I agree but disagree with Average Joe.  We posted an add and recieved over 200 emails with resumes.  I can tell you we reviewed each, but the time it would take to go back and find each candidate and send them a return kill letter was not wise and good stewardship. I have been on both sides, guys the real problem is our prayer life and not our communication with one another.  I can tell you that God has been removed from the hiring process from both churches and staff.  When we return to asking God for direction we want need any refusal letter, we will have a direction from God.  I hope you don’t take this as being over spiritual, but come on!  Quit whining and starting winning for Him. 
I posted annoymous because I didn’t want a barage of negative, most can’t handle the truth.

Thanks

Hey guys!  Welcome to the 21st Century… where we have computers, the internet, e-mail, video/DVD, and other exciting things.

This is a time when churches don’t always treat pastoral staff and pastoral candidates in a professional manner...and a time when pastoral staff and pastoral candidates want to be treated professionally even though we don’t always act in a professional manner.

There’s a lot of discussion here about what churches SHOULD do...but the fact is:  churches do what churches do.  Some understand professional etiquette, others don’t.  Sometimes our own expectations are unreasonable and we get hurt.

Yet...God is still at work in this whole process as we look to Him, getting us to the right place at the right time. 

So I will just bluntly make two comments:

1.  If anyone has missed God’s leading or call to a particular ministry because the church was ignorant, insensitive, and/or just plain rude in the way it hired who it did, then that church will be who suffers the greatest over the long haul...because they ended up with the wrong person.

2.  If anyone can’t handle the way they are being treated by a church during the candidating process, they will have an even tougher time once they get into the ministry. 

I hate to say it, but ministry is a contact sport… and if anyone thinks he/she is going to always be treated respectfully and with professional courtesy because they’re a pastor, they’re in for a shock.

I realize this might sound harsh...and I don’t condone a church acting unprofessional and even rude...but somewhere in all this, there needs to be a dose of reality. 

God doesn’t need everything to be perfect and professional in order to get a person where he/she will be ultimately serving.  If you find that perfect church, don’t go… unless you’re the perfect pastor.

I have been in search of a full time position since October. I come from the corporate world and if we conducted like most churches we would never find a employee. First off no one can take a resume and decide if some one is right for a position. There should be personal contact.
Second when looking for a pastor, if there not sincere about looking all across the country they should not post it on the internet.

Third, If they bring some one in to be heard they should follow up with in two week to either tell them they are still being consider or they are going to move on. They use the excuse God lead them in a different way. Will if there prayer life is where it should be they would only look at one person at a time. You should never be looking a more than one at a time for the position of pastor, that is what bring about confussion.

Forth, There are so many association out there trying to tell churches how to find a pastor, well these group need some education in how to hire because most have never been in the real world and seen how bussiness is done.

I have been left on the hook by some churches for as long as three month. The First Baptist of Webster, Fl. did not even return a reponse untill they had called some else to pastor even though I wrote them 2 times and they would not even return a call. And they say they are lead by God. Well he does not work like that most need Bible education too.

Terry murphey

I laughed when I read this article.  Like so many others, I have experienced this on numerous occasions.  Almost all occasions.  I understand that with all the applications that a church receives it is hard to get to and respond to all of them.  But I have called, emailed, and sent letters and resumes to the the hiring churches and have never heard a word back.  I have called to confirm that they had received my resume, to see if the position was still open, or just to get a detailed job description...same story.  No response.  It is very frustrating for people who with all their heart want to serve God ministering and shepherding His people to not even get a response back from hopeful future employees.  It has definitely (to be honest) taken some wind out of my sails…

As a member of a search committe I have to say that with the numerous responses, we came up with a generic “receipt of resume” letter that said: The search committee will be considering all received resumes in the weeks to come.  We will then refine our search based on the Lord’s will and criteria we have deemed important for our church body.  If your resume is being considered further, you will receive a phone call from one of the search committee members.  Further communication will follow as needed and appropriate.”

So from the flip side, we have received resumes from people who are almost willing to take any position as long as it’s in a church (we don’t want to spend the energy and emotion “getting to know” somebody who hasn’t been called to worship ministy); or they may have several years experience, but have changed jobs every 2-3 years (can’t get along with ministry team or church leadership?); or have worked for every denomination (what do they believe?).  Most don’t give their personal testimony or ministry philosophy (what is their heart?); some live 3000 miles across the country (the cost involved for interviewing and candidating is phenominal, and when it comes down to it they don’t really want to go too far from their families). 

We are in the process of searching for a Worship Pastor, it is a difficult task to find a fit for your church, every church has their own personality and culture.  I appreciate that each applicant (sending a resume by email is not really an application) is probably a wonderful person with a great heart for ministry, but quite frankly not at all a match for us.

