What were the survey results the pastor search team asked the church to fill out?
You can find the raw data from that survey here, as well as our breakdown of the key takeaways from that survey here.
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Why are you only pursuing one candidate at a time?
This allows us to treat each candidate fairly. If we interviewed multiple candidates simultaneously, we risk bias towards candidates who respond the fastest, not necessarily the best.
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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 regarding which candidate we should pursue foremost.
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We acknowledge different methods of pursuing a new pastor, each with its benefits and shortcomings. Based on the wisdom we've gathered from other pastor search teams and from the conventions we are associated with, we have chosen to follow this method.
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This may differ from the interview process for other businesses. Still, in those scenarios, it's typically easier to interview multiple people simultaneously without needing to protect applicants' identities 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 the church with as much time as possible 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 night. We agree that it is just not enough time to get to know the man who will be leading our church.
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At the same time, we are responsible for protecting any candidate's existing ministries and livelihood. If we release a candidate's name too early, word could travel back to whatever church he serves, jeopardizing his current position. 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.
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How does the search team determine which candidate to present to the church?
First, we start every meeting with prayer. We believe Calvary Baptist Church is God's church, so we are responsible for stewarding it well and seeking His will when making decisions.
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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 seek in a candidate.
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The survey results 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. He should be older than 30 but younger than 50, preferably in the 40-50 age range.
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It has been repeatedly emphasized that if a team member feels strongly about a candidate and doesn’t necessarily fit the profile, they are free to present them to the group and try to convince the team to pursue them.
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Thus, when we present a candidate, we will have 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 meetings 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 attempts to sent updates monthly via our church newsletter, through OnRealm, and at our quarterly family meetings.
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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.
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Since we have had reports of dissatisfaction with using just these methods, we have created this web page as an additional means of keeping our church family updated 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.
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Church membership begins after someone has attended OnRamp at either church campus.
You are not a church member if you have not attended a quarterly OnRamp.
You can find more information about OnRamp and a link to register for the next OnRamp here.
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Where can i direct additional questions or 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 anyone on the pastor search team or email psc@cbcfamily.net.
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