Want to make your church very attractive to potential ministerial candidates? Put  a sabbatical leave policy in place for your senior pastor and other staff ministers. Sabbatical leave is a carefully planned period of time in which a pastor or staff minister is granted leave away from his or her normal ministerial responsibilities in order … Continue reading →

I sometimes wonder if pastor search committees who are searching for their church’s next pastor realize that the first place a candidate who knows the church has received his or her resume heads is to that church’s website. For pastoral candidates, it is an easy, accessible and private place to ferret out information about the … Continue reading →

This week, as I listened to National Public Radio, I heard that author Anne Rice has said,  “I quit being a Christian… it’s simply impossible for me to belong to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious and deservedly infamous group.” She later added that she is a Christian, but “following Christ does not mean following his followers.” … Continue reading →

Finding a job as pastor can be very tough for ministers. (It can make passing Greek look like a piece of cake!) Right now, there is a glut of clergy who are seeking positions in congregations.  An article by Bob Smietana in The Tennessean says this: “A combination of many preachers, too many small churches … Continue reading →

Some things are just plain common sense and common courtesy when it comes to seeking a ministerial position as you relate to search committees. And yet, these faux pas are committed more often than you would expect. So, here are a few ways to NOT win friends and influence search committees: Continue reading →

Is your church looking for a pastor? Here are some things a prospective pastor might want to know about your church as he or she seriously considers a possible call: Is the congregation “healthy?” No one wants to come into a church and have to “pick up” after a previous conflict or to have to deal … Continue reading →

When the time comes, I’ll pour out my Spirit on those who serve me, men and women both, and they’ll prophesy.                                    Acts 2:17 (Eugene Peterson’s The Message)  In my work with churches who are in the midst of a pastor search, when the subject of considering a female candidate arises, I all-too-often hear the phrase: “I … Continue reading →

Each day, in my reference and referral work, I deal with resumes – lots of them. And they are as varied in content and format as the ministers who send them my way. While resumes are a very subjective thing, there are some basic things that any candidate who wishes his or her resume to … Continue reading →