With over 20 years experience, David Lyons and his team of experts are the RIGHT choice for your church consulting needs. Get David and his team on YOUR team! >
Starting Your Pastor Search?
Check out some of the testimonials our clients and candidates have provided
We were recently retained to fill a Children’s Pastor search for a growing church in the Dallas area. This church was unique as they were growing and had some very unique qualifications for this position.
Our team screened hundreds of candidates and presented 4-5 who made it through our process. We walked with the Leadership Team of the church as they interviewed each candidate. They got very close to making an offer with one candidate, but as we all prayed and discussed things, we determined he was not the best fit – even though he looked GREAT on paper and came HIGHLY recommended. Shortly thereafter, one of our networking contacts referred us to the candidate they eventually hired. The total search time, from start to finish was less than 4 months and the candidate is doing great. Below is an email sent from the Senior Pastor:
David I wanted to personally let you know how great this hire has been for us. We simply couldn’t afford to have a swing and a miss in this area at this time. And Reid is a home run hire! His work ethic, creativity, ownership and leadership in the children’s ministry is exactly what we needed. Thank you for the diligence that you and your team showed in helping us with this process!
I received this text from Steve Huskey, a Senior Pastor we placed at a church not long ago, and I wanted to share.
Pastor Steve and his wife Shawna
Things here are awesome. We’ve had some great things happening at Faith—God is blessing us big time. Attendance is better than it’s been in 2 years. Had 1000+ in the house this morning, including the University of North Alabama football team. Lots of new faces coming. People getting saved and baptized! Going to 2 services in September. Launching a Jr. high and college ministry as well. Just got almost 600 adults to commit to serve in ministry!
Finances are catching up too. July was the best month financially in 2 years. God is Good!! Still lots to do, changes to make, and challenges to face, but we are moving in a great direction. It’s going great! Thanks again for making the connection between me and Faith. Blessings!!
Faith Church after Pastor Steve and Shawna arrive
This is just one example of many that we hear on a regular basis – it shows the results of our team’s focus on making the RIGHT match – I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts on this and all of our searches.
I’d love to hear you hiring success stories or some of those challenges you’ve faced in hiring and/or looking for a ministry position.
I’m often asked, “How long will this take?” Of course, I’ve learned to under-promise knowing all the challenges that come with finding the RIGHT pastor for our clients.
I thought I’d share some fact from a Senior Pastor Search for a mega church our team recently filled:
This church had gone through challenges with the departure of their last Senior Pastor, and there were a lot of emotions attached to that. Being sensitive to those feelings while pressing on in the search were very important. We went on-site and spent quite a bit of time with the staff, elders, board, and search team – we even spent a Sunday worshipping with them to really learn who they were and who they needed in a Sr. Pastor.
Below are some of the data points from the search:
Candidates who viewed position: Approximately 15,000 Candidates screened by MinisterSearch: 467 Candidates taken to second level of screening by MinisterSearch: 167 Candidates interviewed by MinisterSearch: 9 Total time of Search: 3 months
I couldn’t be more proud of our team – while filling a mega-church Senior Pastor position in only 3 months is the exception to the rule, they did a great job.
What we continue to hear from this client and others is how much they appreciate how we handle the whole process – the Minister Search process is NOT just about “finding” candidates for our church clients. In fact, I believe that’s just a small part of how we help. Our team walks with the church and each candidate throughout the entire interview process acting as consultant, counselor, and friend. Most importantly, we are there to pray for and with as both try to seek God’s will – THAT is what it’s all about!
I’d love to hear your questions and/or comments of the facts above – do you feel that’s typical for a church that does it on their own? Is it necessary to go through all that? Anything else?
When we speak at conferences or during a workshop, we always ask for feedback. Here are some of the recent results from our anonymous surveys:
“Great information. Very helpful trainers.”
“Having the perspective of a professional helped us know we were on the right track and that the timeframe we had to find someone might have been a little optimistic. It was very useful.”
“Reinforced the importance of having a system in place to qualify candidates and, more importantly, orient them after the hire has taken place.”
“I am not in a position to hire anyone, but the principles they taught were transferable to finding good volunteers and team members. As we look to grow, I will be applying many of the ideas I learned, and I will be going back and making sure I have “given a playbook” to all my current volunteers.”
“Learned something new, like the fact that David made himself available for questions after.”
“IT answered my guilty question about hiring from other churches.”
“I enjoyed that the information was given in a couple of ways. He was very helpful in establishing a starting place to hire staff.”
“Very practical! I don’t hire anyone at my church (far from it), but much of this was applicable to finding and retaining small group leaders, which is what I do”
“This was just incredible! Super helpful, I felt like I learned a TON and I did not feel not even for a moment that I was being engaged in order to buy a product.”
Over the years, we’ve worked with thousands of pastors. Our role is NOT to find them a job. Our role is to help guide them through the process of best discerning God’s will for their ministry. Oftentimes, we recommend they stay right where they are. Either way, we are helping them to determine what God wants for them. So, developing a close and trusting relationship is important.
Below is a note we recently received from one of our candidates:
Wanted to send a personal note and say thanks for all your help throughout this entire process. I “was” skeptical at first and very apprehensive but after praying about those real feelings God gave us peace to talk with you.
I’ve been absolutely blown away by the level of professionalism and thoroughness. You are becoming a great friend!
We remain excited and continue to yield all emotions/feelings at the foot of the cross.
In less than 6 months, the MinisterSearch team filled the Senior Pastor position below with a great candidate.
