Questions for Pastors & Committees

Pastor Robert Bell has served Aisquith Presbyterian Church in Baltimore since 1994 and he is the Vice-President of New Hope Pastoral Ministries. Pastor Bob Eickelberg recently retired from Trinity Presbyterian Church where he served for virtually 17 years and is the President of New Hope.   They are men who have been committed to long term service at churches as much as possible. However, in their time of ministry, they have seen many disastrous situations when churches did not carefully consider candidates and candidates did not carefully consider churches.  As a part of New Hope’s commitment to pastor pastors in transition and to help churches going through a change of pastors, we present the following material that we believe will be beneficial to the “purity, peace and unity” of the church.

There are currently four churches in my small Presbytery that are without their “senior pastor” or “solo pastor.” I am serving one of those congregations by being the moderator of their session. Please pray for churches that are in transition, and for pastors that are in transition.

All of the material in this document is subject to change based on theological, church culture and personal thoughts and preferences.  This material is presented as a place to begin conversations.  Pastor Bell is the author of the Questions to ask the Pulpit Committee and has developed this material over at least 15 years.  Pastor Eickelberg is the author of the Questions from the Pulpit Committee.  Once again, both sections are works in progress.

QUESTIONS to ask the Pulpit Committee:

            As you review these questions it will be apparent that they reflect my denominational affiliation (PCA) and my commitment to presbyterian church government.  They also grow out of my personal experience, both positive and negative.  Some of them are questions I wish I’d asked in the past!  Nevertheless, they raise areas of concern that should be addressed in every church situation.  These questions are by no means exhaustive.  After several years of thinking they are still “in process” and should be seen only as a jumping off point for discussions with a pulpit committee.  I am NOT suggesting that the questions be asked in this order.  Some of these questions may seem bold and intrusive, especially if you are in the early stages of your “courtship” with a church.  However, remember that they are considering whether you are the man to pastor their church, and you are considering whether God is calling you to be their pastor.  These are all areas that will eventually be revealed and become your responsibility!  It is better to know going in what you will be accepting.  Hopefully the search committee will be confident enough in your integrity and discretion to entrust intimate details of their church life to you before they issue you a call.  If they are not, then beware!  Church secrets have a nasty way of surprising pastors at awkward moments.  If the search committee is not willing to allow you adequate time to question them and then give you honest answers—RUN!  

Robert E. Bell

FIRST MEETING IN PERSON:

Church websites now contain some of the following information.  You should exhaust their site for details so that you are informed and communicate to them that you are interested enough to do some leg-work.  Talk knowledgably about their church with them.

1. Ask each member of the Pulpit Committee to introduce themselves.  (Many pulpit committees now publish brief biographical sketches on their members which they may provide to you before you have an interview.  Ask if they haven’t offered them.) Married, children, job, responsibilities in the church, how long a member?  Taking the initiative (if necessary) in a gentle, pastoral manner will communicate positive leadership skills. 
2. What do you love about your church?  What do you think that the congregation loves?
3. What does your church membership look like in comparison to your community? (racial, economic, etc.)
4. What does your community say about your church?  Do you know?  How?  Do they know you exist?  What is their impression of your mission? Your facilities?
5. What is the leadership’s vision for this church’s ministry to its members, the community, state, country, and world?  Is the congregation aware of your vision?  How has that vision been communicated to them in the past?
6. When you think about the future of this church, what do you want to see happen?
7. Are there current plans for any new programs, outreach, or changes/additions to the physical plant?
8. What are the things you would like to see changed?  Staff?  Programs?  Facilities?
9. Do you have any fears about the future of this church?  (changing neighborhood, aging congregation, declining attendance or finances, lack of qualified leaders?)
10. Why is your church affiliated with the PCA?  How committed is the leadership to the denomination?  The congregation?  Are there any outspoken individuals or groups within the church who speak out against the denomination?

