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James S. Vuocolo,
D.Min., MCC, CPVA, CPBA
Phone: 909.794.2136 
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The Search Process
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QUESTIONS MINISTERIAL CANDIDATES MAY POSE TO A CONGREGATIONAL SEARCH COMMITTEE
by The Rev. Dr. James S. Vuocolo
Many people falsely believe or assume that all Christian clergypersons are "assigned" to their positions. Not so! Many of us who are in traditional Protestant ministries find ourselves in some fairly competitive situations with regard
to receiving "a call" to serve.Many of the questions below will be appropriate
to ask, regardless of the denomination in which a change in leadership takes place-- including appointments within an episcopal polity, i.e. one
in which clergy are assigned by a bishop or other ecclesiastical official.Many of these same questions can readily be adapted for use by Search Committee members whose task it will be to interview ministerial candidates. Once a Search Committee, Bishops' Cabinet, or the equivalent has narrowed their search to three or less final candidates for a given position, they may
be further assisted by the use of the Behavioral & Values Assessment tools found elsewhere at this site.The following questions have been compiled over the past 20+ years by the author. They have been utilized by dozens of professional colleagues in gaining information about local Church and/or
Church Agency settings via a Search Committee
in negotiations prior to receiving and/or accepting
the call to a new pastoral (or other comperable leadership) position.Not every question will be appropriate for every setting. Other questions may be inserted and/or substituted, as needed, within the search process. However, every effort has been made to ensure
that relevant information can be obtained.Questions have been clustered surrounding a
dozen significant areas of a Church's life and ministry as these relate to the search process. Let us know about your own experience in utilizing these items -- and sincere best wishes in your service to Christ and the world! - Jim
1. Intentionality
- What are your Congregation's/Agencys goals for the year ahead? For the next 5 years? 10 Years?
- How were these goals determined?
- What is the pastor's/director's role expected to be in the implementation of these goals?
- How will these goals be measured/evaluated regarding effectiveness and completion?
- Is the Church's/Agency's ministry an "intentional" one that plans ahead; or do you usually find the leadership reacting as problems arise?
- Is the Church familiar with utilizing
"Management by Objectives" (MBO); "Total Quality Management" (TQM); "Coaching", or some other intentional paradigm in its planning process?- What significance (if any) does theology, the Scriptures, and/or Christian Tradition have within the planning process of your Church?
- How does your Church/Agency intentionally plan for change?
- How is conflict presently managed within the Church, and/or between Church and Pastor?
- How is the Church's/Agency's overall ministry
to be annually evaluated?
2. Community Setting
- If your Church/Agency closed-down tomorrow, besides its own members, what impact (if any) would it have upon your Community?
- What is the Church's present role in the Community?
- Is this different from what you would like it to be?
- What is the pastor's/director's expected role in
the Community and beyond?- What other Community groups/organizations presently utilize your facilities?
- Are facilities made available without bias as to who desires to utilize them? (Are any fees charged?)
- If a new person/couple/single parent (etc.)
moved into your community this week, why
should he/she/they seek to unite with your Church/Agency?- How are new members received, and how are they assimilated into the ongoing life and work
of your Church/Agency?- What is the pastor's/director's role expected to
be with regard to new members?; Inactive members?- What constitutes an "inactive member" in your Church, and how long are they kept on the rolls?
- What is the racial, economic, political, and educational mixture of your congregation in relation to the surrounding community?
3. Leadership Expectations
- What is your Church/Agency looking for in a new Pastor/Sr.Pastor/Director (etc.)?
- What caused you to ask me to interview here?
- How do you intend to minister to my humanity,
and that of my wife and children? (if any)- How do you expect me to function daily? Can you
outline a "typical day/week in the life of our Pastor" as you envision it to be?- What satisfied/failed-to-satisfy you about the former leaders you have had?
- To the best of your knowledge, why did they leave?
4. Shared Experience
- What portion of the Church's History do members recall
frequently and pass on to new members and others?- What do you like MOST about your Church?
- What do you like LEAST about your Church?
- What happened within the past few years that brought
your people the most joy?- What happened within the same time period that you regret?
5. Shared Understandings
- How would a majority of your congregation/people define the following terms according to how they are presently viewed/observed within your Church/Agency:
- Ministry?
- Minister?
- Minister's Spouse?
- Minister's Children?;
- Discipleship?
- Evangelism?
- Stewardship?
- Biblical Justice?
- Inclusive Language?
- Youth Ministry?
- Rites of the Church?
