Seven Questions to Ask When You’re Not Hired Near Unanimously

Podcast Episode #297

Unanimous votes are rare when pastors are hired. But what if the vote isn’t even close to unanimous? Well, on today’s podcast we discuss a recent post on how to respond when that happens.

Some highlights from today’s episode include:

Cases can be made both for and against secret ballot votes to call pastors and staff.
A pastoral candidate’s age difference from the congregation average can lead to a less positive vote.
It can be difficult for a new pastor to follow a long-term pastor.
“If you’re a well-loved, long-term pastor, work on succession planning.”
Lack of familiarity with a staff position can cause a vote to be lower than normal.
Sometimes, low votes to bring on a staff member is more about a faction in the church than the candidate.

The seven questions to ask are:

Was the vote secret ballot or open vote?
What is the history of the church in voting to call pastors and staff?
Are you replacing a well-loved pastor or staff member?
Is the position new to many people?
How long has the position been vacant?
Are there factions and conflict in the church?
Were there internal candidates who did not get the position?

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