1. What aspects of the previous pastor’s ministry were especially well received and beneficial to the church?
2. When and why did the last pastor resign?  Are there any unresolved issues or resentment on the part of the congregation?  Did any people leave when the pastor left?  Why?
3. Tell me about your current staff.  Who?  How long?  Responsibilities?
4. Has the pulpit committee considered any of the current staff to fill this position?
5. Are there any staff members who want to be considered?
6. Are there individuals or groups within the church who are “politicking” for a particular individual (inside or outside the church)?  How has that been handled?
7. Are you aware of any other staff members who are planning to leave?  When?
8. Are any new staff positions currently envisioned?
9. Has there ever been a larger staff?  When?  What caused the downsizing?
10. What has been the pastor’s role in calling/hiring, supervising and removing staff members (ordained and otherwise)?
11. What is the relationship between the counseling staff (if any) and the session?  What type of disclosure agreements are in place?  For example: Is the counseling staff bound to bring discipline situations to the attention of the elders?
12. Are there weekly staff meetings?  Agenda?  Who attends?
13. Explain the current “chain of command” to me (who is in charge and who really runs the church!).
14. Have you issued a call to anyone who has declined?  What were his reasons (personal issues, including violation of confidentiality may preclude an answer)?

• Do the Elders/Deacons get along with each other (within and between the boards)?

1. Do the Session and Diaconate meet together on a regular basis (formal and/or informal)?  How often?  Do they get together to pray for the people and the work of the church?
2. Have you ever had leadership retreats?  What were they like?
3. Tell me about things that the officers do to get to know one another on an informal basis.
4. What is the current age range on the boards?
5. Are there any elders emeritus?  What is their involvement?  Influence?
6. Are there any former pastors or staff who still exert an influence on individuals or groups in the church?  Are there any immediate family members of former pastors or staff who attend the church?
7. Is there an ongoing effort to prepare men for service on the boards?  Describe.
8. Are there individuals or groups who think that women should be able to serve as officers?  Are there currently any women attending the church who previously served as ordained officers before you joined the PCA or in another church?  Has this ever been an issue?
9. Has the church every brought in outside mediators/presbytery committee to help resolve conflicts?

• Tell me how the Session exercises their responsibility to shepherd and discipline the membership.
• Are there any current discipline situations that are unaddressed or unresolved (in process)?  Why?
• Describe for me in general terms how a recent conflict/difference of opinion was resolved within the Session/Diaconnate.
• Are the elders elected for life, or do they serve terms?  How long?  Sabbaticals required?
• Deacons?  Deaconesses?

• Finances:

1. Does the church regularly meet its yearly budget?
2. Has the budget grown each year in the past five years?
3. What do you do if there is a shortfall (monthly or yearly)?
4. How would you respond if you were running significantly behind in the middle of the year?
5. Does the church keep a liquid reserve?  How much?
6. Does the church have endowments, investments, stocks, etc. that are used to fund the yearly budget?
7. What do you do if you have a surplus at the end of the year?
8. Is the pastoral & ministry staff formally evaluated each year?  By whom?  How are decisions made regarding changes in call (salary and benefits)?
9. How do you decide on budget increases/decreases as you formulate the next year’s budget?

• Manse/housing?

1. Is a manse provided?  Utilities?  Size?  Location?
2. How well do the deacons respond to maintenance and upkeep needs?  Would the previous pastor agree with that assessment?
3. Has the church ever considered establishing an equity fund for the pastor that would compensate his family for the “appreciation in value” he loses by not owning his own home?
4. If there is a manse, how would the church feel about the pastor purchasing his own home?
5. If no manse, what type of housing would the church see as appropriate?  Size? Location?  Distance from church?  Price range?  Is the church in the position to help finance a purchase?

• Family

1. What are the expectations of the pastor’s wife?  Family?
2. How involved in church work has the pastor’s wife been?  Participant?  Leader?
3. Have previous pastor’s wives worked outside the home?  How did the congregation react?
4. How much entertaining was done in the pastor’s home?  How much is expected?
5. In what ways does the congregation minister to the pastor and his family?

• What is the Church’s commitment to presbytery and GA?  Has the pastor participated?  Have the elders?  Is there any opposition to that involvement?

• Sermons:

1. Type, style, length? 
2. Special seasons and days?  For example, is it expected that the pastor will preach a sermon directed to mothers on Mother’s Day?
3. What does the congregation expect to hear in a sermon? 
4. How often has the associate/assistant preached?  Have any other staff members preached on a regular basis?
5. What is the congregation’s reaction if he preaches when the pastor is not on leave or vacation?
6. How often are guest speakers brought in?  Is there a yearly Missions/Bible Conference, etc.?  Who arranges it?

