The local church is an organism composed of many different members, each one vital to its ongoing success. Among these vital members are some called pastors who are given by God to shepherd the local body of believers through the ministry of the Word and prayer. See Ephesians 4:11 and Acts 6:4: For most churches in the United States today, there is one pastor, or one pastor who leads the rest. This man does most of the preaching, is most looked to for discerning direction, and is paid so he may be free to dedicate his time to ministry. Whether he is full-time or part-time time he has a major influence on our congregation and a great responsibility to Christ. Our responsibility as members of the body is to be diligent in calling a man to fill this particular role. If we call the wrong man to a place of authority, it compromises the whole organism of the church. At church, we are dealing with matters of the heart, intimate personal issues with existential impact; so, when something goes wrong, the damage is profound. We have witnessed many notable cases in recent years, such as those of Mark Driscol, Bill Hybels, Bill Gother, and Carl Lentz.
Advice on Pastoral Transition
The Church is unique among all other organizations in the world because it is not of the world. See John 17:4, 16: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
The Church is set apart as God’s people have always been. God’s people have always struggled to fully embrace this reality. We see the success in the world around us, and we want some of that for ourselves. See 1 Samuel 8:4-5, 19-20: “Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us; That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”
When we call a pastor, we look for a leader like we have at work, or in the government, or on the sports field, etc., etc. You can see it in the job adverts for ministry positions, which typically cover Biblical qualifications in a single short line, and expound at length about “dynamic leadership,” “self-starter,” and magnificent abilities. It sounds good on paper, but it does not work out for our churches.
God dedicated three books of the Bible to the pastoral ministry: First and Second Timothy, and Titus, along with portions of James and First and Second Peter. We also have the practical examples of Jesus’ own earthly ministry and the further examples from the Old Testament and Acts. God found the qualifications for the pastorate worth unpacking, and so should we.
We need to set aside worldly wisdom and draw on Biblical principles of calling a pastor. By thinking carefully about what God requires and how to find the man that meets those requirements, we will set our churches up for a kind of success the world knows nothing about.
Of course, every church has its own governance and polity, which will shape its pastoral search, making a step-by-step guide impractical for us. This article will focus on universal constants applicable to all Biblically faithful churches regardless of affiliations. Our aim is at once twofold and singular. The work we undertake and the reasons for our undertaking are timeless, as we trust the guidance offered will be.
Our first objective is to see the full removal of abusive ministers from our churches. There are many forms of abuse, ranging from blatant bullying to subtle manipulation, all of which is absolutely heinous. Any form of abuse by anyone claiming to be Christian presents a major stumbling block to the faithful believer, and this is so abhorrent to our Lord that He says drowning would be preferable to the wrath awaiting such abusers. See Matthew 18:6: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
As the Church is the bride of Christ, those who do her harm are assaulting the Lord’s betrothed. See Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Moreover, Christ so identifies with His people that when they are persecuted, He is persecuted. See Acts 9:4: “And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”
The abusive minister does double violence, directly attacking Christ, and at the same time misrepresenting He who is gentle and lowly, who would not crush a bruised reed or snuff out smoking flax. See Matthew 11:29 and Isaiah 42:3:
- Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
- Isaiah 42:3: “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.”
We must have an end to the abuse of authority within the Church. The best way to accomplish this is to stop abusive people from gaining authority within the churches.
Our second objective is that faithful brothers would find their work joyful. See Hebrews 13:17: “But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?” Having a good start in a ministry makes a profound difference. We want our brothers to feel secure in their calling and well-loved by their faith families. In such a condition, our brother pastors may do their best work, which is good for all of us.
In both aims, we seek to glorify God by honoring His precepts, seeking His will, and submitting to His direction. It is God’s church; He designed it, built it, and continually sustains it; so, He knows better than anyone else could what is good for the churches. We trust in God to bless our efforts and to bless His Church.
From here, the reader may expect us to move directly into a list of pastoral search essentials, but this article must start before the search does. We must begin with the previous pastor’s departure, and then work through to the beginning of the search. If there is one piece of wisdom that this writer wishes to impart to all his beloved brothers and sisters, it is that rushing ahead to fill a vacancy is not the answer to anything. We understand why it often feels like the answer to everything, which is why we will tackle that anxiety before we do anything else.
