TO TELL THE TRUTH

by

John D. McArthur, Jr.

How does the church find the right preacher? How does a preacher find the right church? Within our locally governed, independent, non-denominational churches, we have a great deal of freedom in how we call the one who will be employed by the local congregation.

Some churches contact people they know personally or know of as potential candidates. Most of the colleges supported by independent Churches of Christ/Christian Churches provide lists of churches seeking ministers and ministers seeking churches. The Christian Standard regularly prints "Needs of Churches". In recent years, independent organizations have been formed that offer ministry opportunities generated by a computer database. And of course, word of mouth is a reliable, time tested method of locating areas of service.

In order to facilitate the hiring of a minister, most churches form "Pulpit Committees". These interesting committees sometimes consist of the elders and sometimes of the church board. Sometimes pulpit committees are made up of a cross section of the congregation including various ministry leaders, and sometimes they involve whoever will show up for the meetings.

The process used by the committee to achieve their goal vary as much as the characters that inhabit the panel. Some people like reading resumes, some like listening to tapes, some like talking on the phone, and some like visiting churches of candidates. The point is, there is no one right way for a pulpit committee to function.

Different churches, different communities, and different personalities demand different approaches to a pulpit committee's work. However, there are some essentials to every pulpit committee that transcend independent differences. Having served on and been interviewed by various pulpit committees, may I suggest there are at least three guidelines that will not only preserve our unique way of hiring a minister, but will help us find the right candidate for our congregation.

First, be honest. Obviously, we want to put our best foot forward during the interview process but we need to be careful not to color a picture of ourselves or our church that is not true.

Before a pulpit committee can even begin to consider resumes or potential ministers, a clear and accurate assessment of the local work must be developed. Not only the pulpit committee but all the local leaders must understand and agree to a philosophy of their congregation. And they must agree to what the work of the new minister will involve. What would happen if a pulpit committee tells a minister his primary function will be evangelist but later he discovers the church board really wants a chaplain?

And preachers, before you send out your next resume, take inventory of your gifts and abilities. Be honest with yourself. Not every church is right for you. It does no one any good for you to simply say what a pulpit committee wants to hear in order to get a job and then end up miserable in a place you do not want to be.

Next, check references. Obviously, a candidate will give you names of people he feels will give him a favorable review. At the very least, contact those people. Even one-sided reports are better than no information. But make the effort to go one step further. Ask the person making the recommendation specific questions based upon your agreed upon philosophy of ministry. Asking about a candidate's commitment to calling for instance will give you more information then a generic, "He's a good man" response.

Beyond that, contact previous churches the minister has served (But not his current congregation unless he gives you permission) and speak to the chairman of the board or one of the elders. If the candidate is just graduating from Bible college or seminary and has little experience, talk to some of the professors he had and some of the other students.

In order to get a more accurate picture of your potential preacher, take the positive reports and mix them with any negative comments and somewhere in there will be the actual minister you will be hiring. Remember, no one is perfect. Take negative comments with a grain of salt and determine if those characteristics would harm or hinder your work.

Preachers should also check up on the church they are contacting. Talk to as many previous ministers as you can. In assessing their reports, ask why they left. Remember, you are not superman or the Savior so do not think that a problem someone else could not overcome will not affect you. At the same time, a glowing report must be tempered with reality. If it was so great, why did the minister leave?

Try to discover the reputation of the church in town. Once, trying to find the building of a church I had an interview with, I stopped at a gas station to ask directions. The young man working there had never heard of the church. Later, I discovered the church was within three blocks of that gas station. That should have told me volumes about the church's community impact. Again, mix the good and bad and somewhere in there is the actual church. Do you have the gifts or patience to commit yourself to that work?

Finally, pray. Actually, prayer is the most important guideline. This action should go without saying but sometimes in our pressure to find a minister or locate a church, we forget about the importance of prayer. Until those involved with finding a new minister get on their knees and seek God's will, the process will be muddled at best and probably cause frustration and dissatisfaction.

I served on a pulpit committee once that forgot this principle. The resignation of the minister came as a shock. A power struggle ensued and it took a couple months before a pulpit committee could even be agreed upon. During the year long search we went through three different chairmen, various changes in the make-up of the committee, long drawn out meetings and disagreement as to what we wanted. Finally, we began to pray. And then, it wasn't long until our nightmare was over and our work completed.

By prayer, I mean more than the obligatory opening and closing prayers we usually tag on our meetings. Perhaps the first meeting of every pulpit committee should be spent totally in prayer. No resumes, no suggestions, no contacts - just prayer.

Pray for the minister and his family who are leaving (regardless of the circumstances surrounding their departure). Pray for wisdom, strength and unity as you undertake this very important task. Pray for agreement, clarity and patience from the congregation. Pray for God to not only bring a minister but the right minister.

It may be asking too much, but maybe a pulpit committee should practice this ritual at least once a month as they search. After all, shouldn't God be considered a member of the pulpit committee?

The minister should be practicing this same procedure. Before any inquiries are answered, before any resumes sent out and before any contacts are made, the minister should be spending time on his knees seeking God's will for his work.

How does a church find the right minister? In our independent system there is much opportunity for abuse. Isn't it about time we resolve to tell the truth to one another?