I spoke with a congregation this week that was about to lose their beloved, long-term pulpit minister and they wanted to know if we could help them find a new one.  The more we chatted, the more I became convinced that it would be a colossal mistake for them to try to hire someone right now.  The odds of a new minister failing were just too high so instead; I recommended that they consider a long-term interim appointment to help them through a difficult transition period.

Let me give you two prime examples of when it might be better to work with a long-term interim rather than going ahead and hiring someone right away.

As an elder, how do you view your ministers? Are they partners with you in ministry or are they simply the hired help? Are they viewed as a leader within the congregation or simply as a public speaker? Do you value their input or do you tolerate their opinion?

Over the last 60 days I have reviewed the websites of over 1,500 church of Christ congregations from all across the country. In doing so, I’ve witnessed a wide range of congregational leadership models and management issues.

Sometimes Search Committees can reach a place where you just don’t seem to be making any progress. You have interviewed a number of candidates but none of them have been the “right candidate.” Now, after several months of searching, the committee begins to feel an internal sense of pressure to “do something.” In this situation, search committees typically, do one of three things:

1. They hire one of the current candidates anyway.
2. They continue down the same path and hope a better candidate comes along.
3. They realize the need to start over.

If you are a minister who has been through a job search, there is a pretty good chance you have heard or felt that sentiment from more than one congregation. In one form or fashion, there is a pretty common pattern that we see in the church today when a congregation is looking for a new minister. If often goes like this:

• Step 1 - Identify potential candidates.
• Step 2 - Interview each candidate as they submit an application.
• Step 3 - Put the candidate “on hold” while you see who else applies for the position.
• Step 4 - Wait several months and then hire someone.

Finding great candidates for your ministry opening can be challenging even in the best of situations. I’m a firm believer in the principle that great candidate pools must be built through a combination of advertising, networking with your peers and most especially outright recruiting. Let me tell you a cautionary tale about the search for a new pulpit minister at the Anytown Church of Christ where their pride made a tough job even harder (the names have been changed to protect the innocent).