Please remember our congregation in prayer, as we move to call a new pastor.
Approximately 7 months ago, our pastor resigned due to serious health issues. We have since been led by a wonderful interim minister, an elderly, retired American Baptist missionary. In April, the congregation nominated seven of us, myself included, to a pastoral search committee. Having examined church finances, denominational and church preferences regarding college or university education, seminary training, church history, denominational dogma and church doctrine, etc., we presented three options to the congregation for consideration: a full-time minister with benefits, a full-time minister with some benefits or a part-time, transitional minister (bi-vocational or retired) with no benefits.
Our recommendation to the congregation was unanimous-- a full-time pastor with benefits-- and that recommendation was preferred by 94% of the congregation. On motion and second (gotta love Baptists! 
), the pastoral church committee was charged with creating a full church profile for distribution to prospective candidates, seeking resumes regionally and nationally, interviewing candidates, visiting likely candidates in their present congregations, inviting candidates to preach a sermon at our church and, ultimately, recommending a candidate to the whole congregation.
Remember us in your prayers, as we enter this final stage of our search. Pray that God will lead us in this work.
Thank you!
= new reply since forum marked as read
It is a lot of work, but it's a labor of love.
Our Church Covenant states, "... 11.) We resolve to respectfully and honorably engage all men and women of good will, seeking always to promote and sustain peaceful relations with our neighbors, and with all mankind." We have both pagans and atheists helping us in our soup kitchen, food pantry and homeless shelter, and we are glad of it. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus' first charge to the Disciples was "...Feed my lambs". Nowhere does He say, "But pagans can't help you do so". 
It is odd how other congregations instinctively know that you've come to 'scope out' their pastor. I wish that more people understood that we are there only because their pastor has first indicated an interest in our open pulpit, and not vice-versa.