Hosting a Candidate (Best Practices)

It is finally time! After months of prayer, preparation, and meetings. After receiving and reviewing dozens or even hundreds of resumes. After zoom meetings and phone calls, it is finally time for your church to host a new candidate and potential leader within your ministry. But now the question remains, “What do we do now?!” While some large churches have HR departments, the majority of churches depend on a group of volunteers or a paid staff person to handle these situations. The challenge is that searching and hosting candidates are not parts of the regular rhythm of ministry. At best, there is a volunteer who has hired people for their companies or work in the corporate world. However, the local church is different. Over the past 20 years, I have sat on both sides of this challenge – as a candidate and as a host. I have also served as a Search Coach helping churches all across the country. Today however, I’d like to share a few Best Practices that I have discovered along the way.

Be Hospitable

This might seem like a no brainer but let me explain. The word hospitable is defined as “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” Sometimes in genuine efforts to be generous, I have seen churches overschedule candidates and undervalue rest. A few years ago, my family was flown to visit a church in the south. After driving 2 hours to the airport, waiting 3 hours to take off, flying for 3.5 hours, waiting in the car rental line for 1 hour, driving 3 hours to the hotel – my wife, our two young daughters, and myself were met by two members of the Search Team at the hotel and ushered to dinner right away, where we sat in a private room with the entire team of 13 new faces that my family had never seen before. By the time we returned to our hotel and unpack, we had been in “travel mode” for 18 hours with a time change.

We were then given 8 hours to get the girls ready for bed, shower, sleep, wake up, and get ready for our first meeting the next day! This gruesome schedule carried on for 5 days. Meeting after meeting. Meal after meal. Interviews for me and activities for the family. The church was kind and I believe their intentions were good. However, my family was exhausted, the kids were whiny, and my wife was getting frustrated. This is not a healthy formula for making a good impression.

The church was generous by providing a hotel and paying for our travel (flights, car rental, meals) – all steps that I believe every church should do when hosting a candidate. However, the schedule was a bit much for me and my family. If we were to do this all over again, my suggestion would be to create time and space for rest. Perhaps giving a candidate extra time to explore the area on their own, or allowing them time to enjoy the hotel pool or visit local parks. Remember, this family is also trying to imagine what their future will look like in this new community. One side note – I have always been blessed when the church offers a “welcome basket” with our family’s favorite snacks, treats, and local commodities.

Be Honest

This is a big one! I get, you want to make your best impression. Maybe you have been without a Student Pastor for over a year, or this is your first Worship Pastor hire. It is tempting to oversell the role, the community, and even the staff. I believe in full transparency. That is one thing I appreciated about the church we visited that I mentioned above.

This church however, was right in the middle of an extreme WindFactor™ risk. They have experienced 49 hurricanes since 1930! In fact, we were just a few weeks removed from a tropical storm hitting the area. The flooding, the rummage, and the destruction was still evident as piles of household goods  stood on the side of the road.

As a Midwesterner though, this was the first time our family had experienced something like this. The search team at church, shared stories about loss in their lives but also shared how moments like these open the doors for practical ministry and gospel conversations. The church had become a storm shelter for many and provided meals over the years for many displaced families.

Be honest about the attitude and chemistry of the staff. If someone on staff applied for  the role, but you turned them down, make sure that the candidate knows this before making an offer. Staff health is a major component of church health. The healthier the team, the healthier  the church. You are inviting a new person and family into your ecosystem, make sure to share the good and bad. This process will foster trust and set the tone for an open, honest working relationship from the very beginning.

Are their skeletons in your closet? Has the church walked through moral failings (sexual,  financial, etc.)? How much debt do you have? Are there any potential accusations of abuse, misconduct, or fraud that this person will be walking into? If you have not already, hosting a candidate is the time to lay it all out on the table. Set the tone for honesty and humility as you both consider future ministry that is modeled and led by Jesus. Overall, church transparency from the outset builds trust and ensures alignment in mission and values.

Have A Plan

This is crucial. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a church lose out on a great candidate because they did not have a plan. It is not uncommon for churches to host a candidate, then wait a week or longer before making a decision. Remember, you have prayed over this, you have researched, and interviewed for months (sometimes years). Now is the time to make a decision – yes or no. A clear, decisive plan not only shows respect for the candidate’s time but also demonstrates the church’s commitment to moving forward in its mission. Indecision at this stage can signal instability or lack of direction, which might cause a highly qualified candidate to look elsewhere.

I heard a story about a church that I once served at. I had gone through the interview process, and it was one of the most grueling I had ever encountered. Multiple Zoom meetings. Three onsite visits. Two recorded interviews. Just when the team was about to make a decision, a new application came in. The team considered pausing the next steps until, thankfully, one of the members said, “We cannot do this to this man and his family.

We either need to say yes to David Shane, or let him go and keep searching.” It was exactly what the team needed to hear. I was offered the position, and my family made the transition a few weeks later. This experience taught me the importance of having a plan and sticking to it, as wavering at the last minute can cause unnecessary stress and uncertainty for everyone involved. A well-defined plan keeps the process on track and honors the time and effort invested by both the church and the candidate.

It is tempting for us to wonder “what if.” What if there is a better candidate out there?  What if it does not work? What if we make the wrong choice? What if he does not stay as long  as we had hoped? What if…fill in the blank!

That is why we pray. We seek God. Then we trust in the counsel of others as we move forward in faith.

When you are hosting a candidate: Be Hospitable, Be Honest, Do Not Hesitate.

Blog Written by David Shane Barnett

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