Pastoral search committees

[Scott1]

Thanks for everyone's input. I do have a follow up question:

If a church is going to have a pastoral search committee, made up of officers and lay people, what steps, if any, should the church take to ensure the lay members of the committe agree with the church's confessional standards.

Obviously, the officers on the committee would have been previously examined on their confessional stance, and any exceptions would have been noted. But to join a church (PCA I am talking about), you don't have to disclose your stance on the confessional standards, but make a profession of faith and be accepted for membership by the elders.

My point is, is it necessary to "examine" lay persons who are nominees for the committee, or is membership the only prerequisite for a pastoral search committee.

I tend to think some sort of examination by the session is necessary in this process. Please give me your thoughts.

Session, ordinarily, will give an operating charge to all committees.

For a Senior or Associate Pastor position, one charge would likely be that any candidate already be an ordained minister in the PCA. Possibly, it might also be OPC, because they are so close.

That would mean they have already been examined and admitted with any exceptions publically stated, evaluated and approved by a presbytery.

Additionally, Session might give additional charges to the search committee:

1) if candidate has any doctrine "exceptions" they must be evaluated first by session before committee can proceed with recommendation
2) committee might be required to have a strong elder (e.g. committee of 7 must have at least 2 elders on it)

In this, you can see the benefits of a confessional system- the accountability and unity it affords.

Also, you can see, with the system of doctrinal subscription that allows "exceptions" (scruples) as presbyterianism has historically, requesting an "exception" is a very big deal with very big implications.

It is not a "pick and choose" doctrinal system in practice and so "exceptions" should ordinarily be few and far between and they invite scrutiny (as they should).

 

[Soonerborn]

Thanks for everyone's input. I do have a follow up question:

If a church is going to have a pastoral search committee, made up of officers and lay people, what steps, if any, should the church take to ensure the lay members of the committe agree with the church's confessional standards.

Obviously, the officers on the committee would have been previously examined on their confessional stance, and any exceptions would have been noted. But to join a church (PCA I am talking about), you don't have to disclose your stance on the confessional standards, but make a profession of faith and be accepted for membership by the elders.

My point is, is it necessary to "examine" lay persons who are nominees for the committee, or is membership the only prerequisite for a pastoral search committee.

I tend to think some sort of examination by the session is necessary in this process. Please give me your thoughts.

Session, ordinarily, will give an operating charge to all committees.

For a Senior or Associate Pastor position, one charge would likely be that any candidate already be an ordained minister in the PCA. Possibly, it might also be OPC, because they are so close.

That would mean they have already been examined and admitted with any exceptions publically stated, evaluated and approved by a presbytery.

Additionally, Session might give additional charges to the search committee:

1) if candidate has any doctrine "exceptions" they must be evaluated first by session before committee can proceed with recommendation
2) committee might be required to have a strong elder (e.g. committee of 7 must have at least 2 elders on it)

Thanks for post, but my post was referring to examining the lay people on the search committee, not the pastoral candidate. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Scott1]

Yes, I see you are referring to the qualifications of people on the search committee.

The point is that if the particular church's session has already charged the search committee to search only already ordained PCA teaching elders, there is no issue with regard to the candidate's doctrinal subscription. It is already assured.

Having a strong elder presence on the committee further assures it, without having to doctrinally qualify the other lay members of the committee. Those lay members, elected by the congregation, might not have comprehensive knowledge of, let alone agreement with every proposition and/or statement of their doctrine, but the candidate pool they choose from would.

Remember also, further checks- the committee is elected by the congregation at large and the candidate will be likely questioned by the congregation also.

At our congregational meeting, question and answer with the candidate for senior pastor, I asked if he took any exceptions to our doctrinal standards. (He did not).

In this system, generally any member in good standing would be eligible for election by the congregation to the committee. In practice, I have noticed the wives of officers are often participative in this process (e.g. committee of 9 might have 2 elders, 2 wives of deacons or elders, and 5 other lay people).

-----Added 10/22/2009 at 03:30:16 EST-----

One other thing about the Pastoral Search Committee.

It might have a lot of "competition." For example if Session charges the committee to have 9 members, it might have 18 or so standing for election to the committee. So the congregation is voting among 18 for the 9 to represent it.

In one case, photos were used of all the candidates for election to the committee. Again for example, say session charges 2 elders, 7 laypeople. Candidates for election to the committee might very well include 4 elders, 14 laypeople.

In practice also, it seems the wives of officers (deacons and elders) as well as additional officers, particularly "inactive" officers will also stand for the other slots.

 

[Mushroom]

there is no issue with regard to the candidate's doctrinal subscription. It is already assured.

Now there is a bold statement regarding the state of the PCA pulpit, my brother! Would that it were as warranted as it sounds!

 

[Edward]

Something unusual happened in this search for senior pastor for our congregation- an overwhelming consensus quickly came to call the associate pastor to the position. He became the clear (unanimous) and total choice of the committee. God really directed in this.

I can top that story - we called an assistant as senior pastor (we had several associates, as well). It took us about 2 years, however.

 

[Scottish Lass]

Scott,
I've known pastors whose exceptions have changed during a call. Merely because they took no exceptions before their prior church in no way assures you of their current position. Direct, hot-button questions should still be asked, in my opinion (questions will vary by denom/presbytery, etc.).

 

[SemperEruditio]

Something unusual happened in this search for senior pastor for our congregation- an overwhelming consensus quickly came to call the associate pastor to the position. He became the clear (unanimous) and total choice of the committee. God really directed in this.

I can top that story - we called an assistant as senior pastor (we had several associates, as well). It took us about 2 years, however.

In looking at open pulpits in the PCA I have noticed this. Why is that? Why is it that the associate or assistant is overlooked? I spoke to one brother who only wanted to be the associate/assistant. He had been a senior pastor and did not want to be in that role. Which has me wonder about how equal the elders really are.

 

[Scott1]

Something unusual happened in this search for senior pastor for our congregation- an overwhelming consensus quickly came to call the associate pastor to the position. He became the clear (unanimous) and total choice of the committee. God really directed in this.

I can top that story - we called an assistant as senior pastor (we had several associates, as well). It took us about 2 years, however.

In looking at open pulpits in the PCA I have noticed this. Why is that? Why is it that the associate or assistant is overlooked? I spoke to one brother who only wanted to be the associate/assistant. He had been a senior pastor and did not want to be in that role. Which has me wonder about how equal the elders really are.

The reasoning of, for example, our Book of Church Order requiring an 80% vote for a particular church to "move up" an assistant pastor to senior pastor, and a 75% vote of presbytery to confirm is partly giftings and callings, partly the falleness of man.

The former in that a congregation might be looking especially for giftings to oversee pastoral care or education which might not be the same as for a senior Pastor.

While a Senior Pastor might very highly prioritize the ability to carefully and clearly handle the Word of God in teaching and preaching, the Associate Pastor might need a primary gift for Pastoral care, or even administrative gifts.

There might be no way, particularly in a larger congregation, for the senior pastor to do the bulk of teaching and preaching, counsel all families, direct and facilitate all systematic church education. But God will equip and call several men to cover all those needs.

There might be a "natural" (using that term in the fallen, fleshly sense) instinct to compete for the "top spot" Pastor, and maneuver toward that, possibly even cause strife, the super super majorities required are a check not a guarantee, but a check on that tendency.