The Critical Truth of Christ
Transition is not easy; it comes with enough uncertainty to unsettle even the most well-studied theologians. The first thing we must do when the pastorate opens up is to keep from losing our heads by reminding ourselves that we haven’t lost our Head. See Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:23, and Colossians 1:18:
- Ephesians 1:22: “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,”
- Ephesians 5:23: “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.”
- Colossians 1:18: “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
We have not lost our direction or vision, for these things come from Christ. We still have the Good Shepherd to occupy that head position of ministry in our congregation. There is, therefore, a most profound continuity of care for us and our faith family. This comforting and guiding truth needs to be emphasized as they navigate the season of transition.
You see, we tend to overemphasize our loss and so overdramatize our need. We act as if the pastor were the head of our church, and not Christ. We act as if we were now sheep without a shepherd, but our Shepherd never leaves us nor forsakes us. See Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Not only does this tend to make us anxious, but it also distorts our search for the next pastor.
You see, beloved, what is lost when one man leaves the office is an undershepherd. What we want to replace him with is an under-shepherd. We have been following Christ led by a Christ follower, and we continue to follow Christ, and we shall follow Christ led by a Christ follower. There is no crisis in a time of transition, for Christ always remains.
So, with a peace that surpasses all understanding, we can proceed with trusting hearts and clear heads to consider our situation. Whatever the situation, we can face it because Christ is with us. Beloved, in such a season as this, we should press hard into the loving embrace of our Lord with all the more urgency. Every minister is only an instrument in His redemptive hand; He fashioned that instrument and brought it to us. He did it before, and He will do it again.
The Goodness of Plurality
See Acts 14:23: “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.”
The New Testament speaks of elders, or overseers, in the plural form. When one begins to think of all the qualities needed to lead, feed, protect, and love God’s flock, it is clear that one man is not sufficient. One man might be ordained to give his life to the ministry, and freed from secular concerns to shoulder a greater portion of the ministry, and to be a leader among the elders; but no man should do it all himself.
At the same time, one man can easily fall either from exhaustion, disillusionment, temptation, or weakness. With a council of elders, the labor is divided so that all have rest. When one elder becomes disillusioned, the others can encourage him. When an elder is tempted, the others can defend, admonish, and if needed, confront from an even footing. The strength of one supply is the weakness of one elder. Wisdom is established in a multitude of counselors, as the proverb says, and it is also true that appointing a plurality of counselors is wise.
Contemporary polity has moved away from the plurality of elders in many churches, and this greatly adds to the troubles of transitions. Losing one out of a team is still significant, especially when that one was a leader and possessed particular skills. However, the rest of the team can overcome the loss through their combined efforts. There is a change, but there is also continuity. When the new elder arrives, he steps into that continuity instead of starting from scratch.
The elders are already vetted, up to speed with the condition of the congregation, and trained on the qualifications and requirements for shepherding ministry. They are the ideal search committee. In the best-case scenario, the elders will not need to form a search committee at all because the previous pastor has already trained and prepared one of their number to take his place. The best-case scenario is a planned transition in which a departing pastor smoothly and seamlessly hands over the office of pastor, supported by a plurality of elders and the full awareness of the congregation.
This is what we see from Moses to Joshua, and Paul to Timothy, and Jesus to His apostles.
Sadly, this kind of transition rarely happens. Sometimes it does not happen because we, the people in the pews, will not let it happen. At other times, a pastor is taken suddenly, and there is no time for a smooth hand-off. There is also an idea that we cannot afford in smaller churches, or even in bigger ones, to keep a senior pastor and an associate training under him to one day take up where he leaves off.
Speaking as a former and aspiring pastor, assuming no one is willing to do the work for free or to wait fails to understand the heart of ministry. What is there that God cannot provide? We do not receive because we do not ask. There are a lot of avenues to excuse our unwillingness to try a different, and perhaps better, means of calling the next pastor. The question we must ask is, do any of them truly hold up?
I believe the plurality of elders and the purposeful succession of pastors is the best way forward for the local church. It provides the most benefits and eliminates most dangers. That is why I have advocated for it here, but not everyone will implement this strategy, and not everyone will be able to in every situation: the life of the local church is messy and unpredictable.
