Pastor, you’ve been invited to meet with the search committee from the First Church of Butterfly City, and you’re plenty excited.
You’ve been at your present church a number of years now and have about run out of ideas, patience, and life-savings. A change would not only be good, it might save your life, your ministry, and even your marriage.
Now, pastor, calm your heart beat. Don’t get overly excited. We need to talk about a few considerations…
First, pastor, you must not assume anything. If you do, you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment.
–Do not assume the Butterfly committee has done its background checks. It’s completely possible they may begin tonight’s meeting with, “And who are you again? And where are you serving?” Assume they know very little about you.
–Do not assume that you are the only candidate the Butterflyians are interviewing. Committees have been known to invite a series of preachers for interviews, after which they will decide which ones are worth the trouble of traveling to hear them preach. Assume–until they say otherwise–you are one of several they are looking at.
–Do not assume you are their number one choice and start dreaming of moving to that wonderful church in Butterfly City. This is no time to be calling the chamber of commerce for information on the nearest schools. This is not yet the time to start doing background checks on the church. Assume this is just for your encouragement and their education until the Lord says otherwise.
–Do not assume they owe you anything or you may be disappointed. In the minds of most PSC committee members, they are walking through a garden in search of the prize-winning rose. The idea that they owe you a call-back is foreign to most. Assume you will not hear from them again. The surest way to disappointment is to wait by the phone for a call that in all likelihood will never come. (I have stories about this. I’m still waiting to hear from two or three committees that promised they would be in touch. They didn’t.)
–Do not assume they know what they are doing or are well organized. If they do or are, be pleasantly surprised. Assume each committee will be different from all the others you encounter over the years.
Second, check your attitude. Spend some time with the Father on your knees earlier. Go into the room looking to Him as your Provider, not them.
Do not go into the meeting when you are angry at your wife, mad at the deacons, or disappointed in the Lord.
Do not bring a list of your questions. This is their meeting. If things go well, at a subsequent meeting you will be able to ask yours. If toward the end of the meeting they should ask, “And pastor, do you have any questions for us,” the perfect answer is, “Not at the present. If the Lord should lead us further, I’m sure some will occur to me.”
Do not try to impress them. Be yourself. If you have a doctorate, do not mention it. They’ll find it out in good time, if they don’t already know. If you have won awards, forget them. Be the humble man of God the Lord is fashioning. Do not promote yourself. Let others do that.
Do not try to anticipate the kind of pastor they are searching for and fill that role. Just be yourself. As Dr Seuss said, “There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” So be you.
Do not try to be cute or clever or funny. Even if your natural self is cute or clever or funny–oh man, the stories I could tell!–try to rein it in. The best way to do that is by spending time in prayer in which you give yourself anew to the Father for His purposes, whatever they are.
Do not forget that the Holy Spirit who called you into this work is in charge of where you go next, how long you stay there, and what you accomplish.
Trust Him. He knows what He is doing.
Third, and last. As stated above, do not wait by the phone. Get on with your life and stay busy in your ministry.
The Father knows where you are. He knows the plans He has for you. And His are far superior to any search committee’s offerings, believe me. Trust Him.