“So how do you bring about conflict resolution?” asks the interviewer. “First, I believe any conflict resolution needs to be grounded in Matthew 18. That’s essential. From there, when a grievance is brought, I clarify to make sure there aren’t any misunderstandings,...
Once you know what specific qualities and behaviors you’re looking for—but before you invest in thorough behavioral interviews—there’s an intermediate step: doing an initial screening. Doing this process well can help you increase the initial number of candidates so...
When I’ve helped pastors develop leaders, I ask, “What do you want your leaders to be able to do?” “Well… lead.” I get the same responses when I ask search committees and elder boards, “What do you want your pastor to be able to do?” “Well… pastor.” We need to drill...
Pastoral selection Pastor Sam was hired with great enthusiasm. He was personable, had great references, and was ordained. Everyone liked him. Yet as the months wore on, that enthusiasm waned. The expected progress wasn’t happening. This was a church in need of new...
When you have an open position for a pastor or staff member, it can be challenging to figure out what qualities you’re even looking for in the candidates. Character? Leadership abilities? Preaching skills? Let’s start with what I call the 5 Cs. These are the...
Pastor Tim has moved on, leaving his senior pastor position open. A search committee is formed to find a new pastor, and they get together for a meeting. The consensus is that Pastor Tim was not a good fit, so the goal is to get someone who is “not like Pastor Tim.”...
