Thom Rainer: Five Pleas to Pastors from Pastor Search Committees

In a post last week, I noted five pleas from pastors to search committee. In this post, I share some pleas I have heard to pastors from search committees.

As I noted last week, congregations across America call pastors to their churches in a variety of ways. As church polity varies, so do the approaches of calling a pastor. A bishop or other authority appoints some pastors. Sometimes an elder board decides who will be considered as the next pastor. Many times, however, the responsibility for recommending a pastor to a congregation falls upon a pastor search committee.

The search committee is typically comprised of lay leaders voted on by the congregation or nominated by some group in the church. Occasionally, the membership may include a current pastoral staff member.

In my conversations with search committees, many of the members have shared with me how pastors can best make the process more effective. Here are five of their “pleas.” Keep reading