“Our Church Is Looking For A Pastor”
“Our pastor just left, and we don’t know what to do.”
“We have never had to look for a pastor before. Where do we start?”
“How do we find the next pastor?”
Through the years, I have heard these statements and questions from good men in church leadership. The pastor has left, and they are now tasked with the responsibility to lead the church to find the next pastor. If you are a deacon or church leader, do these things as soon as you can so you can start the process.
Remember that the Lord loves your church. Why is this important to remember? It should comfort you to know that God loves the church and wants to do what is best for it. When there is no shepherd, it is easy to lose sight of the love that Jesus has for the church. Ephesians 5:25 reminds us that Christ “loved the church and gave himself for it.” Amid uncertainty, encourage yourself with this precious thought.
Check your church constitution and/or bylaws for outlined procedures on finding a pastor or establishing a pulpit committee. This step is often overlooked by well-meaning people. Chances are that your church documentation may have a process already outlined to help you through the process. Some policies establish the deacons as the pulpit committees. Others have a blended pulpit committee of deacons and men in the church. Whatever the case, see what is stated in the constitution and follow it.
If your church does not have any pulpit committee or pastoral search directives in the constitution, then the church leadership should seek out the counsel of two or three Godly pastors to help you establish some guidelines for your search. It is better to write the rules BEFORE you get into the process than to make it up as you go. If a few men make arbitrary decisions with no accountability to the church, it will lead to division.
Once you have found the policy in the constitution or you have established them, then implement them. Gather the men in the committee together and start with a season of prayer before you do anything else. Tell the Lord that you have never done this before. Ask Him for guidance, unity, and protection from the evil one. Ask Him to raise up a man who will love your church and lead it according to the Word of God.
As you begin your discussions and search, be sure to have on hand the church’s doctrinal statement and any other documents that reveal the philosophy and practices of the church. Subjects such as music and evangelism are important, and the church needs to be able to articulate its beliefs and practices to a potential pastor. You want to find a man who is in agreement with you. Unfortunately, some men come under false pretenses and believe they can change the church after they get there. Be careful and do your homework. Take a good look at their past. Don’t take these things for granted.
If your church has an assistant pastor or youth pastor, begin your search by giving consideration in-house. Sometimes, a “home-grown” person is the perfect fit. Sometimes, he is not. Engage the assistant to see if he has any interest in the position. If it is obvious that the assistant should not be a candidate, let him know instead of leaving him in the dark. In the attempt to avoid potential conflict, much damage has been done by totally ignoring the assistant in the search. Better to deal with this matter earlier than later.
Throughout the process, the pulpit committee should regular update the congregation. By standing before the congregation every couple of weeks to give a report, you do two things. First, you are keeping the congregation informed about the process. A lot of whispers can be prevented by keeping them in the loop. This update also reminds the members of the committee to be diligent in searching and praying for a new pastor. It is harder to be lazy in your pursuit when you know you need to give an update every so often.
If you are reading this and your church is looking for a pastor, just remember that you are not alone. May God help you find the right man and raise up many more to fill the growing void in our country.
[Every week, I hear from churches who are looking for a pastor. This article was not intended to be comprehensive. If you need help in finding trusted men to give you counsel in your pastoral search, I would be glad to connect you with seasoned pastors who have a track record of helping churches like yours. Feel free to email me at abeal@ambassadors.edu.]