Let’s focus for a few sessions on what a Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC) should do in preparation for the new pastor’s arrival. You have sifted through a mountain of Pastoral Information Forms (PIF), had several phone interviews and personal visits and face to face conversations, and now you are ready to make an offer to the candidate of your choice. It is at this point that a very important new stage of your work begins.
How you approach the invitation to become the pastor of your church will communicate a lot about your attitude with respect to the pastor/congregation relationship. A good place to begin that conversation would be in the area of shared expectations. “As the Pastoral Nominating Committee, these are some of the positive impressions that we have formed of you as a pastor.” Then, share the strengths that you have noted from your interviews. Right away you are conveying some of your expectations and a positive evaluation.
You can follow up on that by asking, “As we explore this possibility, we would like to ask what are some of the positive impressions that you have made about our congregation as we have talked together.” This allows you to hear the impressions and assumptions that s/he has gathered during your conversations.
Then, ask if there are any specific family situations that the committee should be aware of as they consider how to prepare the package. One pastor, for example, had a child with special needs that affected the pastor’s decision. It might require special housing or medical facilities that are familiar with the condition, etc. By asking the question, you are conveying that you are concerned with the whole family and not just issues of salary.
These type of questions can convey an awareness of the importance of relationships in building a pastor/congregation relationship. Of course money is going to be an important issue but we can address that later.
