Like Leader Like People -- Part III

This is the third installment regarding advice or instructions for a nominating committee. 

Eighth, walk through this process with honesty, grace, and confidentiality.  None of us is perfect and none of us knows perfectly.  Nevertheless, we must talk honestly.  We may disqualify someone without looking down on them.  So we give ourselves this permission and it only works if we maintain that our deliberations are confidential.  The group may say what the limits of this are with respect to spouse. 

Ninth, I prefer that everyone finds out who is on the slate at the same time and I prefer it to happen at the congregational meeting or the week just prior.  This saves us from last minute second guessing of the committee by the congregation or them politicking for an alternate.  Alternates, of course, are permissible from the floor.  Note, however, that the extra name adds to our ballot without the benefit of committee discussion or candidate prayer.  It also lead to votes in which someone wins and someone loses. 

Tenth, pray not only before and after and in-between meetings but during them as well. 

Eleventh, how a person is asked makes a difference in how they respond and serve.  If the asking is lackadaisical, the person’s chance of saying no may increase.  And if they say yes, their serving may reflect that this wasn’t all that important. We’ll talk about how to ask in the most meaningful ways.  Please, if you are asked to ask someone, contact them not with the invite but with a request to meet in person with the pastor.

Twelth, your pastors are ex-officio members meaning that they serve on this committee perpetually.  They are also without vote.  But they are not without voice.  Don’t meet without a quorum.  Don’t meet without the pastors. 

Thirteenth, the nominating committee is for the year in the event that any vacancies arise.

Fourteenth, a simple process for moving along to a final slate is to have everyone bring a pre-determined number of names, to list them, to have everyone vote for their top four (or however many names are being placed on the slate), to tally and drop those without votes, and to refine the list further by discussion plus further voting.  A permutation on this method is to rank order each person’s top four candidates with the tally reflecting the rank position (for example, Joe Smith 1 +3 +1 +1 =6 and Mary Jones 2+ 2+ 3 +3 =10).  Discuss and refine by voting from those with the best scores.

Thank you for your service to Jesus Christ and this church.