Simplified Outline of the Call Process
Downloadable Forms
Congregational Profile Form
Background Check Form
Preface
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) honors two kinds of calls:
Certified Call - Congregations may call an individual to serve in their congregation with a certified call. This means that they are calling an individual who is on the LCMC clergy list.
Contract Call – Congregations may call an individual to serve in their congregation with a contract call. This means they are calling an individual who is not recognized by LCMC as a certified candidate. Persons called on a contract basis may provide ministry according to their gifts and as negotiated with the congregation. Since such a person is not certified, the Call Committee is encouraged to follow a very careful process, including background checks, before issuing such a call. An alternative is to employ an interim pastor for a limited period of time. We strongly encourage pastors under a contract call to begin theological studies and work toward an M.Div. degree. The Institute of Lutheran Theology has programs and classes for exactly this kind of scenario.
Additional Considerations for the Augustana District:
Augustana Endorsement - The Augustana District has a list of LCMC certified pastors who have gained an additional Endorsement from the Augustana District. The Endorsement process pays careful attention to theology, morality, and professional capacities. Congregations of the Augustana District are not required to call a pastor with the Augustana Endorsement, but should find out from the applicant whether he or she has participated in the Endorsement Process, and why or why not. Congregations will benefit by considering the Endorsement as an additional layer of credentials for their consideration of applicants.
Call Process Assistance – The Augustana District has trained Call Process Assistants to assist Call Committees, should they desire it. Contact the District Service Coordinator for more information.
Background Checks – The responsibility for performing background checks on pastoral applicants is the responsibility of the congregation. However, the Augustana District can provide guidance and support to congregations wishing assistance. Call Committees already working with an Assistant can utilize him/her for information. If your Call Committee is not utilizing the help of an Assistant, you may call the District Service Coordinator for information.
Outline and Suggestions
Organizing a Call Committee
1. To form the Call Committee, follow your congregation’s constitution. Typically, the Call Committee is recommended by Council and elected by the congregation.
a. 5 to 7 members is a good number for the Call Committee; more than 7 gets cumbersome for scheduling and for good interviews.
b. All Call Committee members must be able to be present for all meetings.
c. When commencing with the interviews, it is important to do them within a short time - no more than 2-3 weeks. The reason is that many clergy are in multiple call processes and you could lose a candidate.
2. You will elect a chair and a secretary, and it is normally the chair who arranges the dates for the interviews, directions, and other needs for the candidate to know.
3. Confidentiality is essential for the sake of the candidates. Word could well leak out and jeopardize her/his current call.
4. Due to this, the congregation is excluded from the names of the candidates. Every effort must be made to include the congregation with progress reports. Reports should be made frequently in writing, verbally, or by other means of keeping the congregation informed.
Preliminary Work
5. The Call Committee should find ways to involve the congregation at the outset by seeking their input into qualities and specific skills desired in a pastor as well as an evaluation of the needs of the congregation. The committee can construct their own form(s) for seeking congregational input and/or seek guidance from the Call Process Assistant.
6. The Committee should prepare a Congregational Profile. Note: See attachments.
7. The Committee should prepare a job description to be formally approved by the Church Council. This will guide the Call Committee in determining questions for the interview. (It should not be included in information sent to the candidates. The job description, however, should be included in the Letter of Call. For a sample of a job description for a pastor in a setting other than solo or lead pastor, refer to either the call process as outlined in the LCMC Call Packet or by calling the Service Coordinator of the Augustana District.)
8. The Call Committee, in preparation for the interviews, needs to prepare and compile packets for distribution to the candidates that include information about both the congregation and the community. Members of the Committee may save time by dividing up these tasks, sharing their recommendations with the Committee as a whole.
In the packet, include such things as the past annual report, worship bulletin(s), newsletters, membership profiles, listing of committees and organizations, appropriate pictures, etc. For the community the Chamber would have good information, the local newspaper, educational institutions, etc. Be alert as the interviews progress to special needs the family might have about health care, special needs education, and the like. Send out this packet a week or two before the interview is to take place. You may wish to include a list of the Call Committee members in the packet.
