Memo from the pastoral search committee

Many companies are expanding and they are massively hiring. I know because many of them are my clients, and this is good for the country. The international business front realizes the potential of our local talents, and for this reason alone it makes me glad. This brings me to the issue of hiring people. It is not easy and can be quite challenging.

We spend a great deal of money posting want ads on the internet, and many applications come in. But choosing the right person is not easy. No matter what business gurus say, and no matter what guidelines they provide, you still take risks, and the whole process of choosing people is still a hit or miss, trial and error game. Hiring problems and getting the right person for the right fit has always been challenging.

Have you ever wondered how Jesus chose his disciples? What were the qualifications did he look for? And if you translate this into a modern-day staff search, how would he post a want-ad?

Here is an old material credited to anonymity, and I hope this induces a smile on your face as you read this.

A church is in need of a pastor. After interviewing many applicants, the search committee came up with the following report, which they gave to the chairman of the board. I want to share this with you, and you tell me whether it is possible or not. Here goes: The following scratch sheet was developed for your perusal in our search for a suitable pastor. Of the candidates investigated by the committee, only one was found to have the necessary qualities. The list contains the names of the candidates and comments about each one should you be interested in investigating them further for future pastoral placements.

Noah - He has 120 years of preaching experience, but no converts.

Moses - He stutters, and members of  his former congregation say he loses his temper over trivial things.

Abraham - He took off to Egypt during hard times. We heard that he got into trouble with the authorities and then tried to lie his way out.

David - He is an unacceptable moral character. He might have been considered a minister of music had he not fallen.

Solomon - He has a reputation for wisdom, but fails to practice what he preaches.

Elijah - He proved to be inconsistent and is known to fold under pressure.

Hosea - His family life is in shambles. Divorced and remarried to a prostitute.

Jeremiah - He is too emotional, alarmist; some say a real pain in the neck.

Amos - comes from a farming background. Better off picking figs.

John - He says he is a Baptist, but lacks tact and dresses like a hippie. I would not feel comfortable around him at a church potluck supper.

Peter - Has a bad temper and was heard to have even denied Christ publicly.

Paul - We found him to lack tact. He is too harsh. His appearance is contemptible, and he preaches far too long.

Timothy - He has potential, but is much too young for the position.

Jesus - He tends to offend church members with his preaching, especially Bible scholars. He is also too controversial. He even offended the search committee with his pointed questions.

Judas - He seemed to be very practical, cooperative, good with money, cares for the poor, and dresses well. We all agreed that he is just the man we are looking for to fill our senior pastor vacancy.

Thank you for all you have done in assisting us with our pastoral search.

Sincerely,

The Pastoral Search Committee.

Man looks at the external while God looks at the heart.

Somebody says the CV or resume is the biggest statement of lie one can ever make. Perhaps it is unfair to make such a claim, but how many times have we hired people we thought would bring value to our company, only to have them betray our trust and leave us asking the question: Why did I ever hire that person in the first place?”

Meanwhile, I go back to interviewing all these applicants. While God sees the heart, I can’t. Understand what I mean?

(Francis Kong’s podcast “Inspiring Excellence” is now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other podcast streaming platforms.)