If your church is one of the many churches looking for pastors, you are not alone! It is estimated that most youth pastors only stay in their position for 18 months! Statistics show that senior pastors have been in their position an average of 7.8 years. Most people hate change, but change is a normal part of life in churches and ministries. If your youth pastor is leaving the church after serving for several years, he has already served longer than most pastors! While the transitional period is difficult, remember that God is in charge! Jay Depoy – I believe the Lord has someone that he has selected to help you lead your church into the next season of God’s blessings.
Here are a few tips for churches looking for pastors to lead the congregation, the youth group, or other ministry in the church:
Consider hiring a transitional pastor while you are looking for a new pastor.
Transitional pastors are often hired by churches while they look for a new pastor. They can provide your church with direction and focus while the search committee reviews candidates for the senior pastor vacancy. Statistics show that the average senior pastor vacancy in a church lasts 9 to 18 months. This means you should expect to be without a lead minister for many months.
You do not want to rush the process of finding a new lead minister for your congregation. If you have a transitional pastor in place during this time, it buys your search committee some time to find the right minister for the job. Churches looking for pastors need time to find and interview candidates. They need time to pray and seek the Lord’s direction during this vital season of the congregation.
Interview other pastors on staff, but don’t assume they are supposed to lead the church.
If your church has multiple pastors, then the existing staff should be interviewed. An existing youth pastor probably has aspirations of leading a church in the future, so they should be considered for the lead pastor job. Associate pastors should be considered for the job too. Jay Depoy, Make sure that the pastor you hire is qualified for the job. Do not promote an associate pastor or youth pastor to the lead pastor position simply because he is a nice guy! Most denominations have a set of bylaws or constitution to follow when it comes to hiring the senior pastor. Churches looking for pastors should seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom first. Do not let your emotions guide your decisions!
When it is time to hire a youth pastor, the senior pastor should lead the search committee.
The lead preacher or minister will work with the youth pastor as much as anyone in the congregation. He should lead the search for the new youth minister. Many senior pastors are former youth ministers, so they probably are best qualified to lead the youth into the next season of God’s faithfulness. Churches looking for pastors should allow the head preacher to make most of the decisions regarding the youth ministry.
Jay Depoy 