Pastor and Congregation Evaluation Packet

Evaluation of the ministry and the leadership of a congregation is natural and inevitable. Evaluation happens and a carefully designed evaluation process is vital for the health and growth of both pastor and congregation.

This packet is designed to provide an orientation to the delicate art of congregational leadership evaluation. It provides several evaluation tools designed for specific kinds of congregational situations.

Section A seeks to clarify the nature and purpose of a leadership evaluation process.

Section B lays out the theological basis for evaluations in what we believe about God and the church.

Section C speaks to the importance of preparation for periodic major evaluations by setting them into a pattern of normal on-going evaluation-conversations in the congregation. A list of conditions conducive to a growth-directed evaluation experience for both the pastor and the congregation is presented.

Section D provides a variety of evaluation tools. There is no "one size fits all" approach. Size, cultural tradition and ethnicity are just some of the ways congregations are distinct and that call for different approaches to leadership evaluation. For example, small congregations require different approaches from large multiple-staff congregations.