Contemporary pastors are expected to have:
- The entrepreneurial skills of Mark Zuckerberg
- The counseling skills of Dr. Phil
- The organizational abilities of Stephen Covey
- The authenticity of Oprah
- The compassion of Mother Teresa
- The courage of William Wallace
- The humor of Jon Stewart
No pastor will meet all the characteristics that people want in a pastor. However, the clearer the thinking about what is needed and wanted will greatly help in the selection process. Based on the most recent online Sunridge survey here is a list of what survey respondents said they desire in the permanent lead pastor:
- Sunridge wants a Bible preacher who approaches teaching Scripture systematically. You also want that preaching to be practical, focusing on what people need to grow in their Christian faith.
- Clearly, a pastor who is a people-person is desired. At every option, survey respondents made this clear. Sunridgers want a pastor who is good with people and, more than anything else, interested in helping people.
- Sunridge desires a lead pastor who will truly lead the congregation, but who is a team player. Sunridge has a well-developed Elder Team who want and need to be part of this leadership team.
- Sunridge desires a lead pastor who is practical in his orientation. People want him to understand both how and why things work the way they do. “Pie-in-sky” is not the desired style.
- Sunridge desires a pastor who genuinely enjoys being with people and is enthusiastic, but not manipulative.
- While people at Sunridge appreciate a high pace, you want a pastor who still has time to listen when appropriate.
- The church would like a pastor who is a careful planner and who is careful with details—the gift of Administration. If he happens to be good at financial planning, that would be a bonus.
No pastor will be able to do all these things well. However, it is invaluable to have considered in advance what is really important to the Sunridge church family.