• Worship

1. Do you have a written philosophy of worship?   Is there an “unwritten” one?
2. Describe your worship services.  How many?  Evening?  Mid-week?  Does Sunday School run concurrently with one or both of the morning services?
3. Are there any special seasonal services?  Lent? 
4. Do those in attendance consider themselves participants or spectators?
5. Who leads the services?  Do the elders ever participate in leading?
6. Pulpit robe or suit?  Casual?
7. How frequently is communion celebrated?  Special occasions?  Shut-ins?
8. Bible translation used by most of the congregation?  Session preference?
9. Hymnal used?  Additional resources?  Psalter or choruses?
10. Are audio visuals used in worship?
11. Instruments?  Choir(s) and special music?
12. Music style?
13. Who chooses the hymns for the service?
14. Does the pastor plan the worship service?  Is there a set format?
15. Is there, or has there been in the past, controversy or dissent over the style of the service?  Have people recently left to attend a church with a different style?

• Education

1. Do you regularly hold classes for those considering membership?  Communicant?  Adult?  How long?  When?  Materials?
2. In what other ways and venues has the pastor been involved in the educational ministry of the church?  Has the pastor taught Sunday School classes?
3. What Sunday School material is used?
4. Who oversees the Sunday School program?

• Pastoral:

1. Do the members expect the pastor to visit them in their homes?  How frequently?
2. How frequently do the members expect the pastor to visit them when they are in the hospital?  Daily?
3. Do the elders and deacons participate in this type of pastoral ministry?
4. Has the pastor done extensive counseling of members?  Non-members?
5. How many shut-ins are there?  Who visits with them?  How often?
6. Does the church have a wedding policy?  Who can get married in the church?  Who conducts the pre-marital counseling?  Is the pastor “obligated” to marry non-members who simply want to get married in a church?  How many weddings are there in an average year.
7. Are funerals of members typically conducted at the church?

• Fellowship

1. Are there regular times for the congregation to get together informally?  Describe them.
2. Do you have any Home Bible studies/small group ministries?  Who has oversight?
3. Are the people of the congregation friends?  Do they do things together outside the programs and activities of the church?
4. Do you have joint meetings (worship or conferences) and fellowship regularly with other nearby congregations?

• Outreach

1. Is there a structured outreach program?  To whom is it directed?
2. How are unbelievers confronted with the claims of the gospel?
3. Is each church member encouraged to be a witness? 
4. Are there any church-directed mercy ministries?  Is the church involved in any outside mercy ministries?  What are they?
5. Has the church grown numerically in the past five years?  What kinds of people are being enfolded into the church?  Transfer?  New believers?  Do the new members come from and reflect the makeup of the church’s neighborhood? 

• Missions

1. How is the Mission’s Budget developed?
2. How are new missionaries selected?  Old ones dropped?
3. How broad is your support (local, national, international as well as individuals and organizations; PCA only or do you include other groups)?
4. Do you have an annual Missions’ Conference?
5. Do you invite visiting missionaries to preach (assuming they are qualified)?
6. Do you participate in short term missions’ projects?  Local?  In the USA?  Foreign?
7. Would you be open to sending the pastor to visit the various missionaries you support on a regular basis (annual, biannual)?

• Administrative

1. Who takes care of the daily business of running the church?
2. What committee meetings has the pastor attended?  (Besides Session & Deacons)
3. Does the pastor supervise the other ordained staff?  Music staff?  Office staff and administrator?  If not, who does?
4. Does the church expect the pastor to keep regular office hours?

• Personal

1. How do you expect to see the pastor dressed during the week in the office?  When he visits you in your home?  Etc.?
2. Are there expectations about the pastor’s lifestyle?  Activities, entertainment, hobbies, type and age of vehicles he drives?
3. How do people expect to address the pastor?  Rev., Dr., Pastor, or by first name?

• In what ways was the previous pastor involved in community activities?  What are the expectations of the congregation?

