QUESTIONS A PASTOR MIGHT ASK
1. Please submit a copy of your constitution, ministry structure, budget for the coming year, financial statements (end-of-year statements and account balances) for the last three years, philosophy of ministry.
2. What are your long range plans and goals? Where does the church see itself 2, 5, or 10 years from now?
3. What are your expectations for the pastor, his wife and family . . . in ministry, church life, community life, at meetings, etc.?
4. Is there a ministry description in addition to the call document? What about days off, vacation, sick days, personal leave, educational leave? Is there a review or evaluation process for the pastor? How, when, and by whom? How is the pastor’s salary for the coming year determined?
5. What are you looking for in a pastor – his spiritual gifts, personality, and character? What kind of pastor does your church need currently? How might this relate to your future growth?
6. If you could dream anything about your church, what would it be (no limitations)?
7. Describe your leadership structure (e.g., board structure, how many members, what positions, who are board members, terms of service, etc.). How important do you see relationships among the leadership to be? How do you see the pastor’s role among the leadership? What does the term “leadership team” mean to you?
8. What is the role of the pastor to all the ministries of the church? Is he expected to give oversight and leadership or is he expected to “run” the ministries and be at every meeting?
9. What are your church’s 3 greatest strengths? What are your church’s 3 greatest weaknesses or areas that need to change? What are your church’s 3 greatest opportunities right now?
10. Why did your former pastor leave? If it was not a positive experience, please explain what happened and who was involved. How has the congregation dealt with the “negative feelings”?
11. What is the process for dealing with conflict in the congregation (among leadership, with the pastor, and with congregational members)?
12. Tell me about your church’s history? What is its relationship to the community? How involved is it in the community presently? How involved do you think it should be?
13. What is your understanding of evangelism and the role of the pastor and congregation in it?
14. How open is your congregation to multiple worship services, services and ministries that target the unchurched, or to the building being used for more than the common church functions?
15. What are the 3 greatest needs in your community? How do you see your church being able to meet or minister to those needs?
16. What does discipleship mean to you? How many small groups do you have functioning and how are they different or alike?
17. What does renewal mean to you? Describe the prayer / spiritual life of your congregation. What opportunities for prayer and spiritual growth do your members have?
18. What missions are your church involved in and supporting (local, regional, world)? What is your view of the church’s role in missions? What local missions are happening in your community presently that your church may or may not be involved in?
19. What is your view on church membership, the use of spiritual gifts, closed communion, women in ministry / leadership?
20. What are your views on the church’s role concerning current issues such as AIDS, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, the occult and cults, secret societies and fraternal organizations, reaching the next generation?
21. What housing arrangements do you have for your pastor (parsonage? Housing allowance so he can purchase? Other?)?
22. Describe your congregation’s relationship to the District. Describe your congregation’s relationship to neighboring congregations and pastors.
The Self-Evaluation Tool for Congregations (C-SET) (annotated)
Introduction: “The Lutheran Church desires to confess Christ and His Gospel clearly before the world for the salvation of the lost. Therefore, the Lutheran congregation is always ready to state forthrightly what it believes, teaches, confesses and practices in the name of Christ. In that spirit, for the benefit of the wider Church, please answer all of the questions in this form in a clear and concise manner. This form will be included with Call Documents and share with the Pastor-Elect as part of the call process, as a helpful explanation of your faith and practice. If you are not using the computer edition of this C-SET form, please type your responses. If you uses a typewriter, please confine your answers to the space allotted for each question.”
1. Describe your congregation’s understanding of the church and its mission, especially regarding outreach to the lost.
2. Describe your congregation’s understanding of the Office of the Public Ministry. What is it exactly that the Pastor is supposed to do? Who gives him that responsibility?
3. What is your congregation’s understanding of the role of pastor as it relates to the role of the laity as members of the universal priesthood of all believers? If all Christians can pray, forgive sins, and read God’s Word, how does a Pastor fit in?
4. Describe your congregation’s commitment to the doctrine and practice of the Synod.
5. Describe the pastoral approach and practice your congregation is most familiar with or prefers (both, if these differ). How does the pastor do his job? What kind of a person is he?.
