3. Presby-acronyms!!
• PCUSA - Presbyterian Church
(USA)
• PNC - Pastor Nominating
Committee
• COM - Committee on Ministry
• MIF - Ministry Information Form
(what you fill out)
• PIF - Personal Information Form
(what candidates fill out)
• CLC - Church Leadership
Connection (national database for
congregations and job-seekers in
the PCUSA)
4. Role of the COM
• To train your COM liaison
• To respond in a timely manner to the
questions/needs that your PNC has
• To approve your MIF before it is
uploaded to the CLC system
• To ensure that the Presbytery EEOC
Policy is followed
• To do “clearance interviews” with
your final candidates when they are
here in-person
• To pray for your congregation,
PNC and potential applicants
throughout the search process
5. Role of the COM Liaison
• To attend your PNC meetings, Session
and Congregational meetings when PNC
business is docketed and monitor your
progress
• To ask the hard and challenging
questions for your reflection throughout
the process
• To answer questions you might have as
the process unfolds
• To bring questions you might have to the
COM, Transitional Presbyter, Stated
Clerk
• To talk to candidates at the final round
• To pray for your congregation, PNC
and potential applicants throughout
the search process
6. Role of your Interim Pastor
• To continue to provide pastoral
leadership to your congregation
• To answer questions related to the
Mission Study
• To leave an organized packet of
information for the incoming Pastor
around church administration, pastoral
care, worship, staff and congregational
mission
• It is the responsibility of the PNC to let
the Interim Pastor know when they reach
certain steps in the process so that the
Interim can work on his/her own exit from
leadership in an appropriate fashion
• To pray for your congregation, PNC
and potential applicants throughout
the search process
7. Role of the Transitional
Presbyter
• Trends/futuring/coaching
• Assist and resource COM liaison
• Help to publicize your call
throughout the PCUSA and Formula
of Agreement Partners
• Background Checks (before in-
person interviews are offered/
scheduled)
• Assist with CLC Staff if necessary
• To pray for your congregation,
PNC and potential applicants
throughout the search process
8. Role of the Stated Clerk
• Answer any polity questions
anyone in the search may have
• Transfer of paperwork from
sending Presbytery for your final
candidate and Interim Pastor
• Filing of appropriate paperwork at
the time of a call and ordination/
installation
• Final criminal background check
via the Synod of the Northeast
• To pray for your congregation,
PNC and potential applicants
throughout the search process
9. Role of your Session
• To create a nominating committee to bring a PNC
to the Congregation for vote
• To work with the financial reality checklist with the
COM liaison and PNC
• To continue to work alongside the Interim Pastor
• To meet with the PNC to review and advise
regarding the draft MIF
• To work with the PNC and Treasurer on terms of
call for the new pastor
• To ensure that the budget for the PNC search is
appropriately communicated
• To call a Congregational Meeting to elect the new
Pastor
• To work with the Presbytery to schedule and
organize the Ordination/Installation of the next
Pastor
• To pray for your congregation, PNC and
potential applicants throughout the search
process
10. Role of the Presbytery
• Examination of your Candidate for
ordination/membership in Albany
Presbytery (happens at a Stated
Meeting of the Presbytery)
• To welcome and support their new
colleague in ministry
• To ordain/install your new Pastor at a
worship service. The Ordination/
Installation service to be held at your
church and presided over by the
Moderator of the Presbytery
• To pray for your congregation, PNC
and potential applicants throughout
the search process
11. PCUSA Calling a Pastor Manual
• Updated by PCUSA in spring
2015
• Will walk you through the
process of upload to the
Church Leadership
Connection (CLC) and other
issues to attend to
• Copy provided to all members
of the PNC at training
13. Norms for your PNC
At first meeting before work
begins it is important to set
norms for your PNC and to
then share those with your
Session. Here are a few
ideas:!
