top of page
2.jpg

Pastor Call Process

The call process can be overwhelming for a congregation. This page was designed to explain the process in depth and give helpful tips and resources along the way. 

call-process-steps.png

Pray • Plan • Search • Review • Interview • Select • Call

PRAY

 

Pastors follow their God-ordained calling throughout their career. Sometimes this means moving on to another city, state and/or congregation. Whatever the circumstance, it is a time of grieving for everyone. Why did he leave? Didn’t he like us? What happens on Sunday now? How long will it take to find a new pastor? These are some of the many questions that will percolate through your members.

​​

However, it is important to remember that this is God’s process. Your new shepherd has already been chosen by Him. Pray, search and be at peace as you try to discern the Lord’s will for your congregation.

 

​This time of transition and change can be trying and emotional but it is also an important opportunity for your congregation to re-examine its mission and determine where your future lies. It is not a sprint to the finish but a careful, reflective time to discover God’s will. Prayer is not optional – it is essential!

​​

This transitional time from the “loss” of your pastor to the welcoming of your new pastor normally passes through three phases.

​​

Ending: letting go, saying “goodbye” to your current pastor in a supportive, healthy, positive way. This may include an Exit Interview, Financial Closure and an appropriate Farewell Event or service of Thanksgiving for a job well done. 

​​

Transitioning: the in-between time, a period for self-study, assessing future mission, uncovering pastors who share your vision, and calling a new pastor.

​​

Beginning: welcoming your new pastor with your unrestrained love and commitment as you embark on a new ministry era.

​​

While saying goodbye and lovingly welcoming your pastors are critically important, the information on the following pages will focus on the Transition Period and helping you to uncover the pastor that God has selected for you. Faith, love, perseverance and prayer will need to be in full force over this difficult time of change to discern God’s will. It can also be one of the most rewarding, faith-building periods that you will experience. Pray, look and listen to the Lord as you search for your new shepherd. Serve with passion, joy and energy, and enjoy the journey!

Pray • Plan • Search • Review • Interview • Select • Call

PLAN

​

Your pastor is leaving. What do you do now?

​

First, connect with your District President and Circuit Visitor to

 

(1) Discuss plans for saying farewell to your current pastor,

(2) Make plans for interim ministry at your church, and

(3) Review the Calling Process.

 

They will make arrangements for an initial meeting with your congregation’s governing board or council. Consult your congregation’s constitution to see if it designates a group that handles this responsibility. If not, the Head of your Elders, Deacons, Board or Council may have to step into this role to start the communication process. In any case, the District President and Circuit Visitor will be invaluable resources on your path forward.

​​

Next, review to see if your congregation’s governing rules outline a procedure for forming a Call Committee. If not, a Call Committee may need to be formed by the Board of Elders or Board of Directors to serve in this capacity. They will need to work with the congregation to define congregational meeting and voting procedures. It is recommended that the calling committee represent a wide spectrum of the congregation (young, old, male, female, different ethnicities, various serving groups such as the choir, Stephen Ministry, community outreach, etc.) and have no more than 8-10 members. It’s also a good idea not to “stack” the committee with members currently in leadership positions.

​​

Third, the mission of the Call Committee is not to select a pastor but to recommend pastor(s) who are a good match to the congregation for their consideration. You are trying to identify pastor(s) who will lead where you believe the Lord wants your ministry to thrive and grow. This comes with much prayer, listening to your congregation and sharing your vision with the Spirit-filled pastors you will be meeting.

​​

Fourth, the Call Committee will need to determine

(1) What steps need to be taken to identify and ultimately present pastor(s) to the congregation for their calling consideration (Sample Steps),

(2) How do we act as a committee to make decisions and share information internally and with the congregation (Sample Committee Meeting Ideas), and

(3) What does our “perfect” schedule look like (Sample Timetable)? Remember this is all in God’s time and is not a sprint to the finish.

​​

Last, please remember that confidentiality is paramount in call committee discussions and deliberations. Candidate reviews need to be open and forthright among the members of the committee; however, these conversations should be kept in confidence among the call committee members only. It can be especially damaging to a pastor and his relationship with his current congregation if his name is released prematurely while being considered for a call.

 

Mention of specific candidates outside the call committee is inappropriate until the committee is ready with its recommendation to the congregation’s board or council. It is important to keep all names and both verbal and written information about prospective candidates within the confines of the committee.

​

Pray, talk, listen, coalesce your ideas, and agree to move forward as a committee. Some churches have taken several years to find their new pastor while others discovered their new shepherd with a first call. All in God’s time and in His plan… it’s all about faith.

call-process3.jpg

Pray • Plan • Search • Review • Interview • Select • Call

SEARCH

​

You’ve done the planning and now it’s time to start searching.
 

Remember, you’re looking for pastors who fit your desired traits and have a ministry style that matches your congregation’s needs. In addition, these pastors must be in good standing on the Clergy Roster of the LCMS. Your District President can help you verify that information as you move forward.
 
There are several avenues for prospective pastors to come to the Call Committee’s attention. These include nominations from:
 

  • Your Congregation

  • Your District President and Circuit Visitor

  • Pastoral Friends of the Congregation

  • Pastor Lists from Previous Calls

  • Web Searches by the Committee

 
Be open to all suggestions and leave no stone unturned. Many times God will reveal His choice in surprising ways.
 

CONGREGATIONAL NOMINATIONS
Your congregation will be your first supply line for potential pastors. Once you’ve identified the ideal traits and ministry style, and shared them with your fellow congregates, request any ideas they may have for possible pastors. You should do this early on, appeal widely and often, and thankfully acknowledge those responses/suggestions that the committee receives.
 

