I have previously explored the dynamics of pastoral transitions in my posts on why search teams struggle and the common mistakes committees make. Today, I am addressing a frequent inquiry from students: What specific questions should a candidate ask a pastor search team? While this list is not exhaustive, these essential questions serve as a vital starting point for any prospective lead.
1. “What is your church’s doctrinal statement, and how much attention has your congregation given to understanding and affirming it?” A search team’s inability to answer this immediately might not be a dealbreaker—as many congregations neglect formal theology—but it signals that significant teaching work lies ahead. For further insight into the vetting process, consider these revelatory questions for church leaders.
2. “Who is the most influential member in the church, and which committee holds the most functional power?” It is crucial to identify where both official and unofficial authority resides within the organization. Understanding these power dynamics is a key component of the questions prospective pastors should ask churches to ensure a healthy leadership transition.
3. “When’s the last time your congregation did church discipline—and would you do it again?” Most churches haven’t done much discipline—and I wouldn’t want to quickly prioritize disciplining members—but the Bible does recognize the necessity of discipline at times.
4. “How much freedom would I have to hire and fire staff members?” I’m not arguing I would necessarily want full authority, but I wouldn’t want a committee to have authority to trump my prayerful wishes.
5. “Would you please connect me with your last 2-3 pastors (assuming they’re all available) for a conversation?” If the search team tells me “no,” red flags go up.
6. “What’s the financial condition of the church?” I’d want to know what real issues they’re facing, and I’d also want to know what percentage of their budget goes to ministry and missions.
7. “Does the church have business meetings—and if so, what things must they vote on?” My first church voted on everything. That process created distrust and bogged down our ministry efforts.
8. “Why are you interested in my becoming your pastor?” To be honest, I think that first church called me primarily because I was young and inexpensive.
9. “Would you hire all your current staff again?” I would not ask for details and names, but it would be helpful to know if the church is already concerned about any staff member.
10. “What will be the most difficult thing a new pastor will have to address in this church?” The search team may not agree on the answer, but you’ll learn a lot by their responses.
11. “What have you not told me that you should tell me if you were completely honest?” Many search teams will have an answer, but nobody pushes them in that direction.
12. “In your opinion, is your church a church that makes hell shake?” This question’s a personal one for me, built around the story of the sons of Sceva in Acts 19. I would want to lead a church so committed to walking with God that hell knows them by name.
I know there are many other questions to ask. What other questions would you definitely want to ask?
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This article originally appeared on ChuckLawless.com and is reposted here by permission.