experience has been that if you are helping in small churches you will not likely be able to ever lead and as far as large churches are concerned they have a much better handle on leadership issues thus requiring lots of experience. I guess I really have two questions here that I really need some answers to. 1. Is there programs that give college grads some realtime experience in say a large church that would help them meet the experience requirement for hiring? As far I can tell one starting out in leading ministry can only get a position in a small church where unfortunately has been very painful and less than productive experience for me. At this point in my life, I am beyond the concept of struggling with churches unwilling to adapt to a more progressive approach of sharing the Gospel, poor leadership, selfish motives, etc. Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.  Secondly, I was wondering if there is any reasources available for people who are searching for a job specifically regarding music ministry? For example, writing resumes and a list of possible questions to ask the employer in an interview. I’m sure there is someone out there who has been here before. Todd, could you possible research this for us. Appearantly I’m not the only one with this problem. Thanks. I really appreciate it.

The next step is to discuss the art of hiring. 

The wisdom above will save time and grief.  However, as leaders we are not just human resources people hoping to avoid mistakes. 

Our job is similar to that of a movie director casting a film.  We have to carefully consider the strengths and nuances of each person and then cast them in the right part.  The art is in thoughtful blending of each person’s qualities so that the cast is greater than the sum of its parts.  Leaders get the big bucks for skillfully crafting a team, not simply filling openings.

In the past 10 years I’ve hired about 100 direct reports in the secular business world.  I’ve learned the following:

> Make sure the right people are in the right jobs.  Review positions and placements annually.

> Have a written succession plan for each position.  This forces you to think about your people and organization differently.  Succession planning is a great way to identify opportunities.

> A leader is talent scouting all the time, not just when there is an opening.  Network, meet good people and keep up with them over the years.  When you have an opening, go to your “future Eagle” file and take advantage of your network.

> Mentor others.  This year’s intern is next year’s valuable employee… and maybe someday, your boss.

> What comes around goes around.  If you are upfront and honest with people on your staff, generally they will be that way with you.  Tackle tough conversations head-on and with a kind heart.  The staff will appreciate it.

> Take a few chances.  After you’ve hired for awhile you learn to trust your intuition.  If you see potential greatness in a candidate, take a risk and give them a tryout on the team.  That’s the difference between sitting in the executive chair and the human resources manager’s chair.  Some of the most valuable hires I’ve made were on intuition.

Thanks to Pastor Lamb for sharing his great wisdom.

Pete,
You asked how someone gains experience that will enable them to get hired at a large church.  My advice is to try to find an internship opportunity at a large church.  The mindset and way of doing ministry are different depending upon the size church so I look for someone who has had experience on staff at a large church or ha had an internship with a large church.  We have 6 or more interns a summer, with some staying on for a year.

Guys, despite what the link in the email said, this isn’t Gary’s blog.  I don’t know if he’ll come read your comments here or not, but if you’re looking for Gary’s thoughts, you might want to follow the link to his blog…

C Edwards said: “However, the job of letting someone go should be relagated to the ones that voted to bring them on...the congregation..., with proper, legitimate, credible evidence being presented. It should NEVER be left up to the pastor who may in fact be the problem.”

I’m sure all our churches have different polities, but in our denomination, the pastor does the hiring (with the board’s approval) and firing (with or without the board’s approval).  The senior pastor is reponsible to lead, shepherd, develop, and supervise the staff.  The only paid staff position the congregation votes on is the senior pastor.  This is a good thing, in my opinion.

If the pastor is, in fact, the problem, let’s hope the other leaders in the church (elders, deacons, board, whatever) are strong enough to help him see it and hold him accountable to grow past it.

Again, your church polity may vary…

Oh, and in my opinion, it’s completely “proper, legitimate, and credible” to remove someone from the team if they’re just not a good fit in terms of personality/style/etc.  Chemistry is important!