A sample nomination form is shown here and can be distributed via email to members, through pew cards, worship handouts, announcements, small meetings, etc. While you may set a deadline for requests, it’s a good idea to accept all nominees for consideration right up to the committee’s deliberations.


DISTRICT PRESIDENT AND CIRCUIT VISITOR NOMINATIONS
The District President and Circuit Visitor can also be extremely helpful in identifying potential pastors for your congregation. They have an “extended reach” into their LCMS ministry peer group and have added information on pastors that may fit your ministry needs and those of the pastor. There will be pastors who have served for many years in their current call or are serving in a church where their talents are no longer a good fit. Your ministry may open a new and welcome opportunity to serve. With prayerful consideration and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you may uncover a great match. Be open to your DP and CV for their ideas and lean into them for their assistance.


PASTORAL FRIENDS OF YOUR CONGREGATION
While it is usually not appropriate to involve your outgoing pastor in the search process, your neighboring LCMS parish pastors have an “insider” interest in your success in searching for a new pastor. Consider, as a Call Committee, reaching out to them for any suggestions they may have on pastors who could fit your ministry. The personal approach may be best through a lunch, office visit or phone call rather than a blanket email for their thoughts.


PASTOR LISTS FROM PREVIOUS CALLS
If your church has recently gone through a call process (in the last 6-8 years) it might be helpful to visit with members of the past committee(s) and review results from their previous work. You may discover pastors who fit your congregation’s needs but at the time, for whatever reason, were not open to receiving a call. Perhaps there were circumstances that prohibited their mobility; they had high school age children, the care of aging parents, a new capital campaign underway, only two years into their call, etc. In any case, this effort may bear fruit worth harvesting.


WEB SEARCH BY THE COMMITTEE
Through online tools you’ll find a wealth of information about the current roster of LCMS pastors (of which there are more than 8,000). To start, the committee’s best resource will be the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s Locator.
 

In this website there is an excellent search engine to access information on every U.S.-based LCMS Congregation and pastor. For a calling group, the “Find a Worker” section would be an excellent place to start. The data can be viewed by LCMS District (there are 35), State, Individual City, or Specific Church.

​​

Each Pastor’s Specific Information will include:

  • Pastor’s Church and Position,

  • Address,

  • Phone and E-Mail,

  • Degrees Earned and Dates, and

  • Date of Current Call.

​​

Their Parish’s Information will include:

  • Address,

  • Phone and E-Mail,

  • Website Link,

  • Weekly Attendance,

  • Staff Size,

  • School (Y/N) and School Size (if applicable), and

  • Embedded Trend Data for the previous 10 years (attendance, membership, giving, etc.).

​​

With over 8,000 pastors to consider, your committee will need to identify search criteria that will help narrow your candidate field. Here are some ideas that could focus your vision on pastors who might be a good fit for your ministry and its location:
 

  • Limiting Geographic Area (for instance, if you’re in CA, similar socio-economic areas might include East and West Coast Districts, to start)

  • Matching Congregation Size (a congregation of 50 may want to look at like-sized ministries)

  • School Experience (Y/N) (If you have or want to start a school and feel that experience is a plus)

  • Pastoral Experience (are you looking for a seasoned pastor in their 3rd or 4th call or someone with less experience)

  • Position (you might consider Associate Pastors who have served well in their current call)

 
Using all these points of input, you should now have a great start building your roster of potential candidates for further study, discussion, and prayer. Again, understand that both your congregation and your potential pastors are looking for opportunities to build on your existing ministry together and nourish it to thrive as a beacon of discipleship for Christ in your community.

​​

God needs to be calling both of you!

PASTORAL TRAITS

​

Now is a good time for the congregation and call committee to take a step back and self-reflect on the traits that you are looking for in a pastor and also the characteristics of your ministry to share with prospective pastors. It’s important to remember that the process will move forward in God’s time and that this should be a thorough, deliberate effort in self-study, initiated early on in the call process.

​​​

As part of your information gathering, conduct interviews with focus groups such as Board Members, Elders, Ministry Staff and Teachers; and collect general congregational feedback on the attributes they feel are needed in your next pastor. Themes will emerge from this data that will lead to a pastoral profile, essentially a description of the type of pastor your congregation needs to effectively fill the role. One sample of the information collected from these groups is shown in Pastor Trait Data.

 

The data can then be distilled and summarized by the committee to create a picture of the desired pastoral qualities for your ministry to thrive (Pastor Trait Summary). This summary will be helpful to the committee as it searches for candidate pastors and prepares for interviews with them later in the process.

​​

MINISTRY TRAITS

It is recommended that the call committee also undertake a prayerful, thorough self-study to develop its congregational/ministerial profile. This profile of your ministry can be beneficial in three ways: (1) to help the congregation understand itself and its unique call to ministry, (2) to help the District President understand the opportunities of the congregation, and (3) to help the pastors you are evaluating assess how well their gifts match the congregation’s needs. 
 
Your Community: This data will help you gain a current understanding of the neighborhood, community demographics and context in which your congregation has been called to do ministry.
 
There are many sites on the web to gather information about your community. One of the best is a free tool on the Lutheran Church Extension Fund’s (LCEF) MissionInSite application. MissionInsite’s PeopleView System™ uniquely integrates information about your congregants with demographic information to determine the best opportunities for advancing your ministry.


To gain access to this information, simply open LCEF Services, scroll about half-way down the page to find the MissionInsite Section and self-register (MissionInsite Registration Information), or contact LCEF’s Matt Molinari to request a report. Through LCEF, as a CNH District congregation or ministry, you have free, unlimited access to MissionInsite.
 
Your Congregation: At a minimum, you should complete a self-evaluation of your ministry. A sample Self-Evaluation Tool Template for Congregations can be found in Congregation Self-Evaluation Tool (CSET).
 
