FINDING A PASTOR CAN BE TOUGH AND TAKES TIME
TELL ME MORE
We represent churches who aspire to fulfill The Great Commission in the spirit of The Great Commandment.
Our mission is to advance the cause of Christ, in part, by getting the right pastors in the right seats on the right bus and heading in the right direction. This is the primary way we strengthen the local church.
Since we added search to our offerings, every search has ended with an offer being extended to the candidate who was highly-recommended to us.
We actively solicit input from our vast network of 20,000+ pastors. We want to know who they think highly of, and who would be the best fit for the roles we represent.
OUR FOUR-PART SEARCH PROCESS
IDENTIFY THE CANDIDATE
We start by identifying the type of pastor who would be a good fit. We create a comprehensive Candidate and Church profile. (Click for examples) Considerable time and thought is spent developing them. We paint a picture so vivid that when the right candidate reads them, he thinks,
- “This is me!”
- “Those are my people.”
LOCATE THE CANDIDATE
We locate candidates through our vast network. When we talk to pastors, we ask for recommendations based off the profiles. We rarely post openings on job boards because they don’t bear fruit. The pastors who have been the best fits for the roles we’ve represented are not actively looking for their next call. Rather, we are introduced to them through a recommendation of someone who knows them well. When they are introduced to the opportunity, they are attracted to it because it is in the ballpark of who they are and what they do.
ASSESS THE CANDIDATE
We assess each candidate through a comprehensive interview process based on the profiles. We spend upwards to three hours with a candidate before presenting to a church we represent. We only introduce candidates who are in the ballpark of the profiles – including geography, compensation, regional and church culture fit, skills, personality, character and knowledge, and the like. We submit a four-to-five page Candidate Executive Summary outlining our findings to help you determine if he is in the right ball park.
SECURE THE CANDIDATE
We secure the candidate on behalf of the church. By the time the offer rolls around, the acceptance is a formality because we have done all the work beforehand. We know the compensation and relocation package is acceptable. We will even help churches get creative in the way compensation and relocation packages are structured so that it is a win/win. We will never let the process get this far unless we are certain the offer will be accepted.
A CASE STUDY
We walked shoulder-to-shoulder with the Search Committee of New Covenant EPC in New Castle, PA as they searched for their new pastor. We sought recommendations from over 250 pastors in our network. Through this hard work, we identified their future pastor. He lived in Florida, was not a part of the denomination, and would not have reached out the church. He and his family wanted to get back to Pennsylvania.
He came to us highly recommended.
Click the button below to learn how our process helped place the right pastor, in the right seat, on the right bus—and moving in the right direction.
INTRODUCING YOUR PARTNERS FOR YOUR SEARCH
Our staff has a combined 60+ years of pastoral experience. We have witnessed well-run and poorly-run searches by committees and other search firms. Rev. David Zook, our lead for pastoral search, served as an executive-level recruiter in corporate search prior to being called into ministry and pursuing his Master’s of Divinity. He was the top recruiter in his firm of 31 people.
He took the lessons from corporate search and combined them with what he has learned during his 20+ of being an ordained pastor to create a precisely-targeted search process.
PASTORS WHO MIGHT BE LOOKING
If you are a pastor who:
- is between calls
- has one foot out the door
- would like to be kept in the loop
then let’s get to know one another. We might be able to help. Our goal is to align you with your next call to give you the best chance to have a faithful and fruitful ministry. Click below to get started.
CHURCHES LOOKING FOR A PASTOR
If you would like to learn more about how we could possibly help your committee’s work, let’s talk.
When we do, we just need to discover if we can help you fulfill the work before you. You may have all the bases covered and not need any help. However, if we discover some gaps in the way you are currently doing it, there are several ways we possibly could help. But only if it makes sense.
Here is the next step: schedule a time to talk to David.
Click below for his calendar. Pick a time that works for you.