9. Prepare questions for the interview. Typically the interview lasts two hours which limits the number of questions you can ask. Allow time for dialog as well as comfortable interchanges. Therefore you might have no more than 10 or 12 carefully crafted questions. Be sure the questions are asked in such a way that you do not indicate the answer you want to hear. Let the candidate define him/her self. Some examples: “Tell us about your youth ministry.” “Illustrate for us how you handled a conflict concern in the parish.” “What was a mistake you or the congregation made and what did you do about it?” “Give us examples of how you put a worship service together.” “How do you feel about the ELCA decision on ecumenism and human sexuality and what did you do about it?” Four general categories to pursue in the interview are:
a. Theology. It is critical that pastors have a solid biblical foundation and can apply the truth of Scripture to life in teaching and preaching. As part of the Lutheran community, we want our pastors to know and uphold the faith expressed in the Book of Concord. It is important for pastors to have a good grasp of these principles: Christ alone, faith alone, Scripture alone, grace alone, and the cross alone. Confessional pastors are able to properly distinguish Law and Gospel.
b. Morality. It is essential that pastors live lives worthy of the Gospel. The congregation is responsible to do the necessary background checks of the candidates’ history. This can be done through a county department of human services using the person’s Social Security number. Such checks lift up only criminal issues. You will want to pursue any moral concerns by asking the candidate as well as his/her references. If you desire, you can seek assistance by asking your Call Process Assistant or the Service Coordinator.
c. Faith. It is important for a Call Committee to discuss faith issues with a candidate. What a candidate believes will affect the working relationship between the congregation and the candidate.
d. Practice. This area addresses practical skills. The candidate should be adept at listening effectively, organizing groups, speaking with clarity, showing respect, and demonstrating good interpersonal skills. Preaching and teaching are very much part of the practice of pastoral ministry.
Other questions can be found in the LCMC Call Packet found on the LCMC website. The Call Committee will want to be familiar with the Augustana District’s Ministry Standards, and may develop questions from that document.
Gathering Names of Candidates
10. How do you get names of potential candidates?
a. Advertise on the LCMC website, where you can post a brief description of your church and your pastoral needs. See www.lcmc.net/leadershiplink.html.
b. Advertise on the Word Alone Clergy Connect at www.WordAlone.org.
c. Ask you members to recommend pastors they know.
d. The Augustana District has a list of endorsed pastors in the District. The names can be forwarded to you but no recommendations will be given.
11. When inviting a pastor to apply for the position, you will need to ask each candidate to send:
a. A recording (video, audio tape, CD) of a sermon (and the entire worship service if possible)
b. Background check release (see attachment)
c. Resume. Request that it include standard information, including work experience, educational background, and references provided for telephone interviews. Additionally, ask the candidate to submit information about his or her current salary package, current roster status, and whether he or she is Endorsed by the Augustana District, what is being sought in a call, and family considerations.
12. Once you receive resumes of the pastors with whom you are considering, read them carefully and select the ones you would like to interview. Typically 3 candidates are interviewed. Seek to arrange for interviews within a two week period. If none of those candidates are a good fit, move on to interviewing others.
Details of the Interview
13. Considerations for the interview time:
- Invite the candidate’s spouse, if married, alerting the candidate that the spouse need not attend. It is OK to have the spouse sit in on the interview. However, the spouse may prefer to look at concerns in the community that meet their needs, such as a meeting with the school principal, visiting with a realtor, etc.
- Have a comfortable and private setting.
- Announce that you will be taping the interview.
- Be sure someone is available to escort the family.
- Begin and end with prayer.
- The time is short so try to get the most hours in as possible, such as having lunch together, dinner together with the Committee, and if they stay overnight having breakfast together (even if only a few of the Committee can be present). Often you learn more in a casual setting than you do in a structured interview. A typical interview usually does not exceed 2 hours. A suggested timeline: 15 minutes - introduction and getting acquainted; 60-80 minutes – questions you ask the candidate; last 15-20 minutes – questions candidate may ask.