The tool consists of four sections:

  • Basic Questions

  • Demographics

  • Finances

  • Missional Information

 

Ensure that you capture the context in which you do ministry, who your congregation has been, currently is, and seeks to be, and the needed attributes and gifts in your next pastor to help you accomplish the mission God has planned for you. In this process you will need to gather feedback from congregational surveys, conduct focus groups discussions with your members, and perhaps even with your community, and also interview leadership and church/school staff.
 
Ministry Summary: As a supplement to the lengthy Congregational SET Information that you provide prospective pastors, you might also create a summary to help emphasize your ministry’s major characteristics and to help pastors develop questions for later discussions. In creating this document, some of the questions you might answer are:

​​

  • What is the one thing your last pastor did that you want to continue?

  • What is the one thing you are looking for in your next pastor?

  • What do you feel are your ministry’s biggest opportunities?

  • What are your biggest challenges?

  • What are your biggest strengths as a congregation?

 
ADDED INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE PASTORS: Job Description, Organization Chart, Ministry’s Mission / Vision / Values, WebSite Link, Church Facebook Page Link, etc.

​​

The self-study period enables you and the congregation to clearly identify the traits of the pastor you seek, the type of ministry you want to provide, and the growth opportunities for your ministry.

​​

Again, it’s important to remember that you are seeking out what God’s wishes/direction are for your ministry. Only through prayer and self-reflection can you hope to see His will clearly.

You’ve cast out your net for new pastor candidates and it’s time to start compiling and considering the results of your hard work. Your congregation, District President, Circuit Visitor and neighboring LCMS Pastors (or other pastors that committee members know) have added ministers to your growing list. Also, previous pastor candidates may reappear from your ministry’s past call searches, and your committee may unearth nominees from your search of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod roster at LCMS Locator. In any case, your committee will need to faithfully catalogue and narrow your list of potential new ministers for the Call Committee and later the Congregation to prayerfully consider.


A Sample Pastor Inventory shows one possible approach to capturing, organizing and “high-grading” your pastors for further review. This will be helpful as you attempt to narrow your list of ministry candidates to those you believe have traits that best match your church’s opportunity.
 

A first pass at winnowing pastors from your starting list of nominees could be accomplished using data from LCMS Locator. Some examples of narrowing criteria:

​​

Possible First Pass Narrowing Criteria reviewed for each Candidate Pastor:

  • Been Sole/Sr. Pastor of a Church with ~ XX-XX weekly attendance (or an Associate Pastor who took on many of the administrative roles)

  • Has demonstrated a positive trend in their Church's Attendance over the past five years (20XX-20YY attendance) or …?

  • Has been in current position at least 3 years

  • If your ministry has a school, does pastor’s experience include a school (or preschool) attached to their current church? (May be a plus but not a must)

  • Received their Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.) before/after XXXX (If you’re looking for someone more mature, younger or doesn’t matter)

 

In addition to the LCMS Locator information above, other helpful data such as a pastor’s preferred style of worship, sermon approach, outreach activities, Bible studies, communion practices, etc. may also be gleaned through their social media pages such as a Church’s / Pastor’s Facebook pages, Church Websites, YouTube worship recordings, etc. Examples of criteria to help further focus your search in these areas might be:

​​

Depending on your congregation’s criteria and needs, possible Second Pass Narrowing Traits to consider:

  • Gives sermons that are Bible-based and have relevant application.

  • Gives sermons that touch me (High Energy, Law/Gospel Balance) 

  • Promotes Outreach in the Community (doesn't need to lead but involved)

  • Encourages and/or teaches Bible study.

  • Uses different styles of Worship (contemporary / traditional / blended / other) and Bible study (small group, classes, on-line, etc.)

  • Encourages lay involvement and leadership (equips, mentors, and disciples others).

  • Uses Technology effectively: website updated, YouTube video announcements, in worship applications, etc.

  • Relates well with all ages, including children (gives children’s messages, involved with school)

​​

Whatever traits that you’ve chosen to look for in your new pastor, a careful review of their attributes by the Call Committee will help narrow in on a number of pastors that are “just what God is looking for” to invigorate your ministry.

Pray • Plan • Search • Review • Interview • Select • Call

REVIEW

​

With the list of all your nominated pastoral candidates in hand and the preliminary screening you've done, it’s time to gather more information, review and develop an edited inventory of pastors to consider interviewing. There are three important steps before interviews happen.


First, contact pastors on your list to determine their interest and availability to participate in the call process. Second, following those pastor discussions, send the names of interested candidates to your District President for his review and comments. Third, after your DP’s input, have the entire Call Committee review these remaining pastors and create a prioritized “Short List” of those ministers you want to interview.
 

CONTACT PASTORS FOR THEIR INTEREST/AVAILABILITY
The goal of your initial pastor contact is to determine their availability and willingness to engage with your congregation at this stage in the call process. Until now, you have been working within the confines of your Call team to uncover candidate pastors for you to prayerfully consider. This next step now connects you with all of those pastors on your working list to assess their interest in engaging with your congregation in the call process.

​​

Your next steps should be to:

  • Personally contact each of the pastors you are considering. A phone call usually works best. Introduce yourself, explain why you are calling (to assess their openness to the Call Process), describe a bit of your ministry, and the call time table. It is proper to ask them “Is there any reason why you could not, at this time, give serious consideration to a call?” and “Are you willing to be on a call list at this time?” to see which of them are willing to continue discussions. A sample Conversation Template is available here. Of course, listen for any questions they might have or comments that might hint of inflexibility to consider a move at this time. This doesn’t preclude the work of the Holy Spirit in the process, but it does give you some insight and a basis for later interview questions.

