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Northwest conv. adds pastor search resource


VANCOUVER, Wash. (BP) — The Northwest Baptist Convention has developed a new resource to help churches find a pastor when vacancies occur.

“The biggest difference we can make in helping a church is in working together to ensure it makes good decisions in selecting a new pastor,” said Randy Adams, executive director of the convention encompassing 480-plus churches in Oregon, Washington and northern Idaho.

Clint Ashley, a special consultant for church leadership with the convention, developed the resource with input from Adams and Joe Flegal, NWBC evangelism and church health director.

“There’s a lot of good material out there, but some of it is cumbersome and too lengthy to help many search teams. This is a shorter, streamlined version of some of the more helpful items,” Adams said of the new resource, titled “Guidance in the Pastor Search Journey.”

“When we learn of a pastoral vacancy, the church will receive a letter from me outlining ways we can help and suggest an initial contact person to learn about what the next steps might be,” Adams said.

In the past, the convention has assisted churches seeking resumes of potential candidates. That will continue, Adams said, but additional resources are often necessary. The steps range from developing a spiritual foundation for the process early on to ways for completing thorough background checks.

“Leadership transitions are not easy, but they present a fresh opportunity to revisit God’s mission for the church and rekindle a vision for impacting the community with the good news,” Adams said.

Contact information for the convention can be accessed at https://www.nwbaptist.org/contact-us.