by Revd John Simpson,
(General Superintendent, Baptist Union of Victoria, Australia)

Over recent years the Pastoral Search Committees (PSC’s) of our
churches have been encouraged to give very careful thought to the
shaping of their pastoral profiles before undertaking interviews.
The pastoral profile is a usually a comprehensive description of the
qualities which the PSC is seeking in a new pastor. Moderators have
helped in this shaping process with the use of resources developed
for this purpose.

So, what are our churches seeking when they start the search for a
pastor? This report is based on information supplied by the Pastoral
Search Committees (PSC’s) of many churches as part of their pastoral
profiles.

The Bottom Line Expectation

Foremost in the minds of PSC’s is the expectation that the pastor
will have a sense of Call to ministry. Associated with this are the
following:

* There will be a growing relationship with Christ as Lord.

All PSC’s are deeply interested in the pastor’s testimony of how
they became a Christian and what their faith means to them in the day to
day. Some will press further and inquire into the pastor’s spiritual
disciplines realising the crucial importance of being "an example
to the flock."

They will be concerned to see a real balance between the mountain
and the market place. Too many churches have been alerted to the
dangers of unrestrained busy-ness and are aware of these in their own
lives. In the centre of all this will be an active interest in the
pastor’s attitude to the Bible and prayer and the place that these find
in the pastor’s personal routines.

* PSC’s will want to know how and why a pastor is in the ministry.

It is a source of fascination to PSC’s to discover why a person is a
pastor and in what ways the Call to ministry is being confirmed,
nurtured and deepened. There is also the recognition that without this
underlying conviction, the staying power for the tough times will not be
there.

* It is assumed by many PSC’s that the pastor will be continuing to
stretch the mind and develop further their giftedness for ministry.

This is the reason why PSC’s will gladly accommodate the pastor’s’s
desire for ongoing training and enrichment. A pastor who does not have
plans for study will raise questions in the minds of many who, in their
own fields will recognise that in-service training is a must. PSC’s are
also keen to discover just how teachable a pastor is in a more general
sense. They are discomforted by the thought of a pastor being a poor
listener and unable to benefit from the wisdom of others.

The Qualities Most Often Sought in a Pastor

Some qualities emerged as being common to the needs of all churches
regardless of size or location. It should be stressed at the outcome
that your average PSC is not looking for perfection. There is
usually a clear idea about the kind of pastor appropriate to their
needs and this is accompanied by a willingness to expect and accept
the rough edges which go with being human. These are listed
according to a freshly emerging understanding of priorities:

* The capacity to bring vision and strategic thinking to the
leadership of the church.

This desire has emerged in recent years in churches representing a
wide range of theological positions and understandings of ministry.
Churches are looking for pastors who are able to offer leadership
to their congregations by grasping the "big picture" while still
being at home with the details. A dictatorial or autocratic style
of leadership is not on the shopping list. There appears to be
plenty of room for the way in which leadership may be exercised
though. Most PSC’s will be attracted to the thought that their
pastor will not be afraid to take a few risks and that there will
be the courage to do this.

* The clear ability to relate warmly to people within and beyond the
immediate congregation and to all ages.

This is often summarised as "people skills." PSC’s are alert to
any sign of difficulty in this area. They are deeply interested
in pastors whose ministry is known for its warmth and emphasis on
relationships. Most churches see the pastor playing a key role
in nurturing a sense of community and fellowship within the
congregation. Also included is the ability to conduct meetings
with skill and sensitivity. Pastors who have been in situations
where a church division has occurred are especially vulnerable
(even where their own role has been beyond reproach).

* The capacity for effective communication.

This is usually first expressed in the context of preaching: there
is the expectation that the pastor will be able to preach on Sunday
in a way that will give the congregation something to hang their
hat on for the coming week. There is an undisputed desire for
biblical content. While many PSC’s will be anxious to obtain a
tape (or even a video of a sermon), they will prefer to visit a
service where the pastor can be heard first hand. Few churches are
looking for the Archangel or even Billy Graham for that matter;
they are looking though for a basic competence in preaching.

* Pastoral care follows hard on the heels of effective communication.

