Confession of a Pulpit Committee
An inside look at the church's most clandestine operation -- the pastoral search.
Em Griffin
October 1, 1983
No two pulpit committees function alike. Some generate mounds of paperwork; others rely mainly on memory. Some view their work as essentially a talent search. Some spend long hours on their knees seeking divine direction. Some push through the process as quickly as possible (and sometimes regret it), while others leave no stone unturned. The following chronicle includes almost all the elements of finding a new pastor. Some readers will question spending this much time (twenty-six months) on the process. LEADERSHIP'S point in publishing it is not to say, "This is the way to do it," but rather to showcase the various factors and procedures, giving other churches a planning guide for when a vacancy occurs. A song in the play Fiddler on the Roof starts out: "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match; find me a find, catch me a catch." More than two years ago, I stood with fourteen others and received a charge from our congregation to do just that. We were to discover the most qualified and eligible suitor, convince him he couldn't possibly be happy without us, and then deliver him already in tuxedo to the congregation. Of course we were to proceed every step of the way with full assurance that God was smiling on our efforts. Twenty-six months later I stood with tears streaming down my cheeks as our new pastor and his wife walked down the sanctuary aisle to the thunderous applause of a membership that had voted 311-0 to consummate the marriage. Those were tears of joy. I am convinced God was not only pleased with the decision but had nudged us in that direction. Those were also tears of relief. I had spent over six hundred hours in the process-the equivalent of seventy-five eight-hour work days. That includes reading dossiers, discussing ...
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