In the first 4 months with their new Sr. Pastor, the church experienced 20% growth and a renewed vision! Conversions, Baptisms, and giving are all up. Within the first 6 months, giving was better than it had been in years. Incredible things are happening at this church!
A great opportunity for spirit-filled Senior and Lead Pastor Candidates – this church in the Northern Alabama area (outside Huntsville) is a GREAT opportunity for someone to come in and have a tremendous impact.
Check out this the video below for a little information in the position:
This church has a strong history in the community and is well respected my many. They are looking for a Sr. Pastor who can come in and cast a strong vision, lead the team, and preach the Word in a relevant style. The Elders and Trustees are wonderful and are ready to support the Sr. Pastor in whatever ways he needs. The right candidate will be a spirit-filled, energetic leader who is progressive in their approach to ministry and leadership. He will be a relational pastor who likes being ‘with the people.’
If you meet the qualifications and are interested in learning more, please forward a cover email, resume (in WORD format), and links to videos to us at resumes@ministersearch.com. If there is a possible match, one of our search consultants will contact you for an interview.
POSITION TITLE: SENIOR PASTOR
LOCATION: NORTHERN ALABAMA
DENOMINATION: Non-denominational (spirit-filled)
COMPENSATION: Excellent compensation plan
JOB DESCRIPTION:
The primary responsibility of the Senior Pastor is to give himself to the ministry of the Word and prayer, seeking to walk uprightly before the Lord in his personal life while seeking the mind of God on behalf of the congregation
He shall, in all ways, endeavor to lead and teach the congregation according to the precepts of Holy Scripture, holding true to the church’s Statement of Faith, Statement of Nature and Mission, Constitution, By-Laws and Governing Policies
Honor the history of the church and prepare for its future. He will help to equip the saints for the work of the ministry
Be faithful in the exposition of Scripture so that the congregation may grow in their understanding and application of the Word of God
Help protect the flock from false teaching and to unite the leadership in the shepherding of the flock (Ephesians 4:11-14; Acts 20:28)
Establish the vision and direction for the church, with the support of the Board of Elders
Be the primary spiritual leader and primary communicator of the church’s vision to staff, congregation (member, attendees, seekers), and the community at large
Systematically train disciples and equip the saints for the work of the ministry through personal modeling, mentoring, and programming
Meet regularly with the staff as a team and individually
Maintain regular office hours
Create goal ownership and a sense of shared purpose among the lay leaders through leading by example, involving others in the decision-making process, and actively participating in meetings and events
Conduct weddings and funeral services, perform baby dedications and baptisms as necessary
Visit people in the midst of crises (i.e., death, serious sickness, trauma, or other significant events), where Senior Pastoral care is required. Share in regular pastoral care when unexpected events cause the need for assistance
Counsel those in spiritual need and comforts bereaved, assisting persons facing problems of decisions
Promote care and nurture within the congregation
Provide education, training and counseling in all areas of Christian living
Oversee and guide the church members to responsible Biblical financial principles and giving through wise stewardship development
Encourage challenging opportunities for ministry
Oversee religious and education programs. He is to ensure programs and curricula are in keeping with the overall goals and philosophy of the church
Lead the church in efforts to target and win the lost and un-churched in the Tennessee Valley
Work with the Elders to approve church budgets for all ministries
Responsible with the Elders to support home and foreign missions
The Senior Pastor shall be considered the Senior Elder of the Church and shall oversee all its activities
He shall be an ex-officio member of all committees and departments of the Church.
Will give leadership to the Associate and/or Assistant Pastor, Staff Elders, the professional Church staff, the Elder and Deacon boards
Work with an existing leadership team to achieve the stated goals of the church
Be in full agreement with the church’s confession of faith and constitution
With consultation of the Elders, oversee all staff and be responsible for the hiring and termination of any and all staff
REQUIREMENTS:
At least 5 years of successful, growing ministry experience
A dynamic teacher and preacher
A passion for teaching the truth while being VERY compassionate to those he leads
A humble servant – NOT hung up on titles or position
Be baptized in the Holy Spirit
A history and willingness to tithe to his local church
A love for young people
Ability to interact and respect all ages
Committed to personal regular accountability with other men of the church staff, Elders, Deacons, church membership, and with other believers outside this church
o Have a demonstrated pattern of maintaining such relationships
Committed to maintaining a scheduled family time, including weekly-protected time and annual vacation periods
If you meet the qualifications and are interested in learning more, please forward a cover email, resume (in WORD format), and links to videos to us at resumes@ministersearch.com. If there is a possible match, one of our search consultants will contact you for an interview.
So proud of the team’s hard work. They recently filled another Children’s Pastor position in 45 days - a growing multi-site church of 4500. As you’ll see, the importance of making sure the candidate fits ALL aspects of the position and church are of the utmost importance. We cover 100-150 different matching points to include doctrine, theology, mission/vision/values, culture, leadership, character, competence, and chemistry to name a few.
Becoming part of each church we represent is fundemental to the success of our process. Below is an email sent to us recently after one of our meeting with a Sr. Pastor search team. We (the search team and MinisterSearch) are spending a lot of time processing through things to make sure we set a strong foundation. Part of the email:
“…i am so grateful that you are leading us in this process.
praise the Lord!!!
otherwise, it could take us 4 years… crazy!
you have the patience of Job, for sure.
i am counting on you to shove us along, especially
considering all of our challenges.
When we speak at conferences or during a workshop, we always ask for feedback. Here are some of the recent results from our anonymous surveys:
