Congregational Call Process

  1. Start praying for your pastor: engage the congregation in continual prayer and praying.
  2. Appoint Search Committee.
  3. Determine and get approval for Search Committee expenses.
  4. Determine and get approval for projected pastoral compensation and benefits (see Seeking a Pastor, page 4-1 and following, particularly 4-6).
  5. Conduct a Congregational Self-Study.
    • Consider your congregation’s Mission, Vision, and Values. 
      Your mission answers the question, “Why did God call this congregation into being when and where God did?” (i.e., We exist to___________________.”). You can find the answers by asking long-timers and reading early Board minutes and correspondence. 
      Your vision (God’s vision) is how you are living out—or might be living--that mission in the here and now. You might ask, “What does God want our congregation to be and do over the coming year?” 
      Talk to members in your congregation and in the community.  Send listening groups of two and three out into your community to sit in local restaurants or the library or other places people gather; teach them to sit quietly and listen and take notes about what people are sharing: their hopes and dreams, their fears and joys.  Bring your listening groups together to share their findings.  How might God be wanting your church to meet these people where they are?
      Work closely with your Church Board in this process, so that the Search Committee is not working separately from the congregation.  It’s important to know these things so you can call a pastor who will help prepare you to spiritually, practically, and realistically live into God’s desire for your congregation.
    • Survey your congregation to get a sense of what people may want (see the “Congregational Survey” beginning on page 4-7). Remember, though, what we want and what we need are not always one and the same.  Knowing this and being honest about it will help you to better understand some of the challenges your congregation may face with a new pastor.
    • Ask the congregation to suggest names of potential pastor candidates.  Be clear that names submitted will be handled confidentially and the same way other candidates are considered.
  6. Determine your congregational and ministerial priorities.
  7. Prepare a one-page statement about your church, community, and ministry expectations (page 4-9).
  8. Share the results of the study and priorities with the congregation.
  9. Prepare the Congregational Profile Form (see page 4-10).
  10. Send the results of the self-study, the one-page statement, the Profile, and potential candidates to the Area Minister.
  11. Determine your criteria for evaluating candidates (see page 4-4).
  12. Compile a packet of information about your church and community (see page 4-4).  Be as creative as you want: some churches develop videos or picture albums or PowerPoint slideshows to share with potential candidates.
  13. The Area Minister will begin to submit the Ministerial Profiles of potential candidates for the Search Committee’s review.
  14.  Select potential candidates (see 5-1 and following).
  15. Make preliminary phone contacts with short-list candidates (5-3).
  16. Send Information Packets to short-list candidates.
  17. Keep candidates informed when they are no longer under consideration.
  18. Gather additional information on short-list candidates and conduct phone interviews (5-4).
  19. Re-rate and prioritize candidates (5-4).
  20. Schedule face-to-face interview(s) with top Candidate(s) (5-5).
  21. Prepare a list of questions for the face-to-face interview(s).
  22. Have Candidate(s) come for a community visit and face-to-face interview.
  23. Prepare to negotiate with your top Candidate (see the whole of Section 6).  Draft a Letter of Call (available from the Regional Office).  At this time, the Letter is preliminary but morally binding on both the congregation and the Candidate.  It’s this Letter, signed by the Candidate and Search Chair, that will be presented to the Board for action.
  24. Prepare Biographical date on the candidate and his or her family.
  25. Recommend the Candidate and terms of the call, including starting date, to the Board for official action.
  26. Board approves recommendation.
  27. Schedule and duly publicize official congregational meeting with the Candidate and his or her family.
  28. Congregation votes to call the Candidate.
  29. Keep your Candidate up-to-date on your progress and votes.
  30. Notify Transitional Minister of vote and end date.
  31. Notify the Area Minister.
  32. Notify the Pension Fund.
  33. Notify the other candidates.
  34. Destroy all papers for other candidates considered (return personal items that may have been submitted).
  35. Submit to the Area Office all records relating to the called minister so they can be kept in a confidential file.
  36. Plan for the Transitional Minister’s departure (7-1).
  37. Make arrangements for moving your new minister.
  38. Clean, repair, and redecorate the parsonage and the minister’s study.
  39. Arrange a visit and host for house hunting if a parsonage is not provided.
  40. Submit information about your new minister to the local media.
  41. Plan a warm welcoming for your new minister and her or his family.
  42. Establish a Pastoral Support Committee (7-2).
  43. Plan the Installation Service with your new minister, checking dates with the Area Office, so the Area Minister can be part of the celebration.
  44. Arrange for members and elders to accompany your new minister on visits to hospitals, home-bound members, etc. 
  45. Schedule with the Area Minister a six-month evaluation of the Search process and your pastor’s new ministry.

The above is a summary of the steps outlined in detail in the Search & Call Handbook available from the NE Area Office.