Pastoral Search Committees

[JohnDB]

Many here are COGOP but there are some people here from other denominations too. (I have no idea how COGOP selects pastors for congregations)

How is it that your church got the pastor it got?

Was there a group of elders that "interviewed" you?

Have you been a part of a "search committee"?
How did that go...trials and triumphs.?

Many here I know were on the other end of that process...what was that like?

It is OK to talk about it all...some like it to be secret and in the dark...but we are children of the light...so tell us what you recall.

[RamboPreacher]

Many here are COGOP but there are some people here from other denominations too. (I have no idea how COGOP selects pastors for congregations)

How is it that your church got the pastor it got?

Was there a group of elders that "interviewed" you?

Have you been a part of a "search committee"?
How did that go...trials and triumphs.?

Many here I know were on the other end of that process...what was that like?

It is OK to talk about it all...some like it to be secret and in the dark...but we are children of the light...so tell us what you recall.

I am new, but I believe it is essentially mandated, at least that's the experience I have had thusfar. there may be some review from the regional/state overseer and the local congregation, but I don't know how official that is.

Our previous pastor was assigned a new church elsewhere, and our current pastor was assigned this church. I do not know what happened at the other church, but I can tell you that as a member of the local congregation, there was no meetings, no counseling, no interviewing. There was an announcement.

The (now) pastor was an ordained minister that was in our congregation previously. I believe that he had met with the previous pastor and the overseer several times prior to the change.

Again, I am new, so I don't know if that is "normal" or not, it was really my only pastoral change while in the COGOP. It was a hard thing to deal with for some folks, and we lost some membership and attendance. But we have grown somewhat since as well.

[PastorDaniel]

COGOP pastors are appointed by the State/Regional Overseer for a period of two years.

The appointment is supposed to be made with the approval of the church. However, this does not necessarily mean a business meeting.

When I was appointed to Lafayette, the Overseer sent me to preach, then he called an elder member in the church and asked if the church would be willing to have me as Pastor...I was appointed the next week.

Some larger COGOP's, like my home church in Chatsworth, have pastoral search committees that consist of Deacons and Trustees.

However, they interview the candidates that the State Overseer sends to them. If they chose one outside the COGOP or another state, the State Overseer would have to interview, approve, and license if they were not COGOP.

[RamboPreacher]

I thought the 2-year thing was done away with recently? i know there are supposed to be reviews every other year or so, but that is more of a performance review/gap analysis/professional development kind of thing.

Don't have my assembly minutes here with me, but it seemed like that was a recent change.

[JohnDB]

So yawl don't use questionaires somewhat like this one?

http://apuritansmind.com/Pastoral/PastoralQuiz2.htm

granted this one is for a calvinistic congregation. (UGGGGGHHHH)

But the idea is the same...this one takes five days to answer usually (if orally or on paper)

and the questions about tulip or Calvin removed...then it isn't so bad a quiz...

either way I do find this intriguing...someone "in the ivory tower" comes along and removes your pastor and replaces him with someone else whom you don't know...and doesn't know you.

I find that rather odd...almost like the Catholics in that respect.

[RamboPreacher]

nope, no questionnaire's (officially). it is a top-down approach/paradigm, currently.

[paul]

either way I do find this intriguing...someone "in the ivory tower" comes along and removes your pastor and replaces him with someone else whom you don't know...and doesn't know you.

That would never happen..

[JohnDB]

either way I do find this intriguing...someone "in the ivory tower" comes along and removes your pastor and replaces him with someone else whom you don't know...and doesn't know you.

That would never happen..

LOL

I tend to shy away from the pastoral staff at any church I am in attendance of. The main reason is I want as far away from church politics as possible...and they usually center around that one guy. There has been a couple that have found the only way they can speak to me is during a sermon from the pulpit...and it was...the church was so big I could easily escape in the crowd. At the same time I was friends with a few of his friends in the church and things I was saying were reaching his ears...often...and then the politicals got me.
I considered it to be a good lesson about having only shallow chit chat until you know who someone is. That way you avoid those hornets nests that seem to inhabit every church.
(Lord help me, because I think I am about to stir one up at my church now...but it can't be helped...I seem to have a knack)

But to move pastors around that way does seem to indicate politics of some kind afoot.