- The committee is not looking for someone who interviews well but for a pastor who fits the congregation.
- Listen. Do not talk too much. All members of the Committee should speak at some time in the interview.
- Typically a meal together follows the interview, and the spouse should be included.
- Share the timeline you have for interviews and the assurance that you will alert the candidates if there is a change due to such things as weather, illness, etc.
- Be very clear that you will let them know of your decision. If you do not wish to proceed with recommending a candidate, they may ask you why – and feel free to tell them. Pastors do not interview often and they may learn from your comments.
- Salary usually does not come up at this time, but if it does, tell the person it will be in accordance with salaries typical of LCMC and comparable to ELCA synod guidelines.
- Be sure to pay for all expenses immediately. It shows good faith on your part.
- A conference call phone interview generally is discouraged. Face-to-face is always better. Use of frequent flyer tickets is a better option for candidates in order to fly them in for a face to face interview.
14. Salary concerns: This is the domain of the Church Council and not the Call Committee. The Council should put the highest possible limit on salary available and the Committee will need to select candidates within that salary range. The best source of salary guidelines is from the ELCA synod office website in the area in which you are located.
15. You may if you wish send a representative or two from the Call Committee to visit the congregation served by the pastor. If so, call to make sure the pastor is preaching and be sure that you do not in any way betray you are on a Call Committee.
16. There are two considerations in the District’s Letter of Call you will need to address:
a. All clergy in the Augustana District are expected to attend the annual theological conference.
b. The Augustana District recommends a sabbatical study leave after every five years of service to the congregation. Check this with the Council for permission to include in the Letter of Call.
17. A second interview is always in order if you wish.
Making Your Decision
18. Decide on your selected candidate. Do this not by majority vote but by consensus.
19. Report your decision to the Council for their endorsement.
20. Contact the candidate and let him/her know their name is being recommended. Do not ask the pastor if he/she will accept the call, but rather, “Are there any reasons for us not to proceed with the recommendation and bring it to a congregational meeting?” Share good conversation about any particulars of the Call, such as parsonage or housing allowance. Alert the candidate that his/her name will now be made public.
21. Perform the background check at this time.
22. Prepare a Letter of Call. This may be secured from the LCMC website (generic), the Augustana District office (more specific), or write your own per the sample included in the attachments. The Church Council prepares the compensation package and other items for inclusion in the Letter of Call.
23. The President of the Council calls the meeting of the congregation. The congregation votes on both the pastor and the compensation package, and it must be by at least a 2/3 majority (unless your constitution says otherwise). If passed, then the President or Chair of the Call Committee should telephone the pastor with the results of the vote and tell him/her that the Letter of Call will be in the mail right away.
24. The typical timeline is that the pastor may have up to 30 days to decide. Usually it is much quicker. Then, 4 weeks are allowed for separation time from the congregation currently being served. If the call is rejected, move on to one of the other interviewed candidates, if any were acceptable for consideration. Or, re-enter the process by seeking new names.
Getting Started
25. Moving arrangements are made by the Council, and the method should be included in the Letter of Call. If the pastor allows you to move the family by rental truck, then you must insure the contents for the travel. If a professional mover is considered, then typically you ask for the lowest of three bids.
26. Make plans in partnership with the pastor for an installation and for a reception. A Rite of Installation is available from the District Service Coordinator. The newly elected pastor may have a preference for the presider of the installation. Lay people are encouraged to participate and may even preside. The Augustana District would also be pleased to participate in the installation.
24. When a call is accepted, notification is to be given to LCMC national office and the Augustana District Service Coordinator.
25. Make provision for intentional feedback and evaluation of your new pastor. This could be by the executive committee or a special committee established for this reason. During the first year of the call, we recommend meeting at least quarterly to create open communication, trust, and to develop a practice of honest feedback. The focus of this feedback should be the question: “What is it we can do to help you be successful in this call?”
Downloadable Forms
Congregational Profile Form
Background Check Form
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