Jump Start # 4038
Philippians 2:20 “For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.”
Here’s a question for you. How do you go about hiring a preacher? There are a lot of churches looking for a preacher these days. Finding the right fit is important. Everyone is looking for a passionate preacher that loves people, is sharp in God’s word and is affordable.
For a long time the process of finding a preacher has not been something to brag about. In fact, to be honest, what is done in many places is a broken model that doesn’t work well.
Typically, here is what is done. A preacher announces that he is leaving and the search begins. The starting point is for the elders to call the preachers that they know and ask, “Do you know anyone that is looking to move?”
Right there, the process has started on the wrong foot. Why does a church look for a preacher that is looking to move? Think that out for a moment. A preacher that is looking to move has either been fired, is unhappy or hasn’t gotten along well with that church. He may be looking for just any church to take him to keep a paycheck coming in. Is that what you want filling your pulpit?
So, some names are collected of preachers who might be looking or are looking to move. A few phone calls are made and a date is chosen for the preacher to come and “try out.” He comes in on a Saturday evening, meets with a few of the brethren, they have some small talk about who they know and their backgrounds. On Sunday, the prospective preacher brings out his best sermons. They may not even be his sermons. A potluck or pitch-in is arranged for the noon meal so the church can meet the prospect. The elders meet with him later in the day and within the first five questions, salary is discussed. If everyone likes what they hear, moving dates and starting dates are worked out and the church has a new preacher. He is showcased as the bright and shinning future, even though most don’t have a clue who he is and what his talents are. And, months down the road, out comes a sermon in which some don’t like. The ‘honeymoon’ period comes to an immediate halt and both the church and the preacher begin to wonder if they made a mistake. The preacher hangs on, feeling very uncomfortable until he decides it’s time to move on and he waits for another church to call him.
This process fails and will continue to fail because it misses some essential things that could have prevented much heartache and waste of money.
Before phone calls are made and someone is invited in, the leadership must decide what they want in the next preacher. For some places, as long as he has breath in his body, that’s all that matters. And, that’s what they will get. Part of thinking through this is understanding where the church is and where do we want the church to go. If it’s a young demographic, getting a preacher near retirement age probably isn’t a good fit. If the church wants to expand into social media, livestreaming, reaching others across the planet, then a preacher who doesn’t like those things isn’t the right guy. Some preachers are interested in certain churches because a university is near by and all they want is a way to get paid and advance their degree. Once they have completed that, they are finished with that church and are ready to move on. Is that what you want?
The leadership and the church must understand that they are being “tried out” as well as the prospective preacher. A place that is content to just drift along and doesn’t want to try new technology, new ways of teaching, new ideas, will close the door to many preachers.
Shepherds need to listen to sermons on line. That is so easy to do today. Who is it that they like? Listen and listen and listen to sermons. Narrow down the list. Then begin making phone calls. Invite the preacher to come and spend a day with the elders. Get to know him and how he works. Talk about hot button topics to see if everyone is on the same page. Get ideas from him. Show the building. How you take care of the place is often an indication of how you take care of God’s work. Messy, dirty, cluttered is enough for many to say, “No, thanks.”
Next, bring the preacher and his family over. No tryouts yet. Just meet and greet. The conversations take a deeper level. More ideas are expressed both ways. Both sides are seeing if this will be a good fit. Now, discussions can begin about salary, moving, benefits, accommodations and what is needed to get the work going.
More phone calls. Through this process, a relationship is being built. Trust is forming. The preacher is seeing how that eldership works. Details about the congregation are understood and explained. Finally, a date is set for the preacher to come and preach to the church. By this time, the eldership and the preacher know pretty well that it’s a green light.
Now, all of this takes both time and effort. A church that wants to settle this as fast as they can, will find someone, but will it be the right fit? And, just how long will that last? Building relationships. Having private Bible studies. Sharing goals. Talking through troubles. Getting on the same page with one another will ensure a relationship that starts well and is a win-win.
Once the right preacher has been found and agreements agreed upon, a written contract, signed by the elders and the preacher, and both having copies, keeps all parties on the same page. People forget. There is a business side to preaching that is unpleasant, but necessary. Treat the work and treat the preacher as professional and you’re off to a great start.
I love the story of the little kindergarten boy who was having trouble getting his boots on at the of the school day. He strained, and grunted and just couldn’t get his snow boots on. His teacher came to help. She grunted and strained and finally the boots went on. He stood up, and the boots were on the wrong feet. Off they came. Again, the teacher and the boy grunted and pulled and got the boots on. Hat went on his head. His coat was zipped up. The teacher asked, “Where are your mittens?” The boy replied, “I stuck them in my boots.” Off came the boots. The mittens were pulled out. The boots put back on. Mittens on hand. The boy said, “These are not my boots?” The teacher couldn’t believe it after all that. Off came the boots. “Where are your boots?” she asked. “These are my brother’s boots that mom told me to wear.” The boots went back on. The teacher flopped in her chair, head pounding and wondering why she has days like this.
Trying to find the right preacher can be like putting on those boots, if you don’t do it right.
Tomorrow, some thoughts on the “Two-preacher” arrangement.
Roger