By Brent Lacy

Most candidates spend all their preparation time thinking about how to answer the committee’s questions. The questions you ask are equally important. They reveal your priorities, your self-awareness, and your understanding of what pastoral ministry actually requires.

A candidate who asks no questions, or only asks about salary and vacation, is communicating something. A candidate who asks thoughtful, specific questions about the congregation is communicating something very different.

Questions About the Congregation

• “What does this congregation do better than most churches its size?”
• “What is the hardest thing about being a member of this church right now?”
• “Who are the people in this congregation who have the most influence, and are they supportive of new pastoral leadership?”
• “What unresolved conflicts or tensions exist in the congregation that I should know about?”
• “What happened with the previous pastor? Why did they leave?”

Questions About the Role

• “What does success look like in this role in year one? In year five?”
• “What are the non-negotiable expectations for this position?”
• “How does the board prefer to communicate with the pastor? How often do you meet?”
• “What decisions can the pastor make independently, and what requires board approval?”
• “How has the board handled disagreements with previous pastors?”

Questions About Support

• “What does the church do to support the pastor’s personal and spiritual health?”
• “Is there a budget for continuing education and professional development?”
• “How does the church protect the pastor’s day off?”
• “What does the annual review process look like?”

Questions About the Community

• “What is the greatest need in this community that the church is not currently meeting?”
• “How does the congregation relate to the broader community?”
• “What is the demographic trajectory of this community over the next 10 years?”

The Question You Must Ask

“Is there anything about this church or this position that you think I should know but that I have not asked about?” This question often produces the most important information in the entire interview. Ask it every time.

The Questions That Reveal the Most

Not all interview questions are equal. Some questions produce polished, rehearsed answers. Others reveal something real. Here is how to tell the difference.

A candidate who has thought carefully about their ministry will give specific, concrete answers. They will name actual situations, actual people, actual outcomes. A candidate who is performing will give general, abstract answers that could apply to any church in any context.

When a candidate says “I believe in strong pastoral leadership,” that tells you almost nothing. When a candidate says “In my previous church, we had a deacon who had been making unilateral financial decisions for 15 years. Here is how I addressed that,” you are learning something real.

Train yourself to listen for specificity. Vague answers to specific questions are a warning sign.

Questions About Their Theology and Preaching

• “Walk me through how you prepare a sermon. What does a typical week look like?”
• “What is your preaching philosophy? How do you decide what to preach?”
• “Tell me about a sermon that did not land the way you hoped. What did you learn?”
• “What theological issues do you feel most strongly about? Where are you willing to disagree with your congregation?”
• “How do you handle a passage that is difficult or controversial?”

Questions About Their Leadership Style

• “How do you make decisions? Walk me through a significant decision you made in your last church.”
• “How do you handle a board member or deacon who disagrees with your direction?”
• “Tell me about a time you had to change your mind about something significant. What changed it?”
• “How do you develop lay leaders? Give me a specific example.”
• “What does accountability look like for you? Who holds you accountable?”

Questions About Their Personal Life and Health

• “How is your marriage? How does your spouse feel about this potential move?”
• “What does your Sabbath practice look like? How do you protect your day off?”
• “What are you doing for your own spiritual growth right now?”
• “Have you ever experienced burnout? What did it look like and how did you address it?”
• “What do you do for fun? What restores you?”

The Question Every Committee Should Ask

“Is there anything about yourself, your ministry history, or your personal life that you think we should know but that we have not asked about?”

This question is uncomfortable to ask. It is even more uncomfortable to answer honestly. But a candidate who answers it with genuine transparency is a candidate who is not hiding anything. And a candidate who deflects or gives a non-answer is a candidate worth examining more carefully.

Ask it. Then sit in the silence and wait for the answer.

After the Interview: What to Do With What You Heard

Debrief as a committee immediately after the interview, before impressions fade. Ask each committee member to share their top observation and their top concern. Do not let the most vocal person dominate the debrief. Hear from everyone.

Then check your impressions against the references. Did the references confirm what you heard in the interview? Did they add anything? Did they contradict anything? The gap between interview performance and reference feedback is often where the most important information lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a pastor search typically take?

Most small church searches take 6-18 months. Rushing the process often leads to poor matches. Patience is essential.

What should we look for in a pastoral candidate?

Character, calling, and competency — in that order. Skills can be developed, but character and calling are foundational.

How do we evaluate a candidate’s preaching?

Listen to multiple sermons, not just one. Look for faithfulness to the text, clarity of communication, and relevance to your congregation’s context.

What questions should we NOT ask in a pastoral interview?

Avoid questions about age, family status, or other protected categories. Focus on ministry philosophy, experience, and vision.

How do we handle compensation in a small church search?

Be transparent about the total compensation package from the start. Include salary, benefits, housing allowance, and any other benefits.

Sources

1. Barna Group, “New Metrics for Measuring What Matters”
2. Lifeway Research, “5 Signs Your Church Is Ready for a Reset”
3. Church Leadership, “There Is No Such Thing as Church Revitalization”
4. Exponential, “Church Revitalization: 7 Innovative Models”

Frequently Asked Questions

How do we apply this in a very small church context?

Small churches have unique advantages: close relationships, flexibility, and the ability to adapt quickly. Focus on what your church can do well rather than trying to replicate what larger churches do.

What if we do not have the resources for this?

Most of the strategies in this guide require more creativity than money. Start with what you have, leverage your existing relationships, and build gradually.

How long before we see results?

Cultural change in small churches typically takes 12-18 months of consistent effort. Focus on faithfulness to the process rather than immediate outcomes.