A. Role of Devotions, Prayer
B. Attendance
C. Relationships
D. Confidentiality
E. Conversations in Public, not Private
F. Team Leadership
14. Steps in the Process• PNC is elected by the Congregation
• PNC has its first meeting for orientation with representatives
from the COM!
• PNC has its second meeting. Elects Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary
and Treasurer and establishes norms
• PNC works with the Financial Reality Checklist, Materials from the
Session and Congregation and the Mission Study to write a draft of
the MIF
• PNC spends at least two meeting discussing and discerning
Leadership Competencies
• When the MIF draft is complete, meets with Session for suggestions,
rewriting (if necessary) and forwards to the COM
• COM receives the written draft MIF and meets with representatives
from the PNC for suggestions, rewriting (if necessary) and approval
to post to the CLC
• COM liaison works with the PNC to create a standardized interview
process and review Presbytery EEOC policy
• COM liaison works with the PNC to ensure that all online information
about the congregation is accurate (website, social media)
• Submit the MIF online. The Chair of the PNC forwards a PDF copy of
the MIF to the Presbytery Administrative Assistant for posting on the
Presbytery website.
• Receive PIF’s
• Review PIF’s
• Schedule interviews (Skype, Phone) according to the process
decided upon.
• Narrow field (the Transitional Presbyter is given names and
contact information by the COM liaison in order to perform
background checks).
• In Person Interviews Occur (time is scheduled for COM
clearance interviews with each Candidate) If Candidate is at a
distance, schedule a neutral pulpit for preaching
• Negotiate Terms
• Stated Clerk to perform final criminal background check via the
Synod of the Northeast
• Schedule Congregational Meeting and Candidate Weekend
• Examination and Approval by the Presbytery
• Candidate Begins Ministry
• Scheduling of ordination/installation with the COM and
Presbytery
15. Leadership Competencies
• Split into 5 Categories, you pick 10
• Need to spend at least two meetings
engaged in discernment and prayer
around the leadership competencies
• What does your congregation need
now, and what does it need in the next
five to ten years? How does this
affect what competencies you
choose?
• What biblical/theological stories are
important to your congregation and
how does this affect what
competencies you choose?
• Important in discernment to think
through and pray about the right mix
of calling a pastor for what your
present and future needs are
21. Standardizing Your Search
Process
• One email address for your PNC
• Date through which you will accept PIF’s
• Grid to evaluate PIF’s
• EEOC
• Supplemental Questions
• Skype Interview Questions
• Final Interview Process and Questions
• Budget for the Search
• Budget for Interview Weekends
• Move budget for your new Pastor
23. Formula of Agreement Partners!
Adopted in 1997 and allows full communion between five major Protestant
denominations
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America!
!
Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.)!
!
Reformed Church of
America!
!
Disciples of Christ!
!
United Church of Christ!
24. Ways You Can Receive
Applications
• Direct matches through
the CLC
• Self-Referrals through
the CLC
• Self-Referrals through
your email address
• Formula of Agreement
Partners
25. Filling out your MIF
• Working with your COM liaison
• Using material from your Mission
Study
• Discussing with your Session
compensation
• Researching what others in your
size category are offering to be
competitive
• Only after other steps in the
process
• Not to be rushed
27. Internet/Social Media
• What is your congregation’s
website like?
• Does your PNC have a page
on your website with ways to
get to know you?
• Facebook page - How does
this market your congregation?
• What image are you projecting
of your ministry online? Is is
consistent with your MIF?
• Google Alerts
29. New Ways Pastors are
Getting Noticed by PNC’s
• Headhunters
• Word of Mouth leading to Direct Invitations
• Web Presence
• Blogging, Vloggings
• Personal Website
• Published Writings
• Activism—Publicity
• Portfolios
• Self-Referrals
31. Questions Candidates will
Have for You
Take a look at the questions
from candidates sheet and
links!
Can you answer these
questions?!
Mock-Interviews
