“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
Over the past several months we have been reflecting upon the pastoral call process here at Calvary. So far we have looked at the questions: “What are we looking for in a pastor,” “What are we hoping this pastor will do,” and “Why is this process taking so long?”
Being that Pastor Paul Dickerson recently declined the position in October, this month we reflect upon the question, “How do we deal with the disappointment when a pastor doesn’t
accept?”
There are many reasons that a pastor may choose to remain in his current congregation and current position. A call process is not the same as a job interview. The candidates involved in a call process are not always looking for a new church and a new position, but we are asking them to be open to considering where God is leading them in their service within the wider “church.” A pastoral call is also not a corporate ladder by which someone climbs to higher ranks or higher authority or even higher pay. We seek through a call process to match the unique skills and personality of a pastor to the unique needs and personality of a congregation. While there are many places a pastor “might” serve faithfully, the Lord does have unique plans for the ministry of His church. Thus far in both the calls that we have extended, we have seen candidates that would have and could have served at Calvary very well. They fit our church culture, our position, and our mission and ministry very well. They had incredibly positive things to say about our church, our leadership, and our ministry. They were very likable people to those who met with them during their deliberation process. Unfortunately for us but not for God’s wider kingdom, each candidate saw that the Lord was leading them to serve in other capacities at this time. They both spoke positively about how this time of deliberation helped them clarify how God is using them in their current ministries and where He is leading them in their future service.
So, if there is anyone out there asking the question, “Is there something the matter with us, our position, or our process,” then I would share that both candidates have very clearly answered that their decision came down to what God is doing within their ministry and family life, and not any concerns of what is going on at Calvary.
While it can be hard to not see the progress that we desire and while it can especially be difficult for the call committee and other leaders who really start to get to know these pastors, we know that God is still in control. How do we deal with these disappointments? We turn to God’s Word which gives us the reminder that Jesus is still Lord of the church, we still have the great joy of the forgiveness and love of a Savior who will never leave us nor forsake us, and that we as a congregation and individual members of it still have a mission that we are to be about it. We comfort ourselves with God’s words of promise and we continue to pursue His will and guidance as we seek him in prayer and in the mutual conversation of fellow believers. May God assure you that He has this covered and may He continue to guide our congregation as we take our next step forward within this pastoral call process.
