Attributes Of A Senior Pastor

    I have been asked by a number of people about the call process and the search for a new senior pastor.  I have talked with Scott Watamaniuk (chairperson of the Call Committee) about using my blog as a way to answer those questions.  I hope the following helps you understand what has and is happening in the call process.
    One way to understand the call process is to recognize that there are basically three types of clergy teams in the church.  The first team is baseball.  A baseball player primarily plays one position.  A baseball player does not have to coordinate his play with the other players on the field; i.e., it does not matter if the third baseman plays on or off the line to the first baseman.  A good baseball player functions effectively in a congregation worshiping less than 150 per weekend.
    The second team is doubles tennis.  A doubles tennis team is made up of two pastors who are about equal in the skills and abilities.  They divide the ministry of the congregation according to their personal likes and dislikes.  They easily substitute for each other when required to do so.  In doubles tennis, each pastor has to coordinate his or her efforts with the other pastor.  A doubles tennis team serve congregations worshiping between 200 and 400 per weekend. When attendance reaches 400 per weekend, growth stops in a congregation led by a double tennis team.
    The third type of team is football.  In a football team, the senior pastor is the coach and every other staff member is a position player.  The coach is responsible to coordinate the play of the team so the team can achieve the goals of the congregation.  Senior pastors who are football coaches lead congregations worshiping more than 400 per weekend.
    Epiphany is searching for a senior pastor who is a football coach!  Epiphany’s current worship attendance (between 400-450 per weekend), puts it numerically in the top 4% of ELCA congregations.  That means the Synod is looking for senior pastor candidates for Epiphany from about 4% to 5% of ELCA congregations.  The Synod may also look for candidates who are excellent doubles tennis players and who are willing and capable of becoming a football coach.  The pool of candidates is small.
    There is another element to the call process that needs to be recognized; namely, the current economy.  Some prospective candidates do not want to move because they believe they cannot sell their house in this market.  Others do not want to move because their spouse is afraid that he or she cannot find a job in our area.  These two factors grow a small pool of candidates even smaller.
    The above realities (a future senior pastor needs to be a football coach, be willing to take the risk that his or house will sell, and that a spouse will find a job) is a “perfect storm” effecting Epiphany’s search for a new senior pastor.  Despite these challenges, Pastor Ed Williams, who is responsible for finding candidates for Epiphany, has identified two candidates who are willing to talk with our call committee.  One has already visited the congregation.  The other is coming in another week.  As of today, there is a third possibility.
    I write this blog to help you understand what is happening in the call process.  Questions?  Ask and I will try to answer them.
Pastor Pete