Therefore, I will go on to offer advice that is applicable with or without a plurality of elders for finding a pastor when one is not apparent. First, it will be helpful to think through some of those messy and unpredictable circumstances we might face.
The Empty Pulpit
There are many reasons a church might find itself without an under-shepherd, and we must consider the exact circumstances that ushered our faith family into this season. It might be that a well-loved and long-serving minister has been called Home, and now we are grieving his absence while celebrating his life. It may be that an unqualified man has abused the office and been rightly removed, but we are left hurt and confused. It might be that division within the congregation has made a minister’s position untenable, and he has moved on; we are left to struggle amongst ourselves. The list could go on.
Whatever the case may be, it leaves us with something to sort through. As with any relationship, baggage from past relationships will hinder the formation and flourishing of new relationships. Before any church can call a new pastor, it must come to terms with the legacy of the last pastor.
This may require a good amount of ministerial work. Counseling, training, and educating. There may be a need for public confession and restoration. There may be corporate sins to repent of, or corporate burdens to release. Whatever the case, honesty, earnestness, and integrity are the watchwords of the process.
There might also be other issues in our church that need to be addressed before we start to call a new pastor. Are the covenant, constitution, bylaws, and other official documents faithful to scripture and clear on the governance, structure, roles, and responsibilities of our local assembly?
Are there passages that have caused problems that might be improved during this season? Have the grounds and buildings been kept up? Are the finances in order? Often, we leave these matters for the next minister to deal with, but that is irresponsible of us. Is your congregation on mission? God calls churches to a purpose, not pastors.
Pastors merely facilitate the purpose God always intended. The congregation needs to own the mission God gives them as a congregation. The pastor is one part of that. Knowing who we are and what we are about will help us to know who he is when we meet him; all of this is founded on knowing who God is.
This is a good time to bring in outside help to diagnose the condition of your congregation and to help prepare you to move forward into the next season as smoothly as possible. For many churches, the local, state, and even national institutions can offer tremendous help at this early phase. For independent churches, there are a number of organizations and ministries that specialize in coming alongside local churches and helping them to think clearly and biblically about their direction.
Mindset for a Successful Search
See 1 Corinthians 1:27-29: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
Perhaps the writer is beating a dead horse at this point, but so long as the poor creature is dead, I don’t suppose it will mind. When we are searching for a pastor, or minister, or any sort of church position, we are directly serving God. We are looking for an official to work in the embassy of His Kingdom upon this Earth. We are looking for an under-shepherd to tend to the flock bought by Christ’s precious Blood. We are here to do His will, and not our own.
Our pastor will be first and foremost a follower. The image of the dynamic leader, innovating, inspiring, and growing the ministry by the force of his own personality, is entirely absent from Scripture. We want a man who is all about prayer and the ministry of the Word, for that is a man who is directed by and trusting solely in God.vSee Acts 6:4: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”
Romans 12:2 is very applicable in the pastoral search; The ways of the world will not work here: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
We need to think Biblically about everything from how our search is conducted to how our offer is structured. This writer has found the worldliest thinking in the offers churches make, and so we use that as our example. Local churches tend to think of a new pastor as starting with a new company, especially if he is coming from different denominations, which undermines the doctrine of the universal church.
Pastoral salaries are set based only on years of experience and education, rather than on Biblical precepts. Our conditions of employment are beyond what the Bible prescribes. We do so many things without even stopping to think because that is what is done. We all have experience in the secular world of hiring, and we go with what we know. However, that makes the church just another organization like Walmart, McDonald’s, GM, or Boeing.
It is more work to do things Biblically. It can be more stressful to do things Biblically as well. However, if we really believe what we claim to believe, we can trust that a Biblically grounded approach will get the best results, as God’s ways are better than ours. See Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
If we want God’s will, we will do things God’s way.
God wants us to be truthful in all our dealings. The implication is that we must provide the truth of our congregation’s condition, history, and means. Do not say you are ready to grow if you are not. Do not cover up that the last pastor left under duress. Do not offer to pay more than you are currently able. Too many churches offer a carrot on a stick to aspiring pastors, low starting pay that will surely grow as they grow the number of members: “This is a bi-vocational role now, but we hope to make it full-time as the Lord grows our numbers.”
