Sr Warden's Report - St. Peter's Episcopal Church

How to Pray for the Pastoral Search Process*

When Christ was ministering to the crowds, his response was compassion and teaching. He did not tell the disciples to pray for those people. Instead, he said to pray for laborers (Matthew 9:34).

We should never forget that looking for a pastor is, first of all, a spiritual exercise. Everyone in our congregation has a part in this process. The most significant way for our church family to participate is to commit to prayer. I would like to suggest three areas that you might put at the top of your prayer list regarding our pastoral search.

Pray for our church.

It is one thing to seek someone who will be the pastor; it is another thing to be the right church.

1. Pray that St. Peter’s Episcopal Church will continue to seek the Lord in every aspect of its ministry. Pray that we will give attention to the most important responsibilities of the ministry. That worship will be vibrant, our witness will be visible, and our fellowship will be genuine.

2. Pray for perseverance. The search process can take time, but patience is a great teacher because it can produce growth and maturity (James 1:4).

3. Pray for unity. As we seek to find our next pastor pray that we, as a congregation, would put the most important things first.

Pray for a person of God’s choosing.

The Lord already knows who that person is, and we need to pray for them as we go through this process.

1. Pray that they will be open to the work the Lord is doing at St. Peter’s and that they will be excited about the opportunities here.

2. Pray that this opportunity would be a spiritual journey that will mark them in their trust in the Lord and provide an example to those at St. Peter’s of the importance of following the Lord.

3. Pray that the Lord will continue to use them where they are, as they honor the Lord by proclaiming His Word and faithfully serving in their present ministry.

4. Pray that this would be an adventure of faith for their whole family, as they seek together to serve the Lord in another place.

5. Pray that the Lord will prepare their heart for what is a mystery to them but not to the Lord.

Pray for the Vestry and the Search Committee.

Those serving in the search need God’s guidance.

1. There are so many aspects involved in the search committee’s work in just preparing for the search. Pray that their commitment to the task will stay strong and that they will be timely in the way that they accomplish each of their responsibilities.

2. Pray that they will put first things first. Finding our preacher is not just an organizational responsibility; it is a spiritual duty. Pray that they would continue to seek God in every aspect and that each member of the search committee will seek the Lord’s help.

3. Pray for strong unity in the process. Pray they will work together in a way that demonstrates love and honors all the members’ input.

4. Pray that their choices will reflect Godly wisdom. That they will be sensitive to the direction of the Lord as they look at potential candidates and make final recommendations to the Vestry and then to the congregation.

*This article is an adaptation of an article by Chris Brauns, Grace Baptist Church