  • Since you’ll be talking with many pastors, carefully note the contact information from your interaction with each, as it can get confusing. A sample Pastor Contact Log is shown here. If a pastor would like a bit more time to consider (and many will), offer to send them information about your ministry (your one-page summary would work) and share your website address with them so they can gain more insight into your church and its ministry opportunities before deciding to continue forward.
     

Make sure you follow up with each of your candidates with a

  • Thank You note if they are unable continue on.

  • Thank You note with “We’ll send you more info” and follow up in a week.

  • Thank you note if they are open to continuing, and consider sending more information about your community for their family and information about your church, including a timetable of what’s next.

 

It make take several weeks to a month or more after your initial contact with pastors to complete the next two steps: getting District President input and performing Call Committee Reviews/Ratings of Remaining Pastors. During this period, keep your candidates regularly assessed of your progress and share more information about your church (organization chart, the church’s Self Evaluation Tool, Mission/Vision, etc.) as you go. Keeping your candidates informed and engaged is an important way to put your best foot forward during this period of waiting.

​​

GATHER DISTRICT PRESIDENT’S INPUT FOR YOUR INTERESTED PASTORS
Once you have your working list of pastors (it may be 5, it may be 25 pastors) who are willing to continue forward in the call process, it’s time to share those names with your District President for his input. Your DP will confirm whether each pastor is in good standing on the Clergy Roster of the LCMS. Also, he may be aware of circumstances that would preclude a particular pastor's name from a call list. For example, pastors who have served less than three years in their present parish are generally not considered as viable candidates. Also, he may feel strongly that certain pastors possess different traits than those your congregation is seeking. Perhaps your emphasis is to expand your strong Outreach Program in Discipleship and this pastor has greater strengths in the care of his existing flock.

​​

In any case, your District President may need a few weeks to consider the pastors’ names you have sent him and to respond with those which he feels might be a positive fit for your mission.
 

CALL COMMITTEE REVIEW OF REMAINING PASTORS PRIOR TO INTERVIEWS
After getting your District President’s input, it’s time for your Call Committee to get back to work. How do you decide which remaining pastors most closely embrace the traits and mission goals that your ministry is seeking? Which pastors do you want to move forward with and interview?
 

First, this is a good time to reemphasize that prayer is critical. At every stage of evaluating candidates, whether during individual study time or when the committee meets as a group, prayer is the first step. Continually bring forward to your congregation requests for prayer as you progress through the different stages of evaluation, prayer for your committee’s work and deliberations, and prayer for the pastors you are considering, including the one God has chosen. Remember, your committee is charged with prayerfully evaluating candidates and presenting those well-qualified pastors to the congregation for their discernment.

 

Second, it is helpful to use common criteria and processes within your committee so you can have consistent discussion and points of comparison. The Pastor and Ministry Traits you have compiled are that common criteria.

 

Third, how will your committee determine which pastors appear to be “good fits” for interviews with them to determine if your ministry is a good opportunity for them and vice versa?
 

One suggestions is to:

  • Develop a Criteria Sheet like the one presented here. The primary pastor traits that your congregation has identified should be included.

  • Have each committee member compare every pastor in your “OK to continue on” inventory against your identified traits using the material available in hand and online, and rate them for fit with your ministry (1=great fit, 2=average fit, 3=not so great fit; or 1 to 5 Great to OK, or seriatim rank the candidates from Best Fit to Least Fit; or…?)

  • Meet as a group, compile everyone’s results, reach a consensus on how to combine those results, and compare.

  • Decide/agree which pastors you would like to interview; it could be 2, it could be 10.


Next up? Get more input from your District President, schedule and start your interviews. This may be the most inspiring part of your journey as your committee gets to meet and talk about ministry with some wonderful, Spirit-filled men.

​​

This is a great time to listen and learn!

Pray • Plan • Search • Review • Interview • Select • Call

INTERVIEWS

​

The Call Committee has done some of the heavy lifting and now has a list of pastors (normally 2 to 10) they hope to interview. It’s time to lean again on your District President to gather more in-depth information about each of the ministers that you are planning to interview, finalize your interview list and hold pastor interviews.


DISTRICT PRESIDENT REVIEW AND INPUT
Upon receipt of your list of interview nominees, the CNH District President will request a Pastor’s Information Form (PIF) from each out-of-District nominee's District President. This form, once completed by the nominee's District President, is returned to your CNH District President. It contains basic information about your pastor's age, education, previous calls, family size and important DP Comments to calling congregations. The CNH President will also request a copy of each pastor’s Self Evaluation Tool (SET). For nominees currently in the California-Nevada-Hawaii District, the information described above (PIF and SET) should already be available. Also, at this time, the District President may also include additional qualified candidates to the congregation's call list.


NOTE: Any congregation wishing to consider calling a candidate from an LCMS seminary or church bodies in fellowship with the LCMS must contact the District President for special instructions.


These President Reviews and summaries for your candidate pastors can take from 4-6 weeks for them to compile. The length of time is determined by a number of factors, many of which the District President has little or no control over, e.g., the number of pastors that information is requested for, the length of time it takes to receive that information from other Districts or how long a pastor takes to update his Personal Information Form (PIF) or Self Evaluation Tool (SET) if it is out of date.


After all this information has been reviewed and summarized by the CNH District President, a prospective call list, along with the PIF, SET and your District President’s comments for each nominee, will be sent to the call committee. (The PIF and SET documents are confidential and for the call committee's use ONLY. They are NOT to be duplicated for the whole congregation or distributed electronically. All printed copies should be collected and destroyed after a pastor accepts a call to fill the vacancy).


