Applicants were solicited through the publications and/or websites of several Southern Baptist seminaries and organizations in Missouri and surrounding states. Twenty-seven resumes were received over the course of 2 months. Each applicant was considered carefully and prayerfully. We used the submitted information and our own online research to eliminate applicants who were unqualified or not a good fit for FBBC. With 9 applicants remaining, a list of additional questions was sent to each on the topics of theology, ministry philosophy and practice, and personal spiritual life. The responses to these questions helped us narrow the field down to 3. The team then spent 2 weeks in additional prayer and deeper investigation of those 3 candidates. After this time the team was confident and unified in the selection of Paul Damery as the candidate to present to the church for consideration.
Evaluating applicants can be a tricky process as you read/listen to what is said, but also attempt to identify personality types, ministry philosophy and style, areas of strength, and areas of concern. Although no candidate is perfect, and Paul is quick to admit his shortcomings, the team feels some of the areas Paul excels in are: a strong yet humble spiritual life, a pattern of leadership that is team-oriented, a sincere love for FBBC as well as the universal church, and a passion for disciple-making.
Questions that might arise that the Pastor Search Team would like to address: Was Paul the “easy” choice? Were all applicants given equal consideration? Did the elders influence the selection? And, if Paul was going to be the candidate, why did it take so long? When the team received Paul’s resume, we discussed what our responsibility was as a Search Team. We decided our task was to determine God’s leading, God’s BEST choice, and we could only do that if we weighed each applicant seriously, prayerfully, and equally. We treated Paul the same as every other applicant, several times double-checking our process and decisions to make sure we were not being swayed by personal bias, favoritism, or wrong motives. We were very careful and cautious, including not revealing details or any names to the elders or anyone outside of the team. With the exception of Elder Harold Arnold who was one of our team members, the elders were not involved in our process and did not attempt to influence our decisions. Paul’s information, answers, and references throughout this process have consistently demonstrated he is a faithful disciple, a man of consistent integrity and humility, and a thoughtful team player who understands, is invested in, and loves our church. Paul is not the “easy” choice, he is the right choice to bring before the church for consideration. The team invested a considerable amount of prayer, time, and effort to be 100% sure of that, and the team members would be happy to discuss these or any other concerns with any church member.
Team members: Jenny Binder, Harold Arnold, John Wheeler, Bridgit Shank, Mark Korell, Breanna Mather, and Landon Worstell.