Pastor Calvin Wittman recently met a younger pastor who shared that he felt betrayed by the Pastor Search Committee. When they called him, they had painted a picture of a church that simply needed a good leader, a strong preacher, and someone to love their people. In reality the church had been divided for years, had limited growth potential, and had run off more than one pastor. Betrayed, deceived, and disappointed the pastor felt justified in wiping the dust off his feet and leaving the church to its own devices.
Unfortunately this story is far too common. It is sad but true: pastor search committees often lie to potential pastors. Search committees are not intentionally deceitful, but sometimes they just don’t tell all the truth. They love their church and that love tends to cloud their vision. This, of course, begs the questions, how can a pastor see the truth before he takes the church and what is he to do when he gets to the church and finds out he’s been duped?
In the first place, getting a clear picture of where a church really is can be difficult. As with any dating relationship, only the best foot is put forward. There are, however, several things you can do when seeking information on a church you are considering.

• 1. Do your homework
  • Talk to other pastors in the area, to former pastors and former staff members, they will know more about the church than anyone else. While some of them will not want to say anything negative, you should be able to discern quite a bit both from what is said and from what is not said. While you will have to filter each person’s opinion through their individual experience with the church, there is still a lot to be learned from good old fashioned footwork.
• 2. Look at their history
  • How long have their pastors stayed? How they ever fired a pastor? What were the circumstances surrounding his dismissal? Look for patterns over the last several decades. Chances are, many of the same people are still there and history has a tendency to repeat itself. I’ve always said that the way a church has treated pastors in the past is a good indication of how they will treat me.
• 3. Be objective
  • One of the reasons many pastors get into bad situations is because they are hearing only what they want to hear. They may be in such a hurry to get to a “better” church that they overlook glaring realities.
    • · How badly do you want to go somewhere else?
    • · How is that affecting your ability to see clearly and to hear the truth?
  • While committees are often prone to paint an overly optimistic picture, it is easy to do when a potential pastor is only listening for what he wants to hear.
• 4. Listen to your family
  • Your wife and children will be looking at things to which you may be blinded. On more than one occasion I had to learn this lesson the hard way because I would not listen to my family. Remember, your family has just as much at stake in this decision as you do. God has put them there to help you. Listen to what they say, especially when it is what you don’t want to hear.
  • For more on this, see my article on 10 Issues to Clarify When Dealing with a Search Committee.

But, what do you do if you realize you have been deceived?

• 1. God wants to use you where you are.
  • Once you are the pastor, the circumstances under which you took the job become irrelevant. The reality is that as God’s appointed leader you have a responsibility to allow God to use you. Loving those who have betrayed you is something foundational to our faith. If you can’t do this, you have no business in ministry. No one ever said it would be easy. You have to bloom where you’re planted.
• 2. God wants to teach you something where you are
  • Few things are more tragic than wasted pain. In the midst of your difficulty God is continuing His work to transform you into the image of Christ. Stop fighting and yield to His Spirit’s work. When our circumstances break us, it is much easier for God to reshape us. God will use all of your pain to His kingdom’s gain if you will allow Him to.
• 3. God wants to keep you where you are till He’s finished with you there
  • God’s timing is perfect. He knows your name; He knows your hurts and the desires of your heart. He has a purpose for you and as long as you are submitted to Him He will accomplish that purpose in His own time. Till then rest in Him. Don’t waste your time or energy trying to right the wrongs committed against you. Leave that to Him. As long as your heart stays where it should be with Him, you’re future is secure. Finally remember that there are no perfect churches. They all have problems, if they didn’t they wouldn’t need pastors! The goal is not to find a church with no problems, simply to have a realistic picture of the church’s problems before you agree to be their pastor. Knowing the truth beforehand can not only keep us from being deceived but will help us as we seek to lead the church to truly be the people of God.