I think those who are sending resumes to churches should do a little research themselves, if the church website is listed, check it out.  Do you agree with their denomination, mission statement, or the Sr. Pastor’s ministry philosophy?  Do you know anything about the town/city/state? is that someplace you would want to to live?

Have somebody help you with your resume.  If you were on a search committe, would you pick your resume? What is it really saying about you? Does it reflect who you really are?

I mean to offend no one, just another point of view.  The search isn’t easy on either side.

Why continue to wait for a response from a church that lacks healthy hiring practices?  A hiring committee should be comprised of people with the skills to tell candidates “no” so they can continue to look for the place God is calling them to and also consider giving candidates feedback on ways their resumes and interviews could be improved.  Some of the postings here display an amazing array of rejection feelings that will hopefully carry over into their next jobs where they, too, will have the opportunity to hire and fire people (volunteers or salaried).  Will the memory of feeling like “the least” change behaviors in the future when we are in decision making positions?

I have gotten several “you didn’t win” answers.  My opinion is more based on the why’s rather.  I am a 16 year veteran worship leader for a “Mega” church in California and have since felt called to move eastward.  So I have applied to several average to large churches looking for staffing in my field of expertise.  To my surprise, the qualifications they seek are different than mine every time so far.  I don’t quite understand this, but I get the “No degree, no job” attitude.  I may not have a paper degree, but I have the calling of the Lord and more than 11 years of private instruction in Percussion, Guitar and now added piano with theory equivalent to theory 3 in most colleges.  I also have experience in Sound Engineering for recording as well as live event and maintain my knowledge base on equipment.  I attend the NAMM show every year.  Yet, again, my greatest qualification is my calling from the Lord.  It seems that this is of little importance to churches today and that it has become a business for those of high degree.  Forget the little guy who didn’t attend a college.  Preferences like this were condemned by Christ when He was here and these same churches that I speak of have in their Doctrinal Statements that they adhere to the infallable word of God.  With my experience in the secular world would almost guarantee me a position with record companies, with studios, or in live entertainment.  However, I “am not qualified” to lead worship in the church.  It just doesn’t make any sense.

J King

To the people from churches who say that they cannot respond to every resume I ask the following question…

How hard is it to hit the “reply” button on your email application?  Then, you just type something like

“Thanks for send us your resume.  Due to the overwhelming number of resumes we have received, it may not be possible for us to respond to every one.  We just wanted you to know that we received your information, and to thank you for appying.”

There are several churches I have applied to, and have heard NOTHING from them.  They wil be receiving this article from me next week...not that they will actually read it though.

I am now looking for a Full-Time Children’s Pastor in or around Columbus Ga. and let me tell you, out of 31 letters sent out 1 have only heared from 1.  If churches are trying to dicourage people to continue to stay in the ministry they are doing a great job of it. I have a saying to those that have given REASONS to why they do not reply “ Excuses are like garbage cans we ALL have them and they ALL stink.”. Don’t give a excuse give a reply, WWJD if he were at your church.

I have an idea. What if all church staff listing sites like this had some tips that came automatically to their inbox (not a link, but an actual email) in dealing in a Christian manner with prosepective employees?

“As a representation of God’s love and in courtesy and respect for those called to ministry and the many hours of time and effort required in applying for positions, we at Church Staffing suggest you prepare the following form letters and commit to providing all job seekers with timely responses and updates in your search process.
-A form letter stating you have received an application.
-A letter stating your interest in a prospective candidate and how long you will keep their resume on file.
-A form letter to send to all pursued candidates to update them on your process once a month. (Did you send them a questionaire? Ask for references? UPDATE THEM!)
-A rejection letter to inform candidates that they have been dropped from the list of prospects due to whatever or because the position has been filled.”

As PW, having seen my husband go through this discouraging process and gone through it with him, not only for a ministry position, but for menial interim jobs (I have spent countless hours searching and emailing him listings, retooling and editing resumes, questionaires, cover letters, etc.), I would make it my personal ministry to provide these update letters to prospective candidates if our church was hiring.  I’m completely appalled by the lack of respect and courtesy the majority of churches have shown in this process, particularly when hours have already been spent filling out questionaires and serious interest has been shown (we want to fly you out and will call you at the end of the month to set it up… then nothing, and the job is reposted!!).  Some of these churches have a human resource dept. and can fly a candidate out/put him in a hotel multiple times for interviews, but their executive pastor can’t keep a phone apt. or have his secretary send out an email.  How does a guy like that even get a job, let alone get put in charge of hiring someone like my husband, who is 10 times more competent? There is no accountability and leadership in too many churches.  People get hired because of a relationship, they were never the most qualified candidate, they do their jobs halfway for lack of knowing any better, and there is nobody noticing or calling them on it and mentoring them to do it right.  If not for the grace of God and a strong assurance of his calling, I wouldn’t know how my husband puts up with the politics and incompetency.