Church Rejection Letters
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, July 06, 2005
- Viewed 66
- (10) comments so far
Like I said, very short, sweet and to the point. Please cut and paste some of your letters that you've come across (just leave out any church names or other incriminating items). These can be letters to confirm that a resume has been received, or that a job has been filled. Anything, really, that has to do with the job search process. If we get enough... I'll turn this into another post and offer it as an added resource for churches to hopefully increase communication! 
Let's hear 'em!...
Yesterday we had a post about how many churches don’t respond to applicants for job openings that they advertise. That posting generated a lot of response… so I thought I’d take it a step further to hopefully help make this a little easier for some of the churches. Let’s post some of the good (and you can include some of the bad and the ugly as well) rejection letters that you’ve either sent (as a church) or received (as a job applicant). I was sent one this morning that was very short and simple… and I think something like this is all that probably would be needed from most of the job seekers who are really frustrated by the lack of communication by churches…
Comments
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Justin on Wed, July 06, 2005
Here is a letter that I received early this year informing me I was not selected for a position for which I was interviewed:
Thank you for your interest in the—- position. It was a pleasure to meet you. Your education and experience are impressive. However, another candidate more closely meets the needs of the—- at this time. I wish you the best in your job search.
This letter was short and sweet, though it quickly got to the heart of the matter while wishing me the best and being happy to have met me. It was actually an encouraging letter to receive and edified and encouraged me to keep going in my job hunt.
This letter was not received in response to a church position, but I think parts of it could definitely apply. By receiving this letter, it gave me the communication that I needed to allow me to accept another position. By being timely and letting me know I was not chosen for the job, I was able to then move on instead of wondering whether or not I was hired (as I have wondered sometimes for weeks or months in other cases).
I worked as the receptionist for a church for a short time. While I was there, the church was looking for a youth minister and a music minister. I cannot tell you how many times I had an applicant call to see if their resume (which they had sent in sometimes weeks or months before) had even been received. While yes, the church received well over 100 resumes for each position, they should have contacted each applicant either through a letter or through a short phone call, letting the applicant know that they were in the process of sorting through resumes. As the sorting continued and they got their list down, they should have contacted them and let those people know that they were not accepted for the job. By doing it as they went along instead of all at the end (which was literally over a year later for the youth minister position), it would have made it that much simpler. Instead of writing 150 letters at the end, 10 letters a month would have been easier to do AND would have allowed the applicants to know their status instead of remaining in limbo.
Moreover, this lack of communication is not only frustrating, it is also un-Christian. Christians are to strive to build one another up, not tear one another down. By causing angst, frustration, and eventually anger by lack of communication, what kind of message are we sending our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? That’s my two cents anyways.
Chet Thomas on Thu, July 07, 2005
I had a rejection letter from a church that went something like this: Thank you for you interest in Our Baptist Church. We have reviewed your resume’ and feel that God is calling us to go another direction. Thank you and best wishes.
Sounds great, except for one thing; I had never heard of this church before, I had no idea how they had gotten my resume’, and had had no contact with them prior to this letter.
My fear was that someone had forgotten to send me a request for sermon tapes, and that the committee had interpreted this as a lack of interest on my part (I was between churches at this point, so I was at least interested in just about anything), and had rejected me for this reason.
Partly because of that, partly out of frustration, partly because I had nothing to lose, I sent a letter of my own to the search committee thanking them for their letter, but also indicating that I had no previous communication with them.
I got a call from a committee member a few days later telling me that I was being considered after all. He said that he had talked to the chairman, and they agreed that perhaps this was God’s way of telling them something. Could I please send them some sermon tapes. He assured me that they would contact me regardless of what decision they came to.
I never heard anything out of them again.
It was one of the stranger episodes of that particular search, which contained some real doozies.
Gerry on Thu, July 07, 2005
Is it the wording of the rejection letter or the lack of a rejection letter that has people frustrated or angry? Or is it simply the lack of meaningful employment? I went through all of this a few years back after a divorce ended my Bible College teaching career. I ended up getting hired on a staff of a church five years after receiving a rejection letter from the same church. Churches are as bad at the hiring process as they are at getting rid of people when they don’t want them. That is a fact of life. Most churches, especially small ones, are simply not equipped to deal with 100 applicants for an open position. Some people on this website have made it sound a lot easier than it is. From what I have seen on this website, many people just need to work on putting together a decent resume, then work on their interviewing skills, and let the Lord take things from there.
Randy on Fri, July 08, 2005
I’ve been somewhat fortunate, I think - I’ve received rejection letters from 4 of the 10 churches I submitted resumes to! Two others rejected me without letting me know (until I called them).
Here is one good rejection letter I received:
“You so graciously responded to our invitation to offer your services at Church. You invested much time and care to let us know who you are, the passions that the Lord has lit in your heart, as well as the experiences and training with which He has equipped you for service. All that we so much appreciate.
“It was as our search committee examined all the information with which you furnished us, and as we turned it over before the Lord Jesus that we came to the conclusion that it would not be right for us to pursue further the possibility of your joining us at Church.
“We want you to know our deep appreciation for who you are and for your making your self available to this discernment process.
“May the Lord Jesus richly bless you and may He continue to use you to his honor and glory.”
