Over the following few days I will present a series of sample questions that a search committee or board of elders might consider asking of any pastor/elder or deacon candidate. These questions were written by my pastor, Lance Quinn, of The Bible Church of Little Rock.I'll start with the first five questions (there are 20 total) and Lance's explanation of why he made this list. I'm posting them as a series, because I think we would all do well to think about each of these (or a few at a time) to see how we measure up. Also, even if you don't think these apply to you directly - perhaps you have no aspirations for church leadership - they are still good qualities to have for anyone who claims the name of Christ.
The following questions are a sampling of what might be asked in an interview for prospective Elders. The sampling of questions could also be modified for use in a Deacon interview. These questions are not intended to be exhaustive; they are however intended to be representative of the kinds of questions churches often don’t ask before affirming men to serve in positions of leadership in the local church. You are encouraged to reproduce this sampling of questions for your church leadership interviews.
Please note: When asking these or other questions of an Elder/Deacon Candidate, I am by no means assuming that we are asking these men for perfection! We are however, seeking a direction in their life toward holiness of character which speaks of what God is doing in them and with them as they aspire to serve the body of Christ.
1. Give us the testimony of your conversion to Christ. Give us a clear gospel presentation.
2. What specific changes in your life have you seen since your conversion to Christ? Define for us the doctrine of sanctification.
3. How do you approach the shepherding of your own family? Give us an idea of your family worship. How would you rate yourself in this area? Productive and Consistent? Helpful? Struggling? Non-existent? How do you go about shepherding your family spiritually?
4. Give us a ministry profile of your involvement in the lives of people and churches, both past and present. You do not need to be exhaustive, but please provide some level of detail about your ministry experience.
5. Among the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, which are most consistently true of you and which are true of you but to a lesser degree? What is your plan to work on strengthening these lesser areas?
To be continued...
Sample Questions for Interview with Elder/Deacon Candidate
The following questions are a sampling of what might be asked in an interview for prospective Elders. The sampling of questions could also be modified for use in a Deacon interview. These questions are not intended to be exhaustive; they are however intended to be representative of the kinds of questions churches often don’t ask before affirming men to serve in positions of leadership in the local church. You are encouraged to reproduce this sampling of questions for your church leadership interviews.
Please note: When asking these or other questions of an Elder/Deacon Candidate, I am by no means assuming that we are asking these men for perfection! We are however, seeking a direction in their life toward holiness of character which speaks of what God is doing in them and with them as they aspire to serve the body of Christ.
1. Give us the testimony of your conversion to Christ. Give us a clear gospel presentation.
2. What specific changes in your life have you seen since your conversion to Christ? Define for us the doctrine of sanctification.
3. How do you approach the shepherding of your own family? Give us an idea of your family worship. How would you rate yourself in this area? Productive and Consistent? Helpful? Struggling? Non-existent? How do you go about shepherding your family spiritually?
4. Give us a ministry profile of your involvement in the lives of people and churches, both past and present. You do not need to be exhaustive, but please provide some level of detail about your ministry experience.
5. Among the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, which are most consistently true of you and which are true of you but to a lesser degree? What is your plan to work on strengthening these lesser areas?
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment