Before a church calls a new pastor, they will spend time interviewing him. The logistics vary from church to church, but eventually the pastoral candidate will find himself sitting with a search team, personnel committee, deacon body, or something similar.
Without fail, the representatives of the church will have important questions for the candidate. But what about the candidate? Shouldn’t he have questions prepared as well? Absolutely.
If you are preparing to be interviewed by a church, remember:
1) You can only get answers to the questions you ask (they can’t read your mind).
2) The church will actually appreciate the fact that you were thoughtful enough to prepare. Many times, what you ask communicates more than what you say.
3) Asking questions is a form of serving the church because it helps both parties determine if the arrangement is a good “fit.” (It’s better to find out before making a commitment.)
Don’t be afraid that the church will see your question as “self-serving” or “questioning” the validity of their current practices. It’s ok to say, “I’m not sure I would be comfortable with ____,” or “If I came, would I be allowed to change ______?” Many churches have hired pastors only to wish he would have asked such questions before they hired him.
Which leads to another issue. Don’t be afraid to ask questions because you think that this will be the only offer you ever have to pastor. Such thinking portrays a very low view of God’s sovereignty. Instead, remember that God created you with a unique set of gifts and skills, which are better suited in certain settings rather than others. Show your confidence in God’s design for you and respect the church enough to be upfront.
The last thing you want to do is begin pastoring with unanswered questions –that’s just trouble waiting to happen.
So here are some questions to consider asking during a church interview. There are plenty more to ask depending upon your situation:
1) How committed will your church be to my personal family time?
2) What will be expected of my family?
3) What kind of decisions do you expect the pastor to make without consulting the congregation?
4) What do you believe are the duties of the pastor?
5) May I see a copy of the past year’s business meeting minutes?
6) May I review the church financials?
7) Why did the past 2-3 pastors leave?
These are just a few ideas. I’m curious, what questions would you add?