Finding God's Will In 250+ Pieces of Paper

What have I learned after sifting through 250+ resumes along with my 8 fellow pastoral search committee members?

1. Lots of gifted, godly, experienced men of God currently in transition in their ministry lives.
2. Lot of circumstances lead to transitions in church leadership.
3. Pastors don't realize how many people are applying for a position.

Even glimpsing the lives of so many pastors has given me a greater appreciation of the stresses that life in the church puts on those who are called into full-time ministry. Their resumes reveal the inherent contradiction in what we (as churches) ask them to do when they submit their application: they must be a humble servant-leader and at the same time they must put forward their strengths and successes. Few manage the balance well.

How hard it is  to weigh a man by a piece of paper! We asked God to protect the resume of the man who is best suited to Cornerstone. We didn't want to dismiss one that was unimpressive or accept one that was glossy and slick just because they were unimpressive or slick. We meditated on those Bible passages which dealt with discernment and God's insight vs. our insight, because we realized that a man's life was at stake and we were likely to get it wrong without help.

But in the end, you feel like you are standing in a grocery store in the condiments aisle. All good quality. All tested. But which one goes best with Cornerstone, in God's opinion? Because we can't hire them all. Or would just anyone do?

Another aspect that came out early is that the committee must be the first to believe that God still has a plan to use Cornerstone for good in El Dorado Hills. In discussing this, we felt it would be dishonest to call a man to invest his life and his family's life here if we didn't believe God had something more for this church.

It is a slow process. "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others." (1 Tim. 5:22a) From the time that we received the first application until the time we sent the first rejection letter was just over 3 months. That means that the lives of these pastors have been in suspense for at least that long. I feel for them. I answered each query about status personally. But at the same time, it just takes time. During that time, some have left their current positions anyway. Some have joined another ministry. Some are still seeking God's direction.

It's all good, because both the pastor and Cornerstone must follow God in service of his church. In thriving churches, senior pastors must sense the wind of the Spirit to steer the church into the life-giving role God has for it in the community.