As mentioned earlier, men who have served less than three years in their present parish should have already been excluded. Also, other District Presidents may remove their pastors from call consideration for any number of reasons, ranging from personal problems, to service in a critical ministry, to personal desire, to evaluated inability to serve the unique ministry of your area, etc. Remember, that if a name is removed, it is only because their District President feels there are good and sufficient reasons, based on the needs of the congregation, the pastor involved, and the church- at-large. Whatever the situation, your Call Committee now has its list of pastors you hope to interview.
 

NOTE: It is not acceptable to place the name of your Vacancy or Interim Minister on the call list. They are committed to serving you and other parishes in the short term only and your familiarity with them may unfairly skew your impression of other candidates.


INTERVIEW 101: THE BASICS
You have your list of candidate pastors as reviewed and presented by your District President. Now, it’s time to interview these gentlemen. It’s an important step since this interview is the first and perhaps only opportunity your call committee will have to “meet” all the candidates. These interviews/conversations enable the candidate and congregation to share a sense of their vision of ministry with each other and provide “first impressions” which may prove helpful in considering and deliberating about a potential call.
 

You will become more familiar with the candidate’s theology, interests, experience, communication skills, and leadership style so that as a call committee you can later equip the congregation to make an informed decision. Video interviews (Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, Google Meeting, etc.) provide both the pastor and congregation with an opportunity to gain insight into each other, and the potential fit between them.

 

It is equally important that the process remain the same for all candidates. So, face-to-face interviews with all your candidates may not be feasible. Remember, your congregation is not simply “hiring an employee” but is seeking the full measure of the Holy Spirit’s guidance and insight in discerning the person to fill the office of Holy Ministry.

 

The decision to call a pastor is among the most important that a congregation ever makes. It is recommended that you make these interviews part of your call process. It is also imperative that your conversations be honest, open and frank, which is honoring to the Holy Spirit and each party involved as together you seek His will.
 
INTERVIEW MECHANICS
Here are some general ideas regarding pre-call interviews. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact your Circuit Visitor or District President.
 

  • A pre-call interview should not be conducted until after the congregation has completed a careful and thorough self-study (SET). This gives the call committee a clear understanding of their congregation’s mission, ministry and its current situation. Pre-call interviews should be conducted after the committee has received their pastor list, SET and PIF information from the CNH District President.

  • Pre-call interviews should only be conducted with those individuals who are on the call list provided by the District President. Also, at this point in the call process it is important that you do not add any last-minute candidates without the review and support of the District President.

  • In choosing to conduct pre-call interviews, be careful to maintain the dignity and divine nature of the call. When calling a pastor, congregations are not hiring an employee, but asking God to send them a pastor. The entire call process should be surrounded with fervent prayer.

  • The actual interviewing will normally be done by members of the Call Committee. It may be appropriate and advantageous to add a designated Interviewer to the committee. This will allow all committee members to listen and participate fully in the interview but does not preclude follow-up questions from committee members.

  • Call Committee members should review their personal schedules and combine to determine available common times to meet with candidate pastors. For interviews, it’s best if you can meet as a group.

  • Reconnect with your pastor candidates to reconfirm their willingness and ability to engage in the call process and share available interview windows.

  • Interviews are usually a 60-90 minute conversation using video. Since this is a learning conversation for both you and your candidates, if appropriate, consider inviting the pastor’s spouse to participate in some or all of the discussion. You might also consider recording the interview, with the pastor’s permission, so that committee members who cannot attend the interview may be able to review it. Do not save or redistribute these interviews to others outside the committee.

​​

BUILDING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Following is a framework for building a draft interview “script.” Be careful to conduct each candidate interview in the same way. Questions should be formulated based on the results of your self-study. For example, challenges and opportunities that you uncovered in your self- study should lead you to create questions that ask the candidate how he would address similar situations. The committee should limit the number of questions addressed to the candidates, and ask similar questions of each of the candidates.
 
Ensure your interview questions can be covered adequately in the allotted time (60-90 minutes) for the interview. As you formulate questions, evaluate them in three ways:
 

1. What does it have to do with the position?
2. Why do we need to know?

3. Would we be willing to answer the same question about ourselves?

 

Avoid "yes/no" or other short answer questions. Examples of good questions that focus on behavior include:
 

  • Tell us about a time when…

  • What do you want us to know about…?

  • Give us an example of...

  • In your SET you say. . . about yourself. How has this been demonstrated?

  • Describe an experience where...

 

To assist the team as they prepare for interviews, an inventory of Sample Interview Questions is presented here.
 

THE INTERVIEW

In conducting the interview, focus on how the pastor functions rather than on the ideas and concepts he expresses. Remember that the manner in which a person has handled a situation in the past may well indicate how he might act in the future given the same or similar circumstances. Note especially expressions of energy, conviction, enthusiasm, respect for acceptable differences and the way personal faith is shared. Listen carefully in order to ascertain how the pastor draws naturally, winsomely, and confidently on the resources of his education, experience, and faith.

 

Remember to maintain the conversational aspect of your meeting and ask follow-up questions should they be called for. Make sure you allow adequate time for questions from your pastor. Your committee should welcome questions and have committee members prepared to respond. From experience, a few previous Sample Pastor Questions are shown here.
 

After each interview it may be a best practice for the committee to continue to meet and hold a round table debrief to capture each person’s observations and share impressions. Taking notes and developing a common summary would be a plus for later discussions comparing all the interviewees.


As a matter of courtesy, the call committee should communicate with each candidate who has been interviewed, expressing appreciation for his participation.


Finally, a working Interview Question “Script” from one of our CHN parishes is shared in here.

​​

NOTE: It’s important to recognize that many of the parishes in the CNH District are located in higher cost and/or have different cultural norms than where our pastors may serve in other regions of the U.S. Many candidates might be reticent to discuss these differences, but you will want to broach those topics to validate their concerns and openly discuss them.
 