6. Describe your congregation’s spiritual disciplines, prayer and devotional life outside of worship services. This question covers the number, scope, and character of Bible studies, prayer groups, prayer chains, devotional materials, nurture groups, etc. on a congregational level.
· This question covers the number, scope, and character of Bible studies, prayer groups, prayer chains, devotional materials, nurture groups, etc. on a congregational level. It does not necessarily reflect the personal spiritual disciplines of individuals.
7. What do you consider to be your congregation’s strengths in ministry?
8. Describe the areas of your congregation’s ministry needing improvement and what your congregation is doing to improve them.
9. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding the use of The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship, other hymnals and song books.
10. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding alternate forms of worship (Creative Worship, writing own liturgies, etc.).
11. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding children’s sermons in the worship service.
12. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding pastoral services (weddings, funerals, visitations, etc.) to non-members, non-Lutherans, or the unchurched.
13. How does your congregation view the charismatic renewal movement?
14. If your congregation has a multi-staff ministry (pastor-pastor, pastor-DCE, pastor-school staff), describe it.
15. How does your congregation view the ministry of the Lutheran school?
16. Describe any strong preference your congregation has toward a certain type of ministry (note: see question 27 regarding certain types of pastoral skills). This question deals with special congregational areas of ministry, such as ministries to homeless, special needs children, food pantries, and so on – the kinds of ministry activities that don’t have a space on statistical reports.
17. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred Communion practice in view of Resolution 3-08 (Indianapolis, 1986): “Resolved, that the pastors and congregations of the LCMS continue to abide by the practice of close communion, which includes the necessity of exercising responsible pastoral care in extraordinary situations and circumstances.” Who can come to the Lord’s Supper? Members only? Friends of members? Any visitors?
18. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding the priority of the Lord’s Supper in public worship, including its frequency.
19. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding the use of common or individual cups for communion.
20. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding first communion: before or after confirmation.
21. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding the use of lay people (men, women, youth, children) to assist in worship, including as acolytes and lectors.
22. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding women’s suffrage in view of Resolution 2-17 (Denver, 1969) and as reaffirmed in Resolution 3-05 (St. Louis, 1995). Are women allowed to be Voting Members of the congregation?
23. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding the service of women in the church.
24. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding the church’s involvement in human care ministries in the community.
25. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding inter-Lutheran relationships and inter-Christian relationships. In what ways does your congregation relate to other congregations?
26. Describe the community or extra-congregational activities in which your congregation has participated.
27. List skills your congregation expects a pastor to have acquired (Clinical Pastoral Education, sign language, substance abuse, counseling, Pastoral Leadership Institute alumnus, etc.) and other areas of the pastor’s continuing education you feel are important to the ministry of your congregation.
28. What plans does your congregation have to encourage and provide for the pastor’s future continuing education and/or special skill building?
29. What expectations does your congregation have of the pastor regarding hobbies or activities pursued outside his regular work of ministry?
30. How will your congregation help the pastor to safeguard quality time to be with his family?
31. Does your congregation presently own a parsonage? How does your congregation feel about home ownership for the pastor and his family?
32. Describe the community in which your congregation is located, or what you consider your congregation’s “service area”. What is it like? What’s good about it? What isn’t so good? A “service area” may be loosely defined as a geographical area around the physical facilities of the congregation in which most members and attenders live, and in which most ministry activities take place. Although a congregation may send mission teams here or there around the world, and youth groups to retreats or Youth events, a congregation’s “service area” will most often cover a more restricted area such as a town, a precinct, a three-mile radius area, or the like.
33. Describe your congregation. What portion of the members live within the “service area”? In what ways does it reflect the community? In what ways does it not reflect the community?
34. Describe your congregation’s relationship to the SELC District and The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and their ministries.
35. Describe your congregation’s current or preferred practice regarding interviewing candidates for pastor by a calling congregation before a Call is issued.
36. Is there anything else in your congregation’s present ministry that you would like to share that might be pertinent to a pastor-elect considering a call?