When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles and Practices to Guide Your Search

"You will have no higher responsibility than the one entrusted to you now. You are asked to help choose the next pastor for your congregation.The person you choose will be charged with teaching God’s Word to the assembled church Sunday after Sunday. It is not the only task assigned to a pastor but it is an essential task. It resembles passing for a quarterback in football. He must do more than throw the football; but if he can’t pass he cannot play the position. You will be wise as a committee to seek for guidance in your selection. I heartily recommend When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search by Chris Brauns as a tool to guide you to an effective biblical preacher to teach and lead your church. Read it; study it; and act on it. You will be helped and your church will benefit."

"The pastoral search process can be confusing and intimidating, especially in the hands of lay people who have never faced such a weighty responsibility before. Too many search committees let pragmatic concerns rather than biblical principles determine their course of action, and that is a recipe for disaster. Chris Brauns shows us a better way. Pastoral search committees will find this book an immensely helpful resource."

"When a church is looking for a pastor, its first priority must be to find a preacher. Preaching is not all a pastor is called to do, but it is the central, nonnegotiable task of ministry. Thus, a clear understanding of the preaching task is the responsibility of those conducting the search for a new pastor so that they will faithfully fulfill their charge. This book provides sound, biblically based advice and counsel that congregations and search committees will find to be invaluable, as will pastors who will come to a clearer understanding of their own calling."

"A high percentage of pastoral searches are triggered by conflict, which is a frequent reason churches lose one pastor and start looking for another. If the next fit is not good, the cycle will only repeat itself. This is why I am eager to recommend Chris’s book to every church that is looking for a new pastor. By drawing on the wisdom of God’sWord, Chris will help you get it right . . . and have some fun in the process."

"In the normal course of events, the search for a pastor should not be a regular event in the life of a congregation. When a church needs to find a pastor, therefore, many have little guidance as to how to go about the process. Chris Brauns’s book is the only resource of its kind that I have ever seen. If your church is searching for a pastor, or if you are a pastor seeking to equip your congregation to follow biblical guidelines when that day does come, I highly recommend this thoughtful, practical, biblical work to you."

"The next time someone asks me for advice on conducting a pastoral search process I will tell him to read this book. This isn’t the only book you should read prior to launching your search, but it is the first. This book is practical, theological, biblical, and wise.And when a pertinent topic isn’t covered, Chris Brauns points you to the right resources. There are few decisions more crucial for a church than picking the right pastor. You owe it to yourself to read this book. It will help churches and pastors avoid lots of common mistakes."