This letter sounds more personal than most of the other ones I’ve received, but they’ve been sufficient, as well. Here’s another example:
“First, let me thank you for your interested in our Pastor position and your unfailing work in Christ’s church. Our selection committee, after careful review of your resume and pray, has decided that your experiences and or spiritual gifts do not match the needs of Church.
“The selection committee thanks you and wishes you the best in your quest to find what God has in store for your life.”
(Frankly, the “unfailing work in Christ’s church” seemed a bit over the top to me, but overall I was fine receiving this short and to-the-point rejection.)
Rob on Mon, July 11, 2005
Thank you very much for your interest in a POSITION position here at XXXXXXXXX.
Our commitment is to hire staff members whose employment and ministry experience is properly matched to the job description. We have learned that when these are aligned the person enjoys a fruitful ministry, and the Church is able to better accomplish its mission.
After reviewing your candidacy, we have chosen to pursue other candidates whose background and experiences more closely align with the job description.
Thank you for your willingness to explore employment and ministry service here at XXXXXXXX. I am confident that the Lord will continue to provide vocational direction to you.
In His Service,
XXXXX XXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX
Jerry on Tue, July 12, 2005
My only comment (as I have reviewed some 20 LORs ) ...is this.. sure would be great “if” we (Baptist) could discover a more spiritual and practical way for churches to prayerfully develop a pastor’s profile, communicate it to ministers, receive information, dissiminate, and evaluate on a little better level than is presently done.
One Baptist State leader tells the story of a preacher being passed over because one of the “pastor-search” committee members KNEW the PHARMACIST which the prospective pastor did business with and did not like that business man (the pharmacist) in the neighboring city.
Two Observations: 1) From a spiritual perspective, our system seems at least “fractured”, if not broken… 2) Better communication is needed all the way around….
God Bless.
Rather not say on Wed, July 13, 2005
I have been given a great letter that was encouraging and uplifting before. I have also recieved lies and no communication as well. This church who was considering me for their student ministry job went so far as to have me travel to meet them and then tell me their deep intrest on several occasions and yet I have never heard from them again. I believe that some churches, not the majority, are lying and manipulitive when it comes to hiring practices. It is very sad and it is very hurtful to those who spend time, money, and energy. Thanks for allowing me to voice my opinion.
charles on Mon, July 18, 2005
My experience in the process of my first ministerial search after Seminary graduation has led me to make a promise to conduct professional, Christ-like searches where ever the Lord places my family. A simple acknowledge of receipt letter, a second letter to narrow the field as the Lord leads, and a final letter. It is that simple. We must educate our churches and if the ministerial staffs will not do it, who will?
Abbey on Wed, October 26, 2005
I don’t surf these boards much, but I am on a Pastor Search Committee at this time and I have some observations.
First, thanks to those who submitted samples of rejection letters. The only example I had was the one in the initial article and I didn’t like that one at all, so you have provided me with a place to go in making up such a letter.
I agree it is rude not to acknowledge the receipt of the resume and not to respond with either yay or nay further down the line. All I can say is that where we are right now, some of you aren’t going to hear from us for a couple of weeks - it takes TIME and PRAYER to go thru each of your resumes one by one and study it and discuss it with the other committee members.
Now here are my observations which are more of an admonishment to those applying for positions. YOU have opinions about how WE churches should handle your resume, here is MY humble opinion about how you should handle your application process:
First, please write down all the churches you are applying to and REMEMBER that you have already sent your resume to those churches. I have received at least 4 from one guy and about 6 other men submitted them more than once and they obviously had no recollection that they had done so. This is annoying.
Second, Do NOT include unpublished manuscripts that are 50 pages long - do you actually think that at this inital “meeting” I am going to READ IT?? I want to know the following:
The basics, where you went to school and where you worked. WHo your family is, what you do in your spare time, what your spiritual gifts are, and why you left your last churches. It’s also great if you include a SHORT doctrinal statement (200 resumes times 8 pages of each resume plus doctrinal statment = a greater chance I’ll just get tired of reading the same stuff and bleep over it).
Look I know it’s a fine line between how much to include and what to leave out, but we’re going to ask you the hard questions in an interview over the phone, so just abbreviate the basics of your philosophy and theology.
Again I’ll tell you the cover letter is vastly underused. That’s where I am seeing the spark and the passion that drives you in your ministry. THAT’s what’ll make me put your resume aside, out of the other 150 that are just like you.
Howard on Mon, March 19, 2007
I have dealt with my share of committees both as a minister looking for a position and as one advising a committee at the church at which I am serving. Most do the best they can with the little training they have. When I am advising a committee I always tell them that once they communicate with someone they are obligated to keep them informed until they have either eliminated the possibility of calling them or they hire them. I do not believe that means they have to send them a letter if they receive the resume unless they know for sure it was sent personally. Committees receive resumes in various ways include bulk receipts from places like associations, conventions, and schools. A lot of the time a candidate does not even know a church has his resume.
As a candidate, I must say most churches handle to process poorly. I can not tell you the number of time I have been sent a request for further information, taken time to fill out the form, and then never heard back from them. I even went to one church and met with committee members only to find out a few weeks later I was not being considered, but I had to call and find out. I am not one who needs a flowery letter, an email is fine with me, just let me know what is going on.
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