#9!
#9!
#9!
We just went through this, and number nine was one of the big hangups.  The person hired could not accept his place in the food chain, even though it was spelled out crystal clearly throughout the interview process.  It seems everyone thinks they should be first in line to the senior pastor…

And because of other issues with this hire, if you have a board of elders, and it’s a crucial position, let the elders grill the candidate, (slowly over an open pit fire) for a week, to really dig into character issues.  I’m very serious about this!

I think that every medium-sized church (350-1000) and larger churches should hire specialists to help them in the search process, especially for lead (or senior) pastors. This would be the equivalent of corporation head-hunters. Most laypeople are well-intentioned, but they don’t know what to look for and how to do it. They waste thousands of man hours in the review of resumes, committee meetings, and phone calls, not to mention interviews. Ironically, the hiring of a consultant would probably save churches money in the long run.

I love number 6!

Chemistry is a much bigger issue than it gets credit for being. I think church leaders need to do this much more often with candidates.

Clarification to top comment..."Hypothetical questions are NOT helpful....”

I have been a bivocational minister for many years and a professional HR execuitive for 15 years.  This is a GREAT list to follow.  I would add a couple of points (1) PUT THE OFFER IN WRITING!  Businesses always give executive candidates an offer letter, and churches should do this too.  The letter should spell out every aspect of pay and benefits, lines of responsibility (up and down), job description, performance management (that’s another whole topic I could write on), conflict resolution (another topic I could write on) and any exceptions to written church policy in these areas.  It’s perfectly acceptable to use attachments.  But the document should be able to stand on its own if there are any questions later about the terms of employment.  Pastors and committee memberships change, and no one may remember what was said verbally when the staff member was hired.  This cannot be overly emphasized.  (2) Be sure someone on the Finance or Personnel committee understands the issues surrounding ministerial pay and housing allowance and other ‘allowances’.  IRS Publication 517 can help with this.  Sometimes even the ministers don’t fully understand all of this and both the church and the minister attempt to do things that are illegal.  If you have questions, your denomination or an accountant who deals with ministers can help.

We are going through this right now - very helpful.  Thanks!

We just went through this process, albeit, with a lead pastor position, and one extremely helpful prescreening request was for the candidate to list the books and authors he was reading, enjoyed, disagreed with, etc. This gave us an immediate sense of whether we were aligned philosophically. We also fashioned a list of questions for the candidate, exploring such things as passions, regrets, theology, family, etc. Those questions also provided the candidate some insight into our identity as a church.

Todd, now do one on the church from the perspective of the potential candidate. 
As a one time candidate, i sure wish i had done a background check on the church leaders and asked them “what if” scenarios.
Heather has a great point as well.
Stewart

One additional tip I learned at a ChurchSmart workshop was to hire a potential candidate as an intern first--especially if it’s a new position or a church plant. Hiring as an intern before placing them with a contract on staff brings you the people who are most committed to the church (because often interns have to raise their own funding) and you have the temporary hire that allows you to release the person early if they don’t work out (which saves a lot of pain if they had been hired with a contract). I thought it was excellent. Start the position as an internship with the possiblity for a long-term contract. Saves headaches, money, and gets you the right person.

Larry, you have hit the nail on the head with all your comments!!
Wish more people were like you in the ministry, level headed that is.

I agree with Pastor J.  The role of minister’s spouse is… to be the spouse, not the ministerial assistant.  If between the two fo them they have some working arrangement whereby she (or he!) participates significantly in the ministry, that’s great.  When I produce musicals my wife is my drama director, but that’s her choice because she’s skilled and loves it and we work well together.  But the church is not hiring the minister’s spouse and a true interview would he highly inappropriate. Instead, social settings where members of the staff, search committee, or church members can engage both of them in polite conversation would be a more appropriate way to get to know the spouse.

For those who disagreed with my earlier comment based on position, my hurray for the internship idea was for an associate staff position, and I should have clarified, for a church just beginning to add staff. Often it’s difficult to make that adjustment if you’ve never had more than one pastor and your church is growing to the point where an associate pastor is needed.

Secondly, I truly agree with “JustServing” about the pastor’s wife interview. When I interviewed with my current church, they asked about my wife, “is she good with kids, does she play piano, etc.” I was very clear and up front to say, “My wife isn’t going to be employed. Her role will be to support me and to serve the church as she would any church she attends whether I’m employed there or not.” I think churches need a hard lesson in breaking the old pastor-wife team model we’ve grown accustomed to for too long. The reality is, the pastor and his wife don’t serve the church, they serve the Lord--and in the capacities that God has called them. I’m afraid we need to break away from the Consumer-driven church mindset and focus on a Kingdom-driven (or yes, I’ll say it, purpose-driven) mindset.

For those of you searching for a church now, run away from the churches that are seeking to employ you. You’ll find yourself serving THEM. Look for the churches that need someone to serve the Lord with them, looking for a leader to help them follow Christ. You’ll actually get to serve the Lord there!