• Calling process

1. What percent of the Pulpit Committee is required to recommend a candidate to the Session/congregation?
2. Will the candidate be interviewed and approved by the Session prior to his presentation to the congregation?
3. What percent of the congregation will be required for approval of the call?  Will the negatives be asked to join with the majority in a vote of acclamation?
4. Will the candidate be informed of the number of negative votes?

• After you have arrived

1. Schedule a 3 month review with the Pulpit Committee?  How are things going?  Are there areas that need to be addressed?  Anything falling through the cracks?
2. Schedule a 6 month review with the Session.
3. Schedule a 12 month review with both?

Working Conditions:

1. Office size, location and privacy
2. Furniture and bookcases
3. Computer
4. Heat/AC
5. Bathroom access

What I expect from the Session:

1. I view my main responsibility to be the shepherd of the shepherds.  I want to get to know each of you personally.  I would like to know your background and experiences.  When and how did you come to know Christ?  Why are you a part of this church?  What are your daily struggles?  I am always available to the Elders.  Feel free to call or stop by just to say hi!  I enjoy social activities and don’t always talk about theology or church unless you want to!  My wife and I will strive to regularly host the officers (and wives) in our home.
2. I expect that the Session meetings will be a time of open, frank and calm discussion of business, issues and needs.  As the moderator I will try to be a neutral facilitator, but I will naturally have opinions about how things should be done or decided.  I usually will not hesitate to share those opinions.  But even when I have a strong opinion, I want others to express themselves too.  I have on occasion been wrong!  I have the ability to analyze situations and proposals quickly and to see the problems and pitfalls.  This has sometimes been perceived as “negativism.”  My “negatives” are meant to help examine and refine proposals not dismiss or defeat them.
3. Although it is important to do things decently and in order, I am not bound to the minutia of Robert’s Rules of Order.  My philosophy is that the purpose of a meeting is to deliberate and decide, not to be a paradigm for parliamentary procedure. 
4. My desire in any meeting is to get the work accomplished as efficiently as possible, but at the same time I do not want to rush anyone to a decision.  Generally I do not think it wise to vote on a major issue the first time it is introduced.  Wisdom often dictates a period of research, prayer and reflection before decisions are made.  Of course there are times when situations demand immediate action, and delay will only create more difficulty.  If you want more time or more information, speak up.  If you feel I am rushing, ask me to slow down.  I will not hesitate to move to a vote if I think everyone is done discussing. 
5. My hope and goal is that all decisions of the Session be unanimous.  However, if they are not, I firmly believe in the following principles.  If you disagree with a decision of the session you have the following options:  (a) When any matter is determined by a majority vote, every elder shall either actively concur with or passively submit to the decision.  (b) If his conscience does not permit him to do either, he shall, after sufficient time is taken for prayer and consideration, peaceably resign from the Session, without attempting to make any disruption or schism in the Session or among members of the congregation.  A Session that is constantly divided does not honor God and will not be able to shepherd and lead its congregation.  Disagreement in the Session will quickly become disagreement in the congregation.  That is not to say that the Session cannot reconsider an issue if it becomes apparent that an error may have been made.  Pastors and Session make mistakes.  What is at issue here is an individual or minority constantly at odds with the direction and decisions of the majority.
6. If there are areas of my life and ministry that you think are deficient, you must commit yourselves to bringing your concerns directly to me.  If something is bothering you, come talk to me first.  I will inevitably do some things differently than your previous pastors.  Sometimes it may be because of conviction, but more likely it is just my preference.  I will be firm on my convictions, but try to be flexible on my preferences.  
7. If you are aware of a problem within the congregation, don’t assume I already know about it.  You are the first line of offense when it comes to addressing issues.  I would rather hear about something from several people than not hear about it at all.  When the Pastor doesn’t seem to know what is going on, the people lose confidence and respect in his leadership and the Session’s. 
8. If you are aware that someone in the congregation has a problem with me, urge them to come to me personally.  If they refuse, then offer to come with them.  If they still refuse, then their only alternative is “overlooking a fault,” which also requires that they don’t continue to complain or gossip about the issue.  If they refuse to come and continue to create dissent, then you have the obligation of warning them about their behavior, and then if they persist, taking another elder with you to warn them again.  A further refusal will require disciplinary action by the Session.  Dissent or dissatisfaction left unattended is deadly to the peace and unity of the church.
9. In the past, some individuals have perceived me as unapproachable and intimidating.  I seem to communicate aloofness or disinterest to some people.  That is not the reality!  My door is always open, usually literally at my current church.  If I am unable to talk, I will tell you, and try to set up a different time to get together. 