You want your ministry to be the focus of the call and not culture or costs. These hidden issues, if not dealt with early on in your discussions, could later become barriers to a pastor seriously considering God’s call. We do not ask our pastors to take a vow of poverty. We hope to communicate that there are many faithful Christians and also a huge opportunity to build disciples from the ground up here in the CNH District.


Interviews are an energizing segment of the committee’s work. You will hear many different approaches to worship, study, and outreach that you may later apply in your church. You will also see a number of unique personalities and leadership styles. As you do God’s work, remember that the committee does not act on its own behalf, but as the representative and servant of the entire congregation. You are doing God’s work. Serve joyfully and enthusiastically. Pray and seek the Holy Spirit’s wishes for your ministry; and enjoy your conversation.

Pray • Plan • Search • Review • Interview • Select • Call

SELECTION

​

Your committee has finished its interviews! You now have a broader picture of each candidate, how they communicate and relate personally, their experience and perspective on ministry, etc. Your candidates also had the opportunity to learn more about the congregation, its mission and ministry. This effort is all leading up to your committee's decision on whom to present to the congregation for call consideration. The group will typically range from 1 to 4 pastors (depending on any specific guidelines from your congregation’s constitution).
 

First, this is a good time to apprise the congregation that the call committee has completed its interviews and will be working diligently, with God’s guidance, to identify pastors to present in the coming weeks. Also, it will ease the congregation’s uncertainty level if you share more specifics of your group’s schedule moving forward.
 

Second, how will you decide which pastors to present? It should be based on each committee member’s consideration of a pastor’s fit with the pastoral and ministry traits voiced by the congregation. Use every means available to develop a clear understanding of each candidate's unique qualifications. But remember that even computerized facts, in-depth personal interviews, web searches and the like, don’t give the entire story. Pray, examine, pray, and study again until God leads you to His choice.


PASTOR SELECTION IDEAS
In reviewing pastors, individual call committees may use different approaches to rankings. Some will look at all the information and have a “gut feel” on where the Lord is leading. Others may take a more analytical approach to rate a given pastor’s fit with your ministry. A Sample Trait Assistant Tool for committee members is presented here. Whatever your approach, this will serve as a good starting point for committee discussions, ranking your pastors and selecting whom to present to your congregation for call consideration.
 

After all the interviews are completed and you’ve shared all your post interview impressions, it’s time for each committee member to

​​

  • Re-review each candidate pastor’s information,

  • Prepare to meet and discuss their impressions of each of the pastors, and

  • Present their pastor choices for congregational call consideration.

​​

After group discussion of each candidate’s strengths, combining all the committee members' “choices” may be as simple as a hand vote for each pastor. “Do you want to present Pastor A to the congregation for call consideration? Yes? No? Discussion?” Again, a more analytical approach might be to have every committee member list your candidates from “Best Fit" to “Least Best Fit,” combine their results, and then discuss. A Sample Seriatim Selection Sheet is presented here.

 

Remember that even though a pastor may be second on your pastor preference list, he is not a 2nd tier pastor but rather 2nd out of 50 or 100 or more pastors that the committee has considered! Whatever approach you use to select pastors to present to the congregation, bathe it in prayer and healthy discussion. Listen carefully, encourage total participation, acknowledge differences in opinion, and don’t rush to a decision. Finding your new shepherd may be the most important choice your congregation will make. Do it wisely. Do it carefully. Do it prayerfully!

 

PRE-CALL VISITS

Post-interview, pre-call onsite visits to your church are normally discouraged. These pre-call visits can be (1) costly, (2) place undue pressure for a pastor to be “on” and, (3) can create a meet and greet job interview atmosphere as opposed to a prayerfully led divine call. If, however, if you feel that this is a needed and appropriate step, now would be the time to do so.

 

If you decide to invite all the candidates whom you plan to present at the Voters Call Meeting, bring them at your expense to visit campus for a second round of discussions. This will be an opportunity for your pastors to meet staff, tour facilities and your community, and engage in conversation and Q&A with your church leadership as well as allowing your committee to paint a fuller picture of each pastor. It is also important that visits not include requests to preach. This could bias the congregation toward selecting the “best preacher of the day” rather than the best shepherd for your ministry.

​​

Once a call is extended, visits are encouraged. They will be covered in more detail in Post Call: Call Documents and Visits.

Pray • Plan • Search • Review • Interview • Select • Call

ISSUE A CALL

​

Once you’ve completed your steps for evaluating each pastor’s qualifications and the committee has developed its working list of “callable” pastors, establish a date for a congregational call meeting. To maximize your parish members' involvement, communicate this date widely to the congregation, along with the names of the pastors to be recommended and their biographical information. Do not contact these pastors or their congregations. Please remember that any selection procedure outlined in your constitution takes precedence when presenting your chosen pastors to the voters at the call meeting.

​​

NOTE: This is the first time your congregation will learn the names of the pastors that they will be prayerfully considering. Please remind all to respect the confidential nature of the call process by not contacting these pastors, their parish members or sharing information outside of your congregation. It is up to each pastor to determine when it is appropriate to inform their elders, board, etc. that they are being considered for a call. A congregation learning this from “outside” sources can seriously damage a pastor’s relationship with his existing parishioners and may cause him to withdraw from consideration.

​​

NEXT STEPS
To get from Calling List to Called Pastor, several steps need to be taken.

 
1. Work with your board and elders to Schedule a Voters Meeting to call your new Pastor. Your church’s Constitution may specify the minimum number of candidates, the waiting time between sharing candidate pastor information with the congregation and the call meeting, and voting procedures.
 

