Search Committee Members

Chair (Ida Stewart) : The chair is responsible for the care and feeding of the committee, and for holding the vision. The chair needs to enjoy keeping a finger on the pulse of everything and to be easy to reach, not terrified by conflict, and able to use tough love if necessary. The chair convenes meetings and is the primary communicator with the board, the Settlement Office, the MSR, and the District Executive

Packet Editor and Distributor (Terry Leyenberger): The editor needs to have an artistic flair, love compiling material, and be confident of creating a fair and attractive picture of the congregation. In distribution mode, the editor sends copies of the Congregational Record to prospective candidates, receives and renews returned ones, and receives candidates’ packets and creates the means by which all committee members see them in a timely fashion.

Arranger (Gay Lynn Pierce): The arranger sets up preaching dates in area churches for pre-candidates and see that everyone has all the information they need. Flexibility and creativity are required, since the arrangements are for an minister unknown with a church not known whose administrator (also not known) wants to get the Sunday morning schedule squared away before the details can be known. The arranger also looks to the care and comfort of the pre-candidates (and later the candidate) from the moment they arrive until they leave. Who will meet them? Where will they stay? Where/when will they eat? Who will drive them where? What will a tour include? No detail is too small to influence a candidate’s first impression of the congregation.

Reference Checker (Sharon Ossowski): The checker designs some type of instrument to chart the information the committee wants about each candidate and devises a way to communicate findings to the committee.

Secretary (Susie Robinson): The secretary communicates with the prospective candidates, keeping them informed of the committee’s process. The secretary is also the primary communicator to the congregation of the committee's progress, by a regular newsletter column, a well-designed and often-updated bulletin board, and other means. The secretary also keeps detailed notes and minutes of committee meetings. The amount of communication needed is inestimable; the secretary needs to like doing it.

Survey coordinator (Scot Bealer): The surveyor needs to have a passion for learning who the congregation is and what their wants/needs/hopes/desires are, and a vision of how to do it. The surveyor will create the survey instrument and survey events capable of eliciting thoughtful, reflective, and plenteous response I a form that will effectively communicate that response to the prospective candidates.

Treasurer (Ray Brotherhood): The treasurer creates the budget, keeps expenses on track, and makes sure committee members account for expenses and are reimbursed in a timely fashion. The treasurer reports to the Finance Committee, but in such a way that the identities of the ministers under consideration are not revealed. The treasurer often heads up the negotiating team.