Please do not say such things. It is not the right perspective, or even a pure objective. By holding out a carrot of full-time financial provision as a product of numerical growth, we are tempting a man to focus on numbers rather than the Will of God. We might also put someone in dire financial straits as they hold out for a promise that no one but God can deliver on. There are plenty of capable brothers out there who are looking to do bi-vocational ministry, and if bi-vocational is what your church can support, it is enough, and likely more than enough.
This writer knows a man who worked in ministry for two years, being paid forty dollars a week, and another who worked a whole year without being paid. You can never pay a pastor what he is worth, but any true pastor would gladly do his work for free if he were able.
You should never rely on money, or prestige, or any such thing to draw in a faithful pastor. You should trust only God to bring him to you. Cast the line into the sea, baited only with the plain truth. I belabor the point because it is so necessary to our ultimate success, and because we are so prone to forget it. Our pride can lead us astray in so many ways when it comes to searching for church officials.
We might be puffed by the perceived recognition of being appointed to a search committee. We might be swayed by the allure of gain from serving the interests of immature souls in our congregation. We might presume to know too well the mind of God, which strangely reflects our own. We might elevate our personal feelings, biases, and wants to a level of authority they should never possess. It does not matter if we are listening to ourselves, to others; if we are serving the interests of men, we cannot be serving the interests of God.
What we need is a mindset of humility. We do not understand God’s ways and cannot intuit His will. Neither can our brothers nor sisters. We do not have perfect recollection, and we are not above being misled. We do have biases and personal notions that do influence our judgments, and so do our brothers and sisters. We cannot then locate the right man without divine help. We are, as always, totally reliant on God.
We must place our trust entirely into His all-powerful hands throughout our search, and beyond. We must have faith that God directs the search according to His perfect wisdom. If we do not have that faith, we must get help for our disbelief before we do anything else.
At the end of our church, this faith will shape our understanding of what has been accomplished. God has provided a man to serve Him by serving alongside us for our good and His glory. We have not appointed the man, but God has. We did not elect Him; we only affirmed god’s own election. This is a foundation for peace going forward. For we have trusted in God, and sought His will, and obtained His provision, and are still firmly in His loving hands as He works out His plan in our midst.
And what if the pastor we called turns out to be an evil man? May such an awful disaster never come to pass, but if it should, God is still in control. Through all the pain and heartbreak, He is still working some good. What that good is might be impossible to see, but by faith we know it must be there, as we know the sun has not gone out in the blackness of midnight.
Five Things Not to Do When Forming a Search Committee
See Proverbs 15:22: “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.”
- Do not consider how much anyone gives to the church. You do not want to give any appearance that influence can be bought or sold within the body of Christ. You do not want large numbers to blind other consideration: remember the story of the widow’s mite.
- Do not allow any family to hold more than one vote. When a single family is given great influence over a congregation, it biases the direction of the congregation to the needs of a single family. This tends to lead churches to slow and painful deaths.
- Do not neglect the insights of the sisters. Women make up at least half of most congregations, and typically form the majority of churchgoers. Their voices need to be heard during the search. We recommend including the wives of committee members in later interviews, along with select single women.
- Do not neglect the young. The pastor serves all the members of the congregation, so you want to know how he does with children and youth. It might be good to have time where the representees from the younger members can interact with the top candidates before any votes are taken.
- Do not allow former pastors to serve on a search committee. Ideally, a pastor who has resigned or retired will move on so as to allow the new pastor a free hand and to avoid sowing division by presenting an unavoidable challenge to leadership authority. If, for whatever reason, the former pastor is still around, he should not be on the search committee, as his opinion is likely to outweigh others and so bias the group.
Knowing the Right Man
When it comes to getting the right person for the job, we tend to overcomplicate things. The Bible gives us clear qualifications for a pastor, and if we can check those boxes, things will be more or less alright. However, the man must really have those heart qualities spoken of in the pastoral epistles. It is not enough that he appears to have them; he must really have them.
We must avoid the trap of seeing an outwardly impressive man and snatching him up into leadership out of impatience, as Israel did with Saul. Waiting for David is worth it. The one God has might not look as good, or speak as smoothly, or be as charismatic or gregarious, or as business savvy, or any of the other things we like him to be. All that pales in comparison to the value of having a heart in pursuits of God’s Heart.