- Sacraments?
- Peace?
- Justice?
- Ecumenism?
- Volunteers?
- Adult Education?
- Visitation?
- Old Testament?
- Liturgy?
- Counseling?
- Ordination?
- What is the Pastor's/Director's expected role regarding each of these areas?
- What is the expected role of Lay Leadership
in each of these areas?- Are these expectations negotiable?
6. Faith & Practice
- What significance do Worship, Prayer, the Sacraments, and the Rites of the Church presently have in your Congregation/Agency?
- Is this different than what you'd like it to be?
- How are requests for baptisms handled?
- How are requests for weddings handled?
Are fees charged (if so, by whom and for
what services)?- How are funerals handled? Where are they conducted?
- Do baptized children have opportunity to
partake of the Lord's Supper?- Are personal prayer petitions received in worship?
- How does your Church feel about Pastors who take personal/professional stands on controversial matters as a matter of conscience?
- Will these areas be negotiable in the future?
7. Lay Leadership
- How do the Lay Leaders of your Church/Agency presently function?
- Are Lay Leaders ordained in your tradition?
- Do Lay Leaders presently have job descriptions?
- Do Lay Leaders receive any training for the positions they hold?
- Are planning retreats conducted?
- What is the Pastor's/Director's Role in equipping Lay Leaders?
- What kind of Church/Agency organizations do you presently have, and for what purpose do you have them?
- Are they effective?
- What difficulties/challenges do they presently experience?
- Are youth, and other minorities, intentionally included on Committees that make important decisions regarding the Church's life and work?
- How is the volunteer staff to be evaluated?
8. Relations With the Larger Church
- What is the present relationship of your congregation/agency to the "Larger Church"?
- To the Association?
- To the Conference/General Synod?
- To Ecumenical Organizations?
- To Churches of other denominations?
- What do you expect the Pastor's/Director's role
to be in relation to each of these?- Is the Pastor/Director able to accept invitations
to conduct ministerial services at other locations?
9. Additional Ministries
- What other program areas do you presently
have, and how does each area function (staffing, volunteers, etc.)?- Music Ministry: Organist? Choir Director(s)?
- What is the role of the music ministry in the life
of the Church?- What would you like it to be? -Liturgical Dance, Drama, and the Arts?
- Christian Education: Is there a staff person for this area? Are teachers trained? What curriculum and resources are presently being used?
- How are these decisions made and evaluated?
Is there a viable program for adult education? Others?- What do you expect the Pastor's/Director's role
to be in relation to each of these?
10. Investments & Stewardship
- What type of financial investments do you presently hold?
- What are the company names?
- Do any of these companies manufacture
nuclear weapons (or parts), or have any connection to the war potential of the United States or any other nation?- Are any of these companies involved in _________ (nation)?
- How much money is left at year's end, and what is usually done with it (spent, invested, benevolence, capital improvements, other)?
- What is the benevolence giving of your Church, and the philosophy behind it?
- What percentage of the annual budget goes toward benevolence vs. institutional maintenance? Is this negotiable?
11. Additional Staff Personnel
- What other paid professionals are presently on the staff? Associate Pastor(s)? Secretary(s)? Custodian(s)? Business Manager? Musician(s)? Others?
- What is the seniority of other staff personnel?
- What is their present rate of compensation?
- Who supervises and evaluates the staff?
- Is the tenure of these other positions negotiable after an appropriate length of time following my arrival?
12. Professional Compensation
- What will the specific terms of my employment
be with this Church/Agency?- How am I to be evaluated, and by whom?
- What are the conditions for terminating my ministry to be?
- Will there be a Pastoral Relations Committee,
or its equivalent, to help interpret my needs
and/or those of my family, and to advocate on
our behalf?- Can I obtain a five-year contract, renewable
after an appropriate evaluation of my ministerial performance and effectiveness?- What type of housing is being offered? Parsonage?
- Can I purchase my own home, and will the Church provide a low-interest loan for a down-payment?
- What will the rest of my "Compensation Package" include (and what, if any, are the Conference Guidelines for each area below)?
- Base salary?
- Annual Pension?
- Social Security offset?
- Health/Dental Insurance for myself and my dependents?
- Disability Protection?
- Travel, Book/Resource, telephone, allowances?
- Annual Vacation period?
- Sabbatical leave?
- Annual Continuing Education period?
- Initial Moving Expenses?
- Other?
- Will there be an annual review of my total compensation and the needs of my family?
- Periodic Cost of living adjustments?