STEP 9: THE CONGREGATION MEETING TO CALL A ROSTERED MINISTER

  • Consult with your congregation's constitution for the procedure for calling a special congregation meeting to call a pastor or Sample Congregation Meeting Agenda to Call a Rostered Minister. Minutes of this meeting must be taken and submitted to the synod. (For Hybrid Meeting resources, click here.)
  • Communication about this special meeting needs to honor confidentiality of the candidate. For example, the congregation council has called a special congregation meeting on “this date” to vote on a call of a new rostered minister. (No names are shared in any prior communication to the meeting.)
  • In consultation with the rostered minister, the call committee presents the name for call at the congregation Consider the best way, given all circumstances, to present a brief report, respecting confidentially, of the candidate to the congregation. (A short bio; pictures; excerpts from the minister's RMP)
  • After a time for questions, conversation and prayer, those present at the congregation meeting vote by secret/anonymous ballot. A 2/3 majority is required to call a rostered minister. Actual vote numbers need to be reported in the minutes of the meeting. These minutes need to be submitted to the synod office.
  • If the vote to call is approved, contact the candidate and synod staff immediately and then proceed to Step 10!
  • If the vote to call fails, contact the candidate and synod staff and they will go back to Step 7 of the handbook.
  • The candidate will have up to 30 days to discern their response to the call of the
  • When the candidate accepts the call, the signed compensation and benefit agreement needs to be submitted to the synