Key People Working with Churches Seeking Leaders

"A pastor or associate pastor shall be elected by the vote of the congregation and the relationship between them shall be established by the presbytery." Book of Order G-14.0501b

The following are the key people who will work with churches seeking new leaders.

Presbytery

The presbytery has the responsibility of determining who its members will be and who will lead its congregations. No minister can be employed without presbytery concurrence. The presbytery is responsible for the life and mission of its congregations, and has concern for those who serve the church as leaders.

Presbytery Committee on Ministry - COM Liaison

The calling process is a primary responsibility of a presbytery COM. They assist pastor nominating committees, providing resources, guidelines, compensation requirements, and other services to make the process easier. The COM is involved at key points and must concur in the final decision before a call is issued. An experienced member of the COM is usually assigned to work with each PNC as "liaison" throughout the entire vacancy.

Presbytery Executive

The executive or general presbyter often staffs the COM and is a resource and support to churches. It is wise to contact the EP/GP when you are in serious conversation with a church so that you can begin to get acquainted and get his or her perspective on the ministry of the church. You can expect that the EP/GP will be contacting the EP/GP of your presbytery for a reference check.

Interim Pastor

Interim pastors have particular developmental tasks that they are called to accomplish during the pastoral transition period. They have particular skills in congregational analysis so may provide you with helpful insights about the congregation you are considering. They are not to be involved in the search process, but may have assisted with a congregational self-study prior to the completion of a CIF. Their role is to prepare the way for your ministry, so view them as an ally.

Call Referral Services

Call Referral Services of Church Leadership Connection are working with the churches and presbyteries as well as with you.

Be Open to God's Call

There are presently more churches seeking leaders than persons available. Especially needed are pastors for small churches, Christian educators, interim pastors, and youth workers.

In the present circumstances where there are more churches seeking leaders than church professionals available for new calls, it is likely that you will receive many contacts from congregations. It is important to be truly open to the working of the Holy Spirit in this process. You may prefer one type of church situation, only to be surprised by God and find a very satisfying ministry in another. Many leaders report such powerful surprises, saying, "I never would have imagined myself serving here, but I felt deeply called and have never regretted accepting." On the other hand, it is important to do some careful and prayerful sorting of opportunities so that you can give serious consideration to a few situations rather than being in conversation with many churches hoping to find "the best deal." That is not fair to the churches you reject along the way. Consider the costs in time, energy, and dollars when a PNC pays for transportation for an interview.

Communicating with Prospective Ministries

Once a PNC has received your PIF, they will consider it and may contact you. Once you have reviewed their CIF, communicate with the PNC and let them know of your interest in continuing the conversation. If you are not interested, be honest and thank them. At whatever point in the process you determine that this position is not the call for you, communicate that to the search committee as soon as possible. It is neither constructive nor kind to string a church along when you are not seriously considering them. Likewise, it is essential that you INFORM CRS IMMEDIATELY WHEN YOU HAVE ACCEPTED A CALL (even before all of the final steps are complete) so that your PIF can be removed from circulation. It is very discouraging to a PNC to get excited about a PIF and contact the candidate only to discover that the person is no longer available.

Screening and Reference Checks by the PNC

On what grounds do COMs or PNCs have the right to screen out candidates?

Employment as a Presbyterian minister is not a right. Civil courts have established that the ministries of the Church of Jesus Christ belong to the Church and tasks are assigned to particular persons for the service of its members and the world. The Church must make such assignment responsibly.

Our Book of Order states: "The committee [on Ministry] shall serve the presbytery in the following ways:

(G-11.0502d) It shall counsel with churches regarding calls for permanent pastoral relations, visiting and counseling with every committee elected to nominate a pastor or associate pastor. It shall advise with the committee regarding the merits, availability, and suitability of any candidate or minister whose name is contemplated for nomination to the congregation, and shall have the privilege of suggesting names to the committee. No call to a permanent pastoral relationship shall be in order for consideration by the presbytery unless the church has received and considered the committee's counsel before action is taken to issue a call ..."

What questions should a Pastor Nominating Committee ask of a reference?

It is appropriate and important for PNCs to ask questions related to your skills and experience that relate to the position being filled. Such questions might be: "Tell me about Jane Doe's worship leadership" or "How does Jane deal with conflict?" References should respond only on the basis of first-hand knowledge. It is usually helpful if the reference knows a bit about the congregation, community, and position for which you are being considered.

Are there other questions that a COM member or Executive Presbyter may ask?

A COM member or executive presbyter may also ask any of the following questions:

• "Why is Jane Doe leaving her present position?"
• "Are there any things about Jane that negatively affect her ability to do ministry?"
• "Would you welcome Jane to serve in a similar position in your presbytery?"

Are there questions that cannot be asked in a reference check?

No. By law Church search committees may ask questions which are prohibited in secular employment.

What are secondary references?

These are persons who are not listed on your PIF, but are suggested by others or contacted because they are thought to have knowledge. Executive presbyters, stated clerks, COM moderators, and CPM moderators are automatically used as references because of their roles, and no authorization is needed from you for a PNC to consult with them.

What are background checks?

Background checks are assessments of a person's character and fitness for employment. They may include checks of employment, credit, criminal, and motor vehicle records. If this position will involve work with children, the state may require a background check.

Interviewing

Because PNCs recognize that much about the call process is experiential ("the chemistry between people"; "the movement of the Holy Spirit"), they often move quickly to meet with potential candidates. This is a good time to remember the Presbyterian balance between "ardor and order" or "heart and head."

Preparation for Interviewing

Before you meet with any search committee:

• Compare your PIF with the CIF. Do your experience and skills match what they are seeking? Have you lived and worked in a setting like the church context?
• Review other materials. Review any materials the church may send you, such as bulletins, newsletters, annual reports, budgets, Chamber of Commerce brochures etc.
• Do thorough reference checking. Call each of the references listed on the CIF and even if he or she is not listed, contact the executive or general presbyter or the COM moderator or both.

Consider what additional information you want and need in order to evaluate this opportunity as the call for you. Ask about the search committee's process for decision-making. What is their approximate time line?

The Interview Itself

Visiting Churches. If the interview will take place in the church community, ask for a tour that gives a good picture of your church and community, but be careful to protect confidentiality. Do not include non-PNC members in the visit or allow yourself to be introduced around town. This is a small world, and many stories are told about pastors who became "lame ducks" because congregations back home heard that they were out interviewing.

Some Questions You Might Be Asked

• Tell us about your faith journey.
• What are the things you feel best about in your present ministry?
• What have been the challenges there?
• What makes you think you may be called to leave there now?
• What interests you about this position?
• What do you bring to our ministry?
• What are your greatest strengths in ministry? . . . your greatest weaknesses?
• One of our goals is to strengthen our __________________. How would you envision doing that?
• Describe a typical week in your ministry.
• Share your perspective on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
• One of the issues our session has debated in the past few years is __________________. Tell us how you might address that topic.
• If we selected you as our pastor (or other role), when could you start and what would be your start-up plan?
• How do you balance your personal/family life with your ministry?
• What will you need from us, the members of this church, in order to be effective as our pastor?
• What questions or concerns do you have?

What about questions that cannot be asked in an interview?

Neither civil nor church law mandate prohibited questions. Many Presbyterians who serve on PNCs are familiar with secular employment practices where it is illegal to ask certain questions of a prospective employee. Because the ministries of the Church belong to the Church, the rules are different for search committees interviewing church professionals. Search committees and presbyteries have the right and responsibility to ask questions that will help them determine "fitness for office."