Preaching Style:

1. Ask the Pulpit Committee if everyone has listened to at least one sermon (preferably they should listen to at least three (NT, OT and one of their choice).  Downloads off the website are possible and that would give them several years to choose from.  Tell me about my preaching style.  What did you hear?  Describe my approach to the scriptures?  The text?  The application?  [This may give an indication as to whether the entire pulpit committee is looking for/expecting the same thing.  Do they represent the congregation’s “tastes” or are they an anomaly?  It may also reveal that they have a “perception” that is not the reality!]
2. Tell me what you expect to hear in a sermon?  {points, alliteration, stories, illustrations, application, theological terms, quotes from “the dead guys,” frequent reference to the Standards, etc.}
3. Expositional – sermons will be based on a particular text and points will come from the text. 
4. Covenantal – all Scripture points us to Christ, so all my sermons will present the “Christ focus” of the text as part of exposition.
5. I will normally preach through an entire book, section by section (give examples of length of series).  Although sometimes I may select a portion of a longer book (e.g. The Life of Joseph from Genesis).  I will regularly preach out of both Testaments.
6. There will be occasional shorter topical series (Miracles in John’s gospel, Heaven).
7. My sermons are typically 30 minutes plus.
8. I will use humor.
9. I will preach what the text says, even if I know that someone will think I’m preaching at them!

New Pastor Tips

1. Should endeavor to become friends with the Pulpit Committee members after arriving.  Remember that the PC was chosen for a reason.  They are usually representative of the make-up of the congregation, therefore, they have influence over different “groups” within the church.  By winning their confidence and support you may win their “group.”  They may have been chosen because they are the most respected and influential people in the church, therefore they are the people you need to work with and through anyway.  The PC members will think that they have a special relationship with you established during the interview and calling process.  If you don’t continue to cultivate that relationship they may feel hurt and abandoned and could become your chief detractors.
2. Try to have the PC (and spouses) over to the house ASAP—within the first month, no matter how things look!  Showing them you are human could encourage them to be human too.  Open yourself up to them and maybe they will reciprocate. 
3. Have the Session and Deacons (and spouses) over ASAP too (see above).
4. Get together with each of the Elders and Deacons individually for lunch or some other situation that will foster communication and friendship.  Be open and honest, but be careful not to entrust yourself to anyone until you are confident that they are mature men of God, trustworthy and discrete.
5. Visit Shut-ins ASAP.
6. Go over membership list with elders to assess “at risk individuals and families” who have stopped attending or become irregular.
7. When were the rolls last updated?  Are there individuals that need to be removed?

Questions after decision to call:

1. How quickly do you want for me to arrive on the scene?
2. Will you give me at least two weeks with pay to get my family settled?
3. Give me a list of the past two year’s sermon texts.
4. Give me copies of or access to the last year’s bulletins
5. Give me access to the Session and Deacons’ minutes.

QUESTIONS from the Pulpit Committee to the Candidate… or vice versa

The denomination of which Bob Bell and Bob Eickelberg are a part has been going through a variety of theological disagreements among its pastors, ruling elders and churches. In order to have “purity, peace and unity” in a local congregation it is important for the church via its pulpit committee to know about the candidate’s theological views and it is important for the candidate to know about the church’s theological views.  What follows is written from the perspective of a search committee, but a candidate could ask the same questions to ascertain the views of the church.  Please do not assume that these questions are looking for a “correct” answer, but these questions are to help Search Committees from a variety of backgrounds understand the thinking of the candidate as they look for the right fit in a denomination of diverse theological views.    The introductory material would of course be case specific.     The formatting / numbering of items did not transfer well onto the website. This is a work in progress!  The pdf has proper formatting.              Bob Eickelberg

You are receiving this document because we have been thankful to God that you have expressed an interest in the Senior / Associate / Assistant Pastor position here and we have been encouraged by what you wrote and we read, and what you preached.

