Selection, selection, selection

A key ingredient for healthy pastor and board relationships is that the right people be placed in the right spots. This may sound simplistic, but selecting the right leaders is vitally important.

See if this situation sounds familiar: “I’m stuck with unqualified elders,” a new pastor-friend told me. “It’s like pulling teeth to get a few of them to pray and really study the Bible.” So what do we do when the urgency of filling an office trumps the quality of the pool of potential candidates? The first thing we must do is to make sure that the structure works for and not against us as we attempt to select qualified and godly leaders.

No matter what you call them in your context (elders, session, deacons, official board, or council), it is imperative that you find qualified spiritual people to serve in these capacities. If you don’t, the church is sure to struggle. While changing or even adjusting the leadership selection process may be fraught with hazards, instituting a careful and biblical means of selection is worth the time, energy, and training.

As the pastor, you don’t need to be a dictator (even a benevolent one) in this area, but you must take strong leadership. Just do so carefully and with kindness.

Do not underestimate your responsibility from God to shepherd your fellow shepherds and leaders. It’s huge! This may cause you to question a long-held selection process, but if the end result is seeing the right people in the right place, then it will be worth the effort.

Consider these suggestions:

• Filter the names of potential leaders to a small nominating/vetting committee or leadership team that has the responsibility of testing and validating the qualifications of each potential leader.
• Extend an open invitation to the whole church to submit names of potential leaders to this nominating/vetting committee for consideration.
• Allow the church staff, leadership board, and veteran leaders to carefully study and examine potential leaders before their names are made public.
• Establish a culture that allows the vetting committee to simply say, “no” or “not yet” or “let’s wait”—without having to give reasons.

When consulting with churches, the question I get asked most often is, “How do you develop leaders in the church?” I always respond back with a question: “Are you discipling others? If you have a staff, are they discipling other men or women?”

Leadership development is hard work, but the payoff is immense. Have you had success in this area?

What are some suggestions you might give for getting the right people in the right place for service? How does the selection process in your local context work? What is good about it and what are some challenges with it?

One Response to “Selection, selection, selection”

1. Kris says:

   June 14, 2011 at 12:39 pm

   Until you’re drawing from a pool of several hundred I think there will be an issue finding qualified elders. Keeping the board small helps, but developing leaders is a must for a small church, especially in “blue collar” communities that won’t provide you with lot’s of highly educated candidates for leadership.

   Is it better to have a “Best” fit instead of a “Right” fit when it’s needed?