By Brent Lacy
What Small Churches Do Well in Pastor Search (And What They Do Not)
Small churches approach pastor search differently from large churches. Some of those differences are advantages. Some are liabilities. Understanding both can help you conduct a more effective search.
What Small Churches Do Well
Personal knowledge of the candidate. In a small church, the search committee often has direct, personal interaction with the candidate over multiple visits. You are not evaluating a resume. You are getting to know a person. This personal knowledge is a significant advantage.
Community fit. Small churches can assess whether a candidate will fit the specific culture and context of their community. A candidate who would thrive in a suburban megachurch may struggle in a rural small town. Small churches can evaluate this fit more effectively.
Agility. A small church search committee can make decisions faster than a large church bureaucracy. There are fewer layers of approval, fewer committees to navigate, and fewer stakeholders to satisfy.
Authenticity. Small churches tend to be more authentic in their self-presentation. They cannot hide behind a polished website or a professional media presence. What you see is what you get. This authenticity helps candidates make informed decisions.
What Small Churches Do Not Do Well
Compensation. Small churches typically cannot match the compensation packages offered by larger churches. This limits the pool of candidates and can make it difficult to attract experienced pastors.
Search process. Many small churches do not have a clear, structured search process. The search is conducted informally, without clear timelines, criteria, or accountability. This leads to prolonged searches and poor decisions.
Marketing. Small churches often do not effectively market their openings. They post on a denominational job board and hope for the best. A more proactive approach, reaching out to seminaries, denominational networks, and personal contacts, produces better results.
Realistic expectations. Some small churches have unrealistic expectations about what a pastor can accomplish. They want a full-time pastor for part-time pay. They want rapid growth without investing in ministry. These unrealistic expectations drive away good candidates.
How to Improve Your Search
Be honest about your church. Do not pretend to be something you are not. Candidates who arrive with false expectations will be disappointed. Share the real story: the strengths, the challenges, and the opportunities.
Offer the best compensation you can. You may not be able to match a large church’s salary, but you can offer other benefits: a housing allowance, a sabbatical policy, a supportive congregation, and a quality of life that a city church cannot provide.
Cast a wide net. Do not just post on one job board. Contact seminaries, denominational offices, and pastors you know. The best candidates are often found through personal networks, not job postings.
Move deliberately but not slowly. A search should take three to six months. Longer than a year and you lose good candidates. Shorter than three months and you have not done adequate due diligence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should we consider a bi-vocational candidate?
Absolutely. Some of the best small church pastors are bi-vocational. They bring a perspective and a work ethic that full-time pastors may not have.
What if we cannot find anyone?
Expand your criteria. Consider a retired pastor, a seminary student in need of a field education site, or a bi-vocational candidate who works in the community. The right pastor may not look like what you expected.
How do we evaluate a candidate’s fit?
Spend time with them. Have them preach. Have them meet with different groups in the church. Ask the congregation for feedback. And pray. The Holy Spirit’s guidance is more important than any evaluation tool.
The Right Fit
The goal of a pastor search is not to find the most impressive candidate. It is to find the right candidate for your specific church in your specific context. A pastor who thrives in one setting may struggle in another. Take the time to find the person God has for your church, even if that person does not have the longest resume.
Leading a small church shouldn’t mean doing everything from scratch.
MinistryPlace.net offers church leadership toolkits, governance guides, and administrative resources built for bi-vocational and small-church pastors.
Sources
- Replant Bootcamp, “Lessons from Effective Interim Pastors”
- Alban Institute, “Rethinking Transitional Ministry”
- South Carolina Baptist Convention, “Transitional Pastor Manual”
- Liberty University, “Effective Transitional Ministry Plan”
Looking for more resources? Visit our free resources page for guides, templates, and tools designed for small and rural churches.
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.