How do you discern a man’s heart? Listen to him pray, preach, and talk with him. Talk to people who know him well. Pray, pray, and pray some more. It is not a precise science, but there is a great hope. God wants His will for you and yours more than you do.
Now, here is the real trick to a smooth pastoral transition: everyone must hold a shared conviction that the man called to pastor is God’s man for this season in this ministry. Understand this season might only last a few years, or it might go on for several decades; that is immaterial at this critical moment. What matters right now is that God’s Will has been accomplished, and our faith family affirms unanimously that it is so. This doesn’t mean everyone has to be happy about it, only that they accept it as God’s good and perfect will.
Sadly, this kind of unified conviction is very difficult to achieve. Even a one-hundred-percent unanimous vote from every single member to affirm the new pastor often fails to establish the precedent. New pastors often face an exodus within the first two years and shoulder the blame for it. It is hard to see family members go away, and easy to blame the newcomer who failed to be all the things they wanted him to be.
Well, no man will ever be all things to a congregation. If we can accept that simple truth, it will go a long way to keeping us together during and after the transitional season. If we can accept that every man is uniquely fashioned by God with his own strengths and weaknesses, even better.
A pastor should never be left alone to shepherd, but should be surrounded by a group of faithful and competent men who can assist him. A pastor should never be alone in ministry, but should be supported by an entire congregation. The pastor is not the church; he is only one part of it. If you go looking for one man to stand alone, you will never find him, because you already have Christ, and you do not need another one. What you would find is an idol around which to build a cult of personality.
You might also have a string of disappointments that come and go every few years till most of the body has gone out the revolving door with them. Every church is different in meaningful ways, and so it is impossible to give a universal description of the correct pastoral expression. The qualifications given in scripture are the best guide. There are a few types of men who will not do well at any church.
Five Men you Should Never call
- Never call a man who does not care about doctrine. A man who does not care about doctrine does not love God deeply. He does not understand that ideas have consequences. He does not comprehend the true Gospel, which alone leads to salvation. A seminary degree is no guarantee; you have to examine the man’s theological convictions for depth and firmness.
- Never call a yes man. There are a few reasons a man becomes a yes man, none of them bode well for pastoral ministry. You might find hints of traces of those in a good pastoral candidate, but they will be under control so that he can say no as needed. Of course, we like it when the pastor says yes to us, but he can only say yes so many times before he and the church begin to break under the strains of overexertion and unsustainable compromise.
- Never call a prideful man. Everyone struggles with pride to some degree; a man who is still full of it will not make a good pastor. John 15:5 is incompatible with pridefulness: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
- Never call a lover of money. The Bible explicitly warns us about these men; they serve mammon and will gleefully sell out every conviction to make a dollar. Their care is shallow and fake, always masking the hand that is reaching for your wallet.
- Never call a woman. Women are very capable; they make up the majority in most churches in the West, and they exhibit greater concern for religious life than the vast majority of men. Still, we are forbidden to make them pastors by the teaching of 1 Timothy 2, and the examples of the entire Bible. Ministers to women, yes, and to children also, but never to an elder. It pains me to have to write this, but following God’s explicit design is best for everyone. I do not wish to demean my sisters’ gifts or abilities, but to protect them from being thrust into positions they were not meant to hold.
Many other men are not called; in fact, most men have no business being pastors. A choice few are called of God and prepared by Him; they are marked by the quality of spirit and passion for the work that cannot be easily faked. The rest of us should not feel insulted; we have our own unique calling from God, which is no less glorious to God. The advantages afforded to pastors are such that only the heart of a pastor would truly esteem them. Do not call a man who does not esteem those advantages.
Conclusion
I pray this advice will help you think about the transitional season in your church. I pray for many; it will come ahead of that season so that your faith family might be prepared to encounter it faithfully. There is more advice to give, but it is best given by someone who has a chance to know you and your situation so that the words of wisdom can be carefully curated to your particular needs. There are many, including your humble writer, who would be glad to come alongside your congregation and offer help in times of change and searching. Above all, God wishes to assist you as only He can. May His love and wisdom be evident among you to His glory. Amen.
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