What were the results of the survey the pastor search team asked the church to fill out?

• You can find the raw data of that survey here, and our breakdown of the key take aways from that survey here.​

Why are you only pursuing one candidate at a time?

• This allows us to treat each candidate fairly. If we interviewed multiple candidates at the same time, we run the risk of bias towards candidates that respond the fastest, not necessarily the best.

• We also seek to talk to one candidate at a time to preserve unity within our team. If we were talking to four of five men at once, there would likely be a split within the team as to which candidate we should pursue foremost.

• We acknowledge there are different methods of pursuing a new pastor, each with their respective benefits and shortcomings. Based on the wisdom we've gathered from other pastor search teams and from the conventions we are associated with, this is the method we have chosen to follow.

• This may differ from the interview process for other businesses, but in those scenarios, it's typically easier to interview multiple people at the same time, without needing to protect the identities of applicants as stringently. However, typically the more authority a position carries within an organization, the fewer people are interviewed concurrently during that hiring process.

Why don't we get more time to review the candidate?

• We will try to provide as much time as possible for the church to get to know the candidate before the vote. In many other Baptist churches, a candidate might preach in the morning, and the vote would be held that same night. We agree that is just not enough time to get to know the man who will be leading our church.

• At the same time, we have a responsibility to protect any candidate's existing ministries and livelihood. If we release a candidate's name too early, word could travel back to whatever church he is serving and his current position may be jeopardized. We don't want to risk that before we're sure the candidate we're talking to is the one God would have us present before the church.

How does the search team determine which candidate to present to the church?

• First of all, we start every meeting with prayer. We believe Calvary Baptist Church is God's church, so we have a responsibility to steward His church well and to seek His will when making decisions.

• The pastor search team then works diligently to set aside our personal preferences and desires in favor of the results of the survey the church filled out in September 2022. We use that as the guide for who we are looking for in a candidate.

• The results of the survey indicated that the church wants a pastor who is strong in preaching, directing church vision, and teaching the Bible. He should also preferably have some seminary training. And he should be older than 30, but younger than 50, preferably in that 40-50 age range.

• It has been repeatedly emphasized that if a team member feels strongly about a candidate and they don’t necessarily fit the profile, the member is free to present them to the group and try to convince the team to pursue them.

• Thus, when we do present a candidate, we will have already gone through an extensive review process based on your guidelines and will feel that he is the man God has brought to us and who best matches what the church has told us it is looking for in a senior pastor.

Why haven't I received information about the search team's process?

• At the beginning of the process, announcements were made via email, during Sunday morning announcements, and during our family meeting in April 2022 to invite members to contact the church council with any interest in being a part of the pastor search team.

• Since then, the search team has sent updates almost monthly via our church newsletter, sent through OnRealm, and at our quarterly family meetings.

• If you do not receive those emails, please make sure your OnRealm account has your correct email address, and check your junk mail in case our weekly emails are not reaching your inbox.

• Many have expressed their dissatisfaction with these methods, which has inspired us to create this web page as an additional means of keeping our church family up to date on the current state of our search.

Who can vote on pastor candidates?

• When a pastor candidate is brought to a vote during a church family meeting, only active church members may vote on the candidate.

• Church membership begins after someone has attended OnRamp at either church campus.

• If you have not attended a quarterly OnRamp, you are not a church member.

• You can find more information about OnRamp and a link to register for the next OnRamp here.

I have additional questions. Where can I direct those? Should I hold onto them until the next family meeting?

• We welcome any questions you might have at any time, preferably before the next family meeting. You can talk to any of the pastor search team or email psc@cbcfamily.net.