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The on-sight visit should give ample opportunities for the candidate to relate to different groups within the church. Individual and group meetings should be arranged with the pastor, churchwide staff, and music staff. A rehearsal or informal time should be arranged with the church's main choirs and ensembles. A time for meetings with a congregational group should also be arranged. A mini-concert or other performance can be helpful, if desired, although many ministers of music are generally skilled in a variety of areas rather than being specifically skilled in one performance medium. Many fine music ministers are not stellar performers. The committee should provide ample information for the candidate to begin to assess the church and prepare for the interview. This material should include budget, long-range plans, community information, past orders of worship, constitution and by-laws, a job description, and other items decided on by the committee. These documents should be sent to the candidate before he/she arrives for the interview.

Assessing the Candidate Beyond the References

The committee is encouraged to assess the candidate beyond the references that he/she provides. Additional references may be requested, although no one would knowingly suggest a negative reference. Possibilities for additional references may include denominational leaders, staff members in former churches, or former teachers not listed as references. In addition, you may want to request transcripts from academic work and copies of written job assessments. Many committees choose to request a credit report and other reports that may indicate criminal activity. In general, church committees are far too likely to assume that anyone who applies for a church ministry position is a good person and worthy of being hired. This is not necessarily true!

The Interview

The interview is the time for the committee and the candidate to get to know each other; therefore, the committee should spend time preparing for the interview. The preparation time (which might include one or more practice interviews) will be well spent, for it will allow you to ask the questions that you deem important. It will also keep you from using the first candidate as an opportunity for the committee to learn its role! See the section, "The Interview," earlier in this chapter.

As you prepare for the interview, think of questions that probe the candidate's church music philosophy, ministry skills, musical knowledge and preparation, and ability to reason and use good judgment. Questions that involve situations or case studies are often most helpful in assessing ministry and problem solving skills. In addition, consider asking the candidate to come with a list of goals and objectives for the music ministry. Consider allowing the candidate to talk with specific members of the committee in order to prepare.

Salary

In all the search process, perhaps salary is the most awkward aspect. The committee is sometimes hesitant to mention this subject, and the candidate may feel that mentioning salary will appear inappropriate; therefore the committee should bring up salary rather than forcing the candidate to do so. This issue may be best discussed with the chairman, church administrator, or pastor rather than the full committee. A specific salary package should not be discussed at this stage; however, a possible range should be given so that the candidate has all the information. It may also be helpful for the committee to have some idea of whether or not the church's proposed salary is within an appropriate range for the candidate; however, I strongly recommend against asking the candidate his/her current salary!

Follow Up and Making a Decision

Once the interview(s) has been conducted, the committee should meet as soon as possible to make a decision. Each person should present his/her impression of the candidate(s). The committee should then attempt to reach a consensus. Once the consensus is reached, the committee should contact the candidate to negotiate specific aspects of the hiring. These details will include salary, moving expenses, retirement, insurance and other benefits, vacation, administrative support, time frame for the move, and potential housing. Once all this is communicated, the candidate should be given time to make a decision. Usually one to two weeks is adequate. The candidates who were not chosen should not be contacted until a person has been hired. If the first candidate does not accept the position, the committee may want to pursue one of the other candidates.

There will often be a negotiation process that will only involve the candidate, the committee chair, the pastor, and the personnel committee chair. Negotiations usually involve salary, benefits, and job expectations. The number of people involved in this process will be determined by the church's tradition and practice. A negotiation process should not be viewed negatively, for when these details are worked out prior to the acceptance of the position, the actual working relationship will be more effective. In order to protect the church and the candidate, all aspects of salary, benefits, job description, and other items should be in writing. There should be no verbal agreements.

When the process is complete, the documents related to the process should be destroyed. There is no value in keeping committee notes from references or minutes of meetings that contain confidential information about the candidate or the committee. A file with appropriate information related to the process should be maintained in the church's files; however, it should be purged of confidential information.

Once the decision is confirmed and the position accepted in writing, the committee should contact the other candidates (all who applied/were considered and those who were on the short list). The letter should thank them for their interest, the time involved in applying, and the emotional energy exerted. The letter should tell the candidates who the committee chose and when he/she will begin ministry.