2. Reconnect with all the pastors whom you have interviewed. Confirm with the Pastors whom you’re putting forward to the congregation that they are still willing to continue the process. If any of them withdraw at this time, the committee will need to reconsider adding additional, already interviewed candidates for call consideration or continue on with a smaller number of candidates. To these pastors whom you have decided not to put forward for further deliberation, sincerely thank them for their time and willingness to participate in the call process, request their prayers, and ensure them of your prayers for their ministry.
 

3. Create an Information Summary for each pastor being considered. This information should be in paper form. Because of the confidential nature of the call process, churches should refrain from posting call candidate pastor information on their church’s website or distributing it electronically.


4. Share Pastor Summary information widely with the congregation prior to the call meeting. You will want your fellow members to be well-informed and prepared to contribute fully. Encourage them often to actively participate in their new pastor’s selection.

 

One best practice is to hold one or more informal “cottage sessions” to give your members the opportunity to learn about the different pastors and their strengths directly from the call committee. It also creates a forum for parishioners to ask questions they may have to the call committee. Sharing information like this helps pave the way for a smoother, non-contentious voters meeting. A sample Pastor Information Packet and Cottage Meeting Invitation is shown here.


5. Hold Prayer Meetings with your congregation to seek God’s will. As Christians, we should have a daily rhythm of prayer. When considering how to cast your lots for a new pastor, it is helpful to include prayers of guidance from God to help you discern this path. He may answer those questions in a variety of ways. It may be the unexpected comment from someone at church. It may be the actions of one of your pastors. It might just be a sense of peace and calmness about the direction to go.
 

As a Call Committee, commit to follow the process prayerfully and deliberately. Take your time and do the challenging work of earnestly seeking the Lord’s will for your congregation. Go thoughtfully, go carefully, and go in prayer. 

​​

As a congregation, you may feel impatient waiting for your new shepherd. Make sure you set aside regular time for your members to focus on God’s will in calling a new pastor and the direction He wants your ministry to take. It is critical that the call process move according to God’s timing, is bathed in prayer, and is not rushed.
 

6. Host Voters Meeting or assist your Board or Elders if they are charged with organizing the Call Meeting.
 

This meeting may be a Call Worship Service or a separate special Congregational Voters Meeting. Either format should be developed in consultation with the Circuit Visitor and be held at a time that maximizes member participation.

 

Whether you call a pastor in the context of a worship service or a voters meeting, a written ballot is normally used. This may be clarified by your Constitution or by previously agreed upon voting rules. Voting by proxy is strongly discouraged. Absentee ballots should not be permitted. The basic intent is that the activity of balloting should reflect the latest and best information disclosed at the meeting. In addition, balloting should take place within the context of Scripture reading and prayer.
 

When one candidate has a majority, unless otherwise stipulated by the constitution of the congregation, the balloting is complete. If this is not achieved on the first ballot, the candidate with the least number of votes should be dropped and a second ballot taken. If a third ballot is required to achieve a majority, the congregation may follow the same procedure and continue until the necessary majority is achieved.
 

At the conclusion of the balloting, it is recommended that a resolution be requested to make the selection unanimous. The moderator may say (while not required by your Constitution or Bylaws), "I would be very happy to receive a motion to make the ballot unanimous." The failure of such a resolution, by the way, would not invalidate the election. It is intended only as a sign to the called pastor that the congregation is united in their calling and will fully support him.

 

7. Contact your Called Pastor with the good news. The president of the congregation, chair of the call committee and/or the Circuit Visitor should attempt to notify the pastor-elect of his selection immediately by phone while the meeting is still in session. If your elected pastor, for some reason, declines the call right away, you may want to revisit with the congregation to extend a Call to your next in line pastor.


You’ve done it! You’ve called your new shepherd. Now, the pastor-elect should be sent hard copies of the Call Documents and other supporting materials. Additionally, scanning and emailing a copy of the completed call documents after the meeting provides the pastor-elect an opportunity to begin deliberating the call immediately.
 

Also, the pastor-elect and his family should be invited for a Post-Call Visit with all expenses paid by the congregation. This will be an invaluable assist to the pastor and his family as they assess God’s will for them.
 

Keep your pastor in your prayers and be prepared to do all you can to support him in his decision.

FOLLOW UP

 

After the congregation has chosen their pastor, a natural part of the process is discussion and negotiation between the pastor-elect and the calling congregation. You should maintain an attitude of flexibility, openness and transparency as you answer questions from the pastor and his wife while they deliberate the call. Listen and provide sincere consideration to requests for adjustments to the compensation package, handling of moving expenses, potential dates and time frames for the transition, etc.


Do not feel that simply because the pastor is raising questions or offering options that he is minimizing the divine nature of the call. As you engage with the pastor-elect in these discussions, strive to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement for compensation and other elements of the call. Working towards this goal helps to lay the groundwork for a lasting, fruitful relationship for the congregation and pastor.

COMPENSATION
Prior to the call meeting, the appropriate board or committee should establish general salary ranges and other compensation (housing, auto, health and retirement benefits, moving, etc.), vacation, education benefits, specialized needs and expectations, and a “job” description for your pastors. Individual adjustments will need to be made once a given pastor is called, but the basic parameters should have been laid out.


The two major concerns for pastors coming into the CNH District are generally salary and housing costs.


Salary
As we discussed in the Interview Section, costs will typically be higher in CNH District communities and you must compensate your new pastor accordingly. While pastors do not like to discuss salary (it feels like a negotiation), it’s important that you work with your pastor and have an open dialogue on what he sees as a workable, living wage. If he cannot afford to live and support his family, he will not accept the call. Make sure that ministry fit and not salary is the deciding factor in his call decision.
 

As a starting point in determining appropriate compensation for your pastor-elect, District salary guidelines for pastors are available using the CNH Salary Calculator. This tool estimates salaries based on the current CNH Pastor salaries in the District.

.