This is a development of the people skills area. It has to do
with the giftedness of the pastor to care for people. The whole
area of visitation is in a state of flux at present. Many male
pastors are now wary of visiting people in their homes by
themselves especially if there is the likelihood of a woman being
on their own at the time.

Despite this there is still the clear view that the pastor will be
available to the congregation and not invisible Monday to Saturday.
This applies in team ministry situations as well. There continues
to be a danger of turning the study into an office with the
"bureaucratising" and "professionalising" of ministry which comes
as a consequence.

* Not too far away in the minds of most PSC’s is an interest in the
place which the pastor places on evangelism.

Most people want to belong to a growing church. There is always a
concern about a stagnant congregation trapped in a non growth
cycle. Now this does not mean that the pastor is expected to
posses the gift of evangelistic preaching or be a highly
accomplished soul winner but it does mean that there should be a
passion, an enthusiasm and a clear commitment to stating the claims
of the Gospel clearly.

Many would expect that in every sermon, for example, there should
be the opportunity for a challenge of some kind to be overtly
articulated. Most congregations want a pastor who will give a
strong lead in helping the church to think and act with
evangelistic intent.

* It is a common theme to hear PSC’s wanting a "playing coach" who
will engage the church in ministry and not attempt to do it all
themselves.

These days the word "facilitator" is frequently used. It has to
do with the pastor drawing on the gifts and the skills of the
congregation and not building the ministry around themselves. In
fact there is a distinct aversion to one man bands (as indeed
there should be). Questions asked frequently revolve around the
extent to which the pastor motivates, delegates, encourages and
generally shares with others in the exercise of ministry.

* Churches are becoming increasingly interested in connecting well
with the communities in which they are located and how the pastor
sees the needs of the community.

There is a healthy and growing interest in the way churches relate
to their communities. Social questions, community issues, debates
about values and standards are (thankfully) finding their way onto
leadership and church agendas. With this there is, in many
places, a strong desire to nurture creative and constructive links
with other churches (both Baptist and those of other
denominations). Bridge building is seen to be an essential way
forward for the Christian community to make a genuine impact on
the community in addressing current needs not all of which may be
seen as "spiritual" in the first instance.

Some Other Considerations

In addition to all of the above, there are other enquiries which
often surface:

* Will the pastor work hard?

Unfortunately some pastors have appeared to their churches to have
lacked application, personal organisation skills and energetic
commitment and it is felt that they have represented "poor value
for money." Churches do not expect to know all that their pastor
does but they do get mightily frustrated by the pastor who always
seems to be behind the eight ball, never seen during the week and
resistant to visiting obvious cases of need. PSC’s will be keen to
discover the pastor’s capacity for work if they have suffered from
a chronic case of sustained lethargy or perceived laziness.

* What capacity does the pastor have for self support?

Given that a third of our [Victorian Baptist] churches are part
time and the number is rising, the issues of bi-vocational ministry
is of ever increasing importance. Churches will want to know if
the pastor is able to be self supporting (to varying degrees) as
they do not want to create an awkward situation especially if there
is a young family at stake. This matter is all the more
complicated in rural environments where the opportunity for work
may be very limited.

* What age is the pastor?

It will come as no surprise to find that many churches are looking
for that ideal family person around the early 40’s who can model
all that is good about marriage and family. The fact that a
younger pastor has an enthusiastic contribution to make and an
older pastor has a truck load of wisdom often has to be gently
pointed out. This remains a pressing issue and indicates how the
secular, commercial context has surreptitiously influenced the
thinking of at least some of those searching for a pastor.

* Can the pastor cope with a team ministry situation?

With the growth of ministry teams a new need has emerged for team
players who do not lust after the pulpit every Sunday, who can be
fulfilled in addressing a specific brief and who can happily
accommodate a wide range of gifts and perspectives in approaches
to ministry. This is still a growth area for us as there are still
teams which do not function as well as they should.

Of course every PSC brings its own inflection to the task of seeking
a new pastor. Most approach a fresh appointment prayerfully and
realistically. Need it be said that people are sceptical of those
pastors who sometimes convey the perception that, if they cannot
actually walk on water, they at least only get their shoe laces wet.

– John Simpson <>