This is a follow up letter to people who are now on our “shorter” list. We have received many applications and you are one of our higher ranked applicants. We realize that to respond to these questions will take a significant amount of time.  We would not ask you to do this if you were not one of our higher ranked candidates.

In the PCA there are a variety of different views within our one faith founded on the Scriptures and our Confessions.  There are different thoughts on many important issues. At XYZ Church we are thankful for the purity, peace and unity we have had as a congregation for decades as well as our continued commitment to the purity and edification of the church.

To help us get to know you better, please write about a paragraph to respond to each of the following items. We would like to get to know you and where your heart, mind and faith is. We will treat your responses with the confidentiality that they deserve. Upon completion of this process, to the best of our ability, we will destroy all printed and electronic copies of your answers if you are not selected for this position.

1. Please explain to us your views on the words used in PCA ordination / installation question 1 such as “inerrant” and “infallible.” How do those words reflect the teaching of the Scriptures and Chapter 1 of the Westminster Confession of Faith.  Does your view of these words match the historic understanding of them or do you have a nuanced difference in your understanding of them?  How did you exegetically arrive at your understandings?

• Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?  How do you use that principle in wrestling with the text and preparing to preach and teach?

• Many Teaching Elders in the PCA have different views on creation and the public and private discussions that have taken place over the place of evolution in relationship to creation.  Please briefly explain to us your view on creation and Genesis 1-3 and discuss your understanding and beliefs about “theistic evolution.” Please explain how you came to your understanding as you interpreted the Scriptures after wrestling with the text.

• The interpretation of Scripture is fundamental to each pastor’s ministry. One of the questions facing the PCA deals with how the church should understand the Scriptures and what is the authority of the Scriptures. Good exegesis of texts will lead to a healthy church and bad exegesis can lead to the destruction of the church as we have seen in history.  Someone once said that heretics are charming people.  (But that does not mean all charming people are heretics!) 2 Timothy 2:15 calls on pastors to correctly handle the word of truth.

Please explain the sIn involved in Genesis 19 and how you arrived at whether the text deals with sexual sIn or sIn relating to a lack of hospitality, or some other concept.

Please explain your view of 1 Corinthians 6 in relationship to Revoice matters. Does this passage deal with committed homosexual relationships or something less than that?  How did you arrive at your understanding of this passage?

In the area of modern interpretation of Scripture, discuss the place of the current views in the culture of Social Justice and your understanding how that flows out of the texts of Scripture.  What do you mean when you use your language about Social Justice? Please define your use of the words.  Please tell us about the process of how you arrived at your understanding on these matters. How would you anticipate that your views on Social Justice would impact the life of a congregation where you served as the pastor?

Finally, please summarize how you go about interpreting Scripture.  What are your fundamental approaches as you work through a text?

• While we know that the PCA has taken a position against paedocommunion we know that many sympathizers with this view have said they would live with that position but then bring very young children to the Session to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper. Do you believe that paedocommunion is a biblically based teaching? Why or why not?  Please explain your views on this matter. What is your view on whether or not someone has to have an ability for some “abstract reasoning” to be able to understand the Lord’s Supper before coming to the Table?  Please interact with the idea that the baptized covenant child should not be denied the blessings of the other sacrament. Describe different age appropriate professions of faith.

• Please compare and contrast the last two sentences in BCO 7-2 with your understanding of what the Bible teaches. Please share your views on women and the Diaconate.  What is your view on ordaining women to the office of Deacon?  What is your view on unordained women assisting the Deacons?  What is your view on not ordaining male deacons until there is a constitutional change in the PCA to allow women to serve as Deacons?

• While the role of women in the Diaconate is a narrower part of the discussion, please explain your broader understanding of the idea of “complementarianism” and your understanding of the idea of “egalitarianism.”  Which view do you understand and believe is biblically correct? Why do you understand that? What are the implications of your view in the worship and work of the church?

• Please discuss the Federal Vision / New Perspectives on Paul / Auburn Avenue Theologies movement (and any similar theological strains that may be called by a different name).  Where do you stand on these matters? What are the sympathies of your heart on these matters?