Pursuant to Book of Order G-11.0502g, Committees on Ministry "shall provided for the implementation of equal opportunity for ministers and candidates without regard to race, ethnic origin, sex, age, marital status, or disability. In the case of each call, it shall report to the presbytery the steps in this implementation taken by the calling group." It is important that PNCs and COMs examine their decision-making processes to ensure they are not making decisions based upon these categories. This allows for the very broad discretion vested in PNCs and COMs when they are making their decisions yet cautions them to implement the requirements of G-11.0502g and requires them to report on the steps taken in the case of each call.

From Fred Jenkins, Former Director - Office of Constitutional Services excerpt from PCUSA Polity Reflection #19, July 1998

6. Q. What may those who examine church officers do?
   A. Each examining body, a CPM, COM, PNC, nominating committee, session, or presbytery decides its own procedures, as it does now. They may ask what is necessary to satisfy themselves of the fitness, or lack of fitness of the person for the church office under consideration. The committee may not discriminate solely on the basis of sexual orientation. Each examining body decides when it is satisfied, but may be subject to administrative review or judicial review. For example, see the judicial decision in Bedford-Central Church v. Presbytery of New York City, Minutes 1987 page 119 in which the decision of the candidates committee received administrative review on the floor of presbytery and the presbytery's decision subsequently received judicial review.
   
   Applicants, especially candidates, need to understand that religious institutions are permitted to discriminate on the basis of religious belief and may enforce standards of character that apply to a person's private life to a degree that is not legally permitted in secular occupations and professions.

The Call is Extended

Negotiating the Terms of Call

The terms of the call must be negotiated for presentation to the presbytery and the congregation (see sample call form). The following are a list of resources that you might find helpful:

• A Study of the Theology of Compensation, Office of the General Assembly, PCUSA, 1983, 1986.
• From the Board of Pensions, call (800) 773-7752 to order:
  • Understanding Effective Salary
  • Benefits Administrative Handbook
  • Tax Guide for Ministers and Churches, Richard R. Hammar
  • Federal Reporting Requirements for Churches, Richard R. Hammar
• Board of Pensions Web site
• Response line tax assistance for clergy: (800) 455-5129
• The Minimum Compensation Guidelines of the presbytery to which you are being called.
• Proposed Compensation Guidelines for Certified Christian Educators, Office of Certification PCUSA, (888) 728-7228, x5757.

Other things to consider

• How does the cost of living in your present location compare with your new location. Go to this cost of living comparison calculator to find out.
• Is the manse adequate? Do you really need a housing allowance instead?
• There are ways to get more benefit for both the church and the church professional by careful arrangement of compensation items. Consult the resources above and your tax consultant.
• Does the church have a good accounting system set up for accountable reimbursable ministry expenses? (This is an important tax consideration for you.)
• Will your call be subsidized in any way by funding sources other that the local congregation? If so, how long will this funding be available and what are the expectations?
• What moving expenses will be paid?
• Are there any significant costs related to registering your vehicle in the new state?

Sample Pastoral Call Form

To be revised as needed in consultation with Presbytery Committee on Ministry. Tax authorities should be consulted regarding any unusual payments for the protection of the church and the taxpayer.

Presbytery of __________, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The __________ Presbyterian Church of __________ (City, State), being well satisfied with your qualifications for ministry and confident that we have been led to you by the Holy Spirit as one whose service will be profitable to the spiritual interests of our church and fruitful for the Kingdom of our Lord, earnestly and solemnly calls you, __________ to undertake the office of __________ (pastor, associate pastor) of this congregation, beginning _________ promising you in the discharge of your duty all proper support, encouragement and allegiance in the Lord.

That you may be free to devote full time (part-time) to the ministry of the Word and Sacrament among us, we promise and obligate ourselves to provide you the following annually:

We promise and obligate ourselves to review with you annually the adequacy of this compensation.

In testimony whereof we have subscribed our names this ____ day of ________ 20 ____.

Having moderated the congregational meeting which extended this call for ministerial services, I do certify that the call has been made in all respect according to the rules laid down in the Form of Government, and that the persons who signed the foregoing call were authorized to do so by vote of the congregation.

(Signed) _________________, Moderator of the Congregational Meeting