The time that a church experiences without its Pastor can be a wonderful experience. It also has the potential of being a very discouraging and divisive time. The blessing and motivation for all churches is that Christ desires His church to keep moving forward. Often the time of transition from one Pastor to the next Pastor is described as a process or journey. This journey can provide many benefits for an individual church member and for the entire church family. The transition time is necessary for the church to be prepared for a new leader and for new ministry opportunities. The Transitional Pastor Ministry can be a great asset for a church who is going through this interim leadership change. With church approval, the Transitional Pastor will be able to lead a comprehensive process that can be adapted for any church of any size. This process will then guide and prepare the church for what God can do in the church body. Louisiana Baptists have trained men that can provide guidance for Pastor Search Committees through this process. More information can be obtained by contacting the Pastoral Leadership Ministry. The following is an overview step guide that the training provides for a church search committee.
Pastor Search Committee Step Guideline
(This guide is not intended to be complete or exhaustive)
- Pastor Search Committee Elected by Church
- Constitution and By-laws
- Deacons notification/involvement
- Transitional Interim Ministry
- Committee Organization – 5 Anchors
- Pray Daily
- Profile Assimilation
- Process-Implementation
- Progress Updates
- Patience and More Patience
- Church Mission and Purpose: Who, What, Where, Why, How?
- Church and Community Survey
- Theology, Qualifications, Polity, Association, Denomination
- Gather, Solicit, and Study Resumes/Applications
- Prepare Pastoral Job Description, Policies, Benefits, Questionnaire
- Prioritize Candidate List
- Contact References, Discuss Information
- Contact Candidate, Meet with Candidate
- Present Candidate to Church
- Church Vote
- Pastor begins transition to new church
- Transition Team
For more information email Ray Swift, or call the Pastoral Leadership Team at 318.449.4292.