• Explain your understanding of the Regulative Principle and how it practically and specifically impacts your view of worship, your constructing worship services, and your practice of worship. Are there “newer” parts of worship that you would want to include in our worship here or are there “newer” parts of worship that you would not want to include in our worship here? Are there things about the worship services here that you would like to see changed, either by deletion or addition?

1. A number of years ago there was a lot of discussion over a couple of General Assemblies about what has been referred to as “The Insiders Movement.”  Please explain your understanding of the different perspectives on the movement and with which perspective you find yourself most in sympathy. What was your opinion of the General Assembly’s decisions in this matter?

1. What “exceptions” did you take to the Westminster Standards and BCO when you were ordained?  What “exceptions” did you take to the Westminster Standards and BCO when you were received by any presbyteries that you subsequently joined?  What “exceptions” do you currently take to the Westminster Standards and BCO that would be presented to our Presbytery?

1. Please discuss the idea of “intinction” and your personal views on how the Lord’s Supper should be celebrated in a local congregation. What biblical passages would you use to help guide the congregation in understanding your position?

1. What is your view of the Lord’s Day? Please interact with the “Continental view” and the “Puritan view” of the Sabbath. Please describe your typical activities on Sunday. Do you habitually take another day during the week as a Sabbath? Did you take any “exceptions” to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechism in this area?  If so, what were / are they?

1. Please discuss “Good Faith” and “Strict” subscription to the Confession of Faith and Catechisms. Please interact with BCO 21-5, Q.2 and your understanding of how it practically impacts you and any teaching elder in the PCA.   What is the difference between being “confessional” and seeing the Confession as “suggestive”?  How would you identify yourself?

1. The PCA has become sharply divided over questions regarding the Revoice conference in St. Louis, the Nashville Statement and appropriate understandings of sexuality for elders in the PCA.  Many congregations and Teaching Elders have left the denomination over this matter. Several presbyteries have asked General Assembly to take original jurisdiction over what they see as inaction of the Missouri Presbytery or to amend the BCO regarding who can be ordained based on self-identification and sexuality.  Please explain your views on these matters from a Biblical perspective.

1. Have you been and / or are you now engaged in any sexual sIn that would bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ, your wife and family and the visible church of Jesus Christ? 

1. Please discuss your personal struggle with pornography and its impact upon your life in the past and in the present. 

1. Have you been and / or are you now engaged in any other hidden sIn that if revealed would bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ, your wife and family and the visible church of Jesus Christ?

1. Paul David Tripp’s book Dangerous Calling deals with “confronting the unique challenges of pastoral ministry.” Have you read this? Would you read this?  Please interact with your personal pastoral needs as reflected in this book. 

• Do you have accountability partners?  How does that work for you both logistically and spiritually?

• After a while, a congregation usually gets to know the besetting sIns of the pastor.  What are the top two besetting sIns with which you struggle? Is the congregation you currently serve aware of those sIns? If the congregation is not aware of those sIns, is your Session aware of those sIns?  If the Session is not aware of those sIns, is your Presbytery?  With whom do you have an accountability relationship to address these struggles?

• Sin has a devastating impact upon us all.  Consider three scenarios: 1. A wife or husband finds out that her / his spouse has repeated committed adultery. 2. A father or mother learned that a son or daughter had run away from home and had been involved in the drug scene and sexual immorality. 3. A man or woman at age 23 realizes that he /she was abused as a child.  Each of these comes to you for counsel after hearing a sermon on granting forgiveness to people that have sinned against us.  Very briefly, what would you say (in general principles) and what impact would Ephesians 4:32, Luke 17:3, and Matthew 18 have upon your answer.

• One reformed author says that sanctification is 100% God and 100% us. Another reformed author calls this “poor math” and “poor theology.” Sanctification is 100% God. The second author also indicates that God cannot be disappointed in you or angry at you…. Please interact briefly and broadly with these statements.  What is your history with the “Sonship” movement in the PCA and related churches? What is the relationship between Sanctification and Justification?  Please explain how you arrived at your understanding and critique the opposing view. 

• An area of disagreement in the PCA has dealt with the broad question: Is God ever disappointed with His children? What is the impact of your answer to that question in preaching, teaching and counseling?  

