The World’s Worst Job Search

I’m in a somewhat strange place right now. I’ve been out of full-time ministry long enough now that there are a significant number of people in my life who don’t know much, if anything, about that part of my past. That’s especially true with what I am doing with web work right now. People I work with are surprised when they learn that I have a Masters degree in Christian education and have spent a majority of my adult life working full-time as a pastor (in several roles). Not sure if that surprise is good or bad :-)

I’ve been thinking about several friends of mine who are in ministry and going through a transitioning time right now. One of them just left a full-time job with a Christian publishing house to go back to pastoring full-time. Another is in the midst of transitioning from working with students at a church in Colorado into another pastoring position at a church in Kansas. Another friend has put his resume out to several churches - looking for a new change of direction.

I can honestly say that the normal job searching process for those in ministry has got to be one of the most excruciating processes I have ever experienced. Most churches have such unrealistic expectations on who their ministers should be. And if walking into such false expectations wasn’t bad enough, the endless doctrinal questionnaires, the poking and prodding by everyone and their sister, and the pressure of ‘performing’ at your best while the potential church is watching is more than most people ever have to endure when looking for a job.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Every once in awhile I hear about churches who are different, or talk with ministers who are seeking a healthy way to staff their churches. We had one of those conversations over the dinner table a couple of months ago when we had house guests for Catalyst.

My friend, Grant, who is the one transitioning from one church, in Denver, to another, in Topeka, has experienced the exception. He shared about some of the process on his blog last month...

Then the phone rang. It was a Monday night during a football game. It was the Search Team wondering if they could fly us out for an interview. ...

“I just can’t come to Topeka.”

It wasn’t a “No” but more like a “Not yet.” Instead we sent them a questionnaire to fill out for us.

What happened next was one of the many confirmations that God would give us over the next few months. They put that questionnaire in the hands of over 40 key leaders of the church. They returned to us every single original form. Not a doctored compilation document. Not a summary sheet. But every single sheet of paper from every single leader. Unvarnished. Raw. Authentic. ...

Instead of flying us to Topeka, I wanted them to come to Parker. I wanted them to hang out with us at our church, experience a service, hang out with my staff team, my elders, and my youth volunteers. I wanted them to eat dinner at our house and enjoy a night just sitting around talking.

And they did all of that. It blew their minds to the access and openness we had here. It was painful for us. Two churches sat in my living room being the Church. Lots of questions and thoughts, lots of tears. Talked about everything and anything. They got to ask hard questions of the team about what I’m “really” like. WHBC got to taste what living in community is really about, how wonderful and painful it can be. We all got to hear God say ‘This is what I want’ with clarity, no doubts. It made things simpler…  not necessarily easy.

I am so thankful to those I know who not only put up with the difficult nature of working in full-time ministry, but who can’t imagine living life outside of it. I am thankful that God has given them the love, passion and resilience it takes to reach out, love, and serve those who many times don’t return the love and encouragement.

Posted 12.02.2008

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