Looking For A Great Pastor? Don't Do This

Finding a great pastor for your church is vital to keeping members engaged and the church itself growing. The only problem is, it takes work to find the right pastor. Even if a pastor was wonderful at a previous church, they might not be the right fit for your church family. By avoiding some common mistakes, it’s easier than you might think to find a pastor that meshes well with your members and quickly becomes an amazing shepherd as well.

Ignoring What Members Want

Your members come to church to listen and engage with their pastor. Why not ask them what they want and need? It would be like buying someone a home, but not asking them what type of home they’d like or where they want to live. It’s a recipe for disaster. Obviously, church leaders have some idea of what type of pastor is best for the church, but you should also know what type of pastor your members want as well.

Avoiding A Few Test Runs

Once you’ve narrowed down the candidates, you shouldn’t just hire someone. It sounds like a great idea, but it could just lead to members being dissatisfied with your choice. Instead, let your final candidates each preach part of a sermon for a few weeks in a row. Watch how engaged members are. Talk to them after services to see how they feel. Ask for feedback via comment cards, on your website or via social media.

Leaving Out Members During The Search

While you shouldn’t involve members who aren’t active in the church, put together a committee of active members to help with the search. Remember, your members know what type of pastor they want. Getting them involved helps you to find a great pastor much faster.

Defining What’s Most Important To Your Church

What are your church’s core values? Outside of faith itself, what’s most important? Without defining what’s important to your church, it’s hard to find a pastor that will fit with your members. The pastor you choose must be able to preach and live by those values to continue building the church culture that leaders, members and past pastors have created.

Learning Little About The Pastor

A glowing recommendation from a previous church isn’t enough to ensure you’re getting a great pastor. What methods do they prefer for engaging members? What’s their preaching style? How much time do they have to devote to ministry outside of services? What do they value most? Think of hiring a pastor as hiring any other employee for a business. They have to be the right fit for your church’s culture and needs.

Describing Only The Positive About Your Church

It’s nice to think of your church as perfect, but no church is 100% perfect. There are arguments, volunteers that don’t always come through, dissatisfaction when making changes and more. Granted, this doesn’t mean your church isn’t a positive place. However, you should give any candidates a realistic view of your church. For instance, saying it’s just a small church, but having 300 members might overwhelm a pastor that’s only been at much smaller churches before.

Expecting The Pastor To Solve The Unresolved

Why did your previous pastor leave? If it was due to some form of conflict, don’t expect your next pastor to fix the unresolved issues. It’s up to church leadership to address any outstanding problems before bringing in a new pastor. After all, a new pastor doesn’t know the staff and members just yet. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to step in and fix everything. Plus, if you want a great pastor to stay, bring them in to a welcoming, positive environment. They’ll have to address issues eventually, but start them off on the right foot at least. Remember, a pastor isn’t a miracle worker. Expecting them to be one may drive them away before you even get to hire them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the biggest mistake churches make when hiring a pastor?

Hiring on a recommendation alone without testing fit. A pastor who thrived at another church may not mesh with your members. Before you commit, have your final candidates each preach over a few weeks, watch how engaged the congregation is, and gather honest feedback. Fit with your culture matters as much as the resume.

Should church members be involved in the pastor search?

Yes, but the right ones. Build a committee of active, engaged members rather than involving everyone. Your members know what kind of pastor they want, and pulling them in early helps you find that person faster. Asking what members need isn’t a popularity contest, it’s gathering the insight only they can give.

What questions should you ask a pastoral candidate?

Go deeper than the references. Ask about their preaching style, how they prefer to engage members, how much time they can devote to ministry outside services, and what they value most. Treat it like hiring any key leader: you’re looking for the right fit for your church’s culture and needs, not just a warm body in the pulpit.

Should you be honest about your church's problems with a candidate?

Absolutely. Painting your church as perfect sets a new pastor up to feel blindsided. Give candidates a realistic picture, including the tensions, the volunteer gaps, and the size of the congregation. A pastor who knows what they’re walking into is far more likely to stay than one who discovers the truth after they arrive.

Can a new pastor fix the problems that drove the last one away?

Don’t expect them to. If your previous pastor left over unresolved conflict, that’s leadership’s job to address before the next pastor arrives. A new pastor doesn’t yet know the staff or members and can’t step in and fix everything overnight. Start them in a welcoming environment, not a war zone.

How do you define what kind of pastor your church needs?

Start with your core values. Outside of faith itself, what matters most to your church? Until you’ve named that, you can’t measure whether a candidate fits. The pastor you choose has to be able to preach and live those values to keep building the culture your leaders, members, and past pastors have shaped.

Is your church searching for a new pastor? Define the exact type of pastor you’re searching for on your church website to extend your search.