[RamboPreacher]

I believe this is a gap in the current COGOP. especially as we move towards more growth, and larger local bodied churches (partially based in the again, no 2-year limit thang). the "ivory tower" approach might have worked for the old COGOP paradigm of the "us four and no more" in a congregation, but I believe that is a paradigm that is shifting. and as it shifts, new approaches will be needed. - just my opinion.

[one love]

236-281. Since the following are on the epistles, next to each chapter give a brief description of what is in each chapter. This is the "how well do I know the NT" section. (Do not use your Bible for this section.)

Romans 3

Romans 4

Romans 9

Romans 13

1 Cor. 5

1 Cor. 7

1 Cor 12

1 Cor. 13

1 Cor. 14

2 Cor. 2

2 Cor. 8

2 Cor. 12

Gal. 1

Gal. 3

Eph. 1

Eph. 6

Phil. 2

Phil. 4

Col. 3

1 Thess. 5

2 Thess. 2

1 Tim. 3

1 Tim. 4

2 Tim. 4

Titus 1

Philemon 1

Heb. 6

Heb. 7

Heb. 11

James 2

James 3

1 Peter 1

1 Peter 5

2 Peter 2

1 John 1

1 John 4

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation 1-4

Rev. 13

Rev. 19

Rev. 20

Rev. 21

I wonder how many could really do this without opening the bible

I have met some that cant quote one verse I cant imagine some people trying to this

[TW]

236-281. Since the following are on the epistles, next to each chapter give a brief description of what is in each chapter. This is the "how well do I know the NT" section. (Do not use your Bible for this section.)

Romans 3

Romans 4

Romans 9

Romans 13

1 Cor. 5

1 Cor. 7

1 Cor 12

1 Cor. 13

1 Cor. 14

2 Cor. 2

2 Cor. 8

2 Cor. 12

Gal. 1

Gal. 3

Eph. 1

Eph. 6

Phil. 2

Phil. 4

Col. 3

1 Thess. 5

2 Thess. 2

1 Tim. 3

1 Tim. 4

2 Tim. 4

Titus 1

Philemon 1

Heb. 6

Heb. 7

Heb. 11

James 2

James 3

1 Peter 1

1 Peter 5

2 Peter 2

1 John 1

1 John 4

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation 1-4

Rev. 13

Rev. 19

Rev. 20

Rev. 21

I wonder how many could really do this without opening the bible

I have met some that cant quote one verse I cant imagine some people trying to this

onelove,
I would rather have an understanding of the Word than the ability to quote verbatim. Just my personal preference. I have met people that could quote chapter and verse all day long but lacked virtually any understanding of what they were quoting.


TW

[Pastor Gary]

But to move pastors around that way does seem to indicate politics of some kind afoot.

As one of the Jude2 Posters responsible for that system of appointing Pastors: there is no longer a 2-year term of appointment, and and any Overseer who randomly shuffles pastors as if they were interchangeable cogs in a giant machine is foolish, in my opinion.

[RamboPreacher]

...
onelove,
I would rather have an understanding of the Word than the ability to quote verbatim. Just my personal preference. I have met people that could quote chapter and verse all day long but lacked virtually any understanding of what they were quoting.


TW

exactly. I know many people that are not even believers that can quote a lot of the Bible.

But to move pastors around that way does seem to indicate politics of some kind afoot.

As one of the Jude2 Posters responsible for that system of appointing Pastors: there is no longer a 2-year term of appointment, and and any Overseer who randomly shuffles pastors as if they were interchangeable cogs in a giant machine is foolish, in my opinion.

and another exactly/agreement/ditto.

[PastorDaniel]

Cool...I knew that there was not a 2 year limit...and I don't know an Overseer that literally changes Pastor's every two years...

But I still thought that the Appointments were re-affirmed at the State Convention every two years...our State Convention is coming up and there is time slotted for Pastoral Appointments...

[Pastor Gary]

But I still thought that the Appointments were re-affirmed at the State Convention every two years...our State Convention is coming up and there is time slotted for Pastoral Appointments...

I think each state/area, and each Overseer has a lot of latitude in how these matters are carried out. My pastors are appointed "until further notice."