A second, perhaps broader set of salary guidelines, comes from Concordia Plans and its Compensation Decision Support Tool. This approach is more broadly based than the CNH tool in that it considers salary ranges of pastors in the CNH footprint from all denominations.

 

These tools are only guidelines for compensation. Your particular context and situation may call for adjustments to the salary package. Again, encourage discussion with your pastor-elect on salary and housing.

​​

Remember the key question you want your pastor-elect to focus on is: “Is this where God is leading us?” and not “Can we afford to live here?”

 

Housing
CNH home prices may be double or triple those in your pastor’s current location. Ministers coming from less expensive housing areas will most likely have less resources for home down-payments than their counterparts who have built home equity in higher-appreciating regions. Be aware that the overall price of housing may “sticker shock” them.

​​

If this is the case, your board should be prepared to create opportunities for affordable home ownership. Unless your parish has a parsonage, you might consider one or several of the following opportunities to assist your pastor:
 

  • Addition to base salary as a monthly housing allowance,

  • Low interest loan from the church for down-payment assistance with repayment due when the house is sold,

  • Partnership/equity sharing in purchase and profit upon sale of the home,

  • LCEF assistance with lower interest rate mortgage,

  • Church purchases home and rents to pastor at an “affordable” rate, or…

 

Your local LCEF representative can be a critical partner in these discussions. Start early on to develop your pastor’s housing compensation package and be prepared to “move” when the call is made.


CALL DOCUMENTS
When the Call Committee submits the names of the pastors they wish to interview and the District President has reviewed them, the CNH District Office will send to the Call Committee Chair the following packet of information:

 

  • Blank Call Document

  • Call Document Instructions

  • Pastors Call List (pastors to Review/Interview)

  • Personal Information Form (PIF) for each Pastor

  • Self-Evaluation Tool (SET) for each Pastor


The Call Document Instructions give step by step guidance on how to complete the form. A completed Call Document consists of the following parts:

 

  • Calling Body Information (1 page printed on high quality white paper)

  • Diploma of Vocation (this page only must be printed on parchment paper)

  • Supplement to the Diploma of Vocation (1 page)

  • Compensation Information (4 pages)

  • Additional Congregation Information (5 pages)

  • Summary of the Call (1 page)

  • Summary of Additional Congregation Information (1 page)


These documents should be pre-filled and ready to finalize at the time of the call meeting. They should be prepared by the appropriate agent of the church; Executive Director, Board President, Head of Elders, Call Committee Chair for signing at the call meeting or on the following day.


The actual call documents (2 signed copies) should also be mailed via overnight post to your pastor-elect with an added hard or scanned copy sent to the District President’s office. It is recommended that the documents also be scanned and emailed to the pastor-elect so he and his family can immediately begin their deliberations.


If you haven’t already shared the following ministry materials, accompanying information may be included with the call documents:

 

  • The latest annual report

  • Recent newsletters and bulletins

  • Pictures of the church property

  • Information about the community as well as real estate information

  • A copy of the congregation's Constitution and Bylaws

  • Current Budget and Financial Reports

  • Pertinent documentation from congregational self-studies

  • Community demographics, i.e. MIssionInSite report from LCEF

  • A letter of explanation and encouragement from the congregational president


The Call Committee should assist in the preparation of the Call Documents and added information (even though they may not be setting salary or benefits) because these include detailed information about the congregation and you will want to insure the data you have shared previously is consistent with the Call Documentation.


NOTE: Always send copies of pertinent communications to the District President’s Office. Of course, be sure to retain a copy of all communications and materials for the congregation's files.


ONSITE VISITS
Once the congregation has extended a call, you will likely want to bring your pastor and his family (all expenses paid) to your campus for a visit. This is an important opportunity to meet staff, tour facilities and community, and engage in conversation with your congregational leaders. Make sure you ask him and his family what they would like to see and do on their visit. Click here to see a Sample Onsite Visit Itinerary.


Remember that the call has already been extended. This is an opportunity for the pastor and his family to grow their excitement and validate their perceived good fit with your ministry. It is not a job interview but rather a fact-finding visit for the pastor. Take the time to put your best foot forward.


It is also not a necessity that the pastor-elect do a whirl-wind “meet everyone / do everything” visit but rather get the full flavor of the ministry, its leadership and the community it serves. If he accepts the call, there will be plenty of time to get to know everyone.


CALL DECLINES
It is entirely possible that the first pastor you call may, after due consideration, decline the Call. It is important to inform your District President that the call was declined. The call committee normally then consults with the District President to form a recommendation about revisiting and continuing with the current list of candidates or stepping back in the process and adding new pastors to the list.


If you are adding new names to consider, inform your congregation that additional names may be offered to the call committee for consideration up to a new stated deadline. When you communicate with your declining pastor, acknowledge his decision, and ask the reasons he declined. This can be valuable information and perspective for your congregation as you continue with the call process.


If your call is returned, there may be feelings of “What did we do wrong?” or “We shouldn’t have let the Pastor talk to Fred’” or “Is it us?” Remember, God has already chosen your new shepherd. It is your challenge, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to determine His will. Turn to Prayer. Turn to God!

​

FINALLY

In the end we find the beginning…

​

For two-thousand years, God's people, after sincere consideration and prayer, have called pastors from the larger Christian family to inspire and equip them for their ministry. By serving your congregation in this way, you are continuing our circle of faith as new disciples replace those who have departed.

 

Luke tells the age-old story of replacing a 12th apostle after the death of Judas in the Book of Acts. The First Call Committee…

 

“‘Let another take his office.’ 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph … and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who knows the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias… 

​

                                                                                                         Acts 1: 20b-26 ESV

 

Serving with prayer and joy, let the Lord lead you to your new shepherd!

call-process1.jpg
bottom of page