• Is there any way that God’s knowledge is limited?  Is His knowledge limited in any way about the future?  Do we help God decide what to do in the future? Is there any helpful material in the “openness of God” approach and subsequent formulations of that concept?  How would that impact your preaching, teaching and counseling.

• Please discuss the views regarding visual images of the Lord Jesus Christ in education and in worship. Please interact with the Scriptures and the confession and catechism as you lay out your answer.

• Please comment on how you view:

1. Christian Schools
2. Home Schooling
3. Government / Public Schools

• What is your view of the role of the pastor and the church in the political sphere? How would the repeal of “the 1954 Johnson Amendment” for 501 (c) (3) organizations impact your view?

• How have you wrestled with whether or not a congregation should celebrate the liturgical year, i.e. Advent or no Advent Season; Christmas Eve or not; Good Friday services or not; Easter services on the traditional Sunday or nothing different about that Sunday from every other Resurrection Sunday. What has influenced your thinking, preaching and teaching on this matter? What changes would you want to make with our current practice.

• Pastors and their families have their own cultural background based on where they have grown up and where they have served.  Many disastrous ministry relationships have come about as a result of potential pastors not thinking through their cultural background in comparison with the cultural background of the church with whom they are conversing. Sometimes this has been an urban vs rural distinction or a regional (north/ south / east coast / west coast) distinction.  What do you see as potential difficulties between your cultural background and our congregation? Are you ignoring the significance of this question because you “need” a job?

• Any time a pastor moves to a new ministry it is inevitable that he will see things with fresh eyes and believe that there are things that should be changed.  Can you write briefly about a philosophy of change? When should it happen? How does it happen? What is the difference between how an Assistant Pastor works for change and how a Senior Pastor works for change? How is the Session involved in change? How is the congregation involved in change? How do you deal with a desire for change that is not implemented by the Session and / or the congregation? Please describe how you have worked for change on one or two situations in current or past ministries.  How does all of this fit into the principles articulated in your ordination vow in BCO 21-5, Q. 5?

• Please discuss your view of Senior Pastor as CEO vs. Shepherd. What are the pros and cons of each of these positions?  How have you seen this work out in your ministry?

• Please write about your understanding of the mission of the church, and the pastor’s role in relation to that mission.

• How do you view the Pastoral Office and how you interact with the sheep?  How should other office bearers interact with the sheep?

• Please write about your understanding of the mission of the church, and the pastor’s role in relation to that mission.

• In the last six months how many times have you had opportunity to share the Gospel with people other than from the pulpit?  Please give some examples of how and when.

• How have you and how would you like to promote world missions and evangelization as a part of the ministry of the church?

• “Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words.”  This is known as a famous quote (or possibly misquote). Please interact with this concept from your personal approach to ministry.

• Do we “do” the gospel, as a verb?  Why or why not?

• What persons have been significant influencers in how you do ministry?  How have they influenced you?

• Please discuss the place for formal church discipline.  In what kinds of situations have you been involved with the administration of formal church discipline? What were the general outcomes?

• Everyone has a view on youth ministry.  Please share your view and interact with the idea of age-segregated ministry.

• The statistics are alarming about the number of pastors who are greatly discouraged in ministry and who end up leaving the ministry.  What have been your greatest struggles in the ministry? How have they impacted you physically, emotionally and spiritually?

• If you are married, how have your struggles in ministry impacted your wife and other family members? 

• One of the key qualifications for an elder is that he manages his household well.  In other jobs an inquiry as to the impact on family members might not be appropriate, but in the church of Christ it is essential.  Please describe the impact of the ministry upon the various members of your family.

• God has allowed many pastors to have pleasant providence and great joys in the ministry.  What are some of the greatest joys you have had in ministry?

• If you are married, would your wife, upon reading your answers to all of these questions (not just the moral questions) be surprised with any of your answers?  Would she disagree with any of your answers? If so, which ones and why?  [We are obviously not examining her, nor would we be hiring her.  However we would be interested if she thinks you’ve represented yourself accurately and if there are any major areas of theological disagreement between the two of you.]

• Have you in any way misled, deceived or not spoken the truth in your answers to any of the questions?