Finding Your Next Pastor
Finding the next pastor for your church is the one of the most important decisions a church can make. The next pastor will set the tone for the next chapter of the church’s ministry. There are two important truths to remember:
No organization rises above the level of its leader – John Maxwell
There are no professional Pastor Search Teams
Churches often make reactive decisions about their next pastor. If the previous pastor was a good preacher, but a poor visitor, the Pastor Search Team unconsciously will search for a pastor who is relationally warm, but not as effective in the pulpit. If the previous pastor was a strong leader, the Pastor Search Team may unconsciously search for a pastor who is less decisive.
A better guide for Pastor Search Teams might be this question: “Who do we want to be as a church in the next five years and who can lead us to that preferred future?” This may sound like creating a profile, but it is much more. It begins with an understanding of who the church is, the challenges a church faces, and the strengths a church brings to the future.
Often, an Association Strategist or a Denominational representative will offer to assist a church in this process. However, each of these positions have their own bias.
What is often helpful to a church is to have an outside, unbiased consultant who can assist in designing a process to help the church discover their preferred future and their next pastor.
I offer an evening and morning workshop that can help outline these processes for a church. In this workshop, we explore these topics:
Who do you want your church to be in five years?
What kind of pastor do you need to achieve that vision?
What are challenges will you face in seeking a new pastor?
How do you build a pastoral profile?
How do we help a new pastor succeed?
I also offer a more in-depth consulting relationship to walk alongside a church throughout the process. I would be delighted to have an initial conversation with you or your team to see if I can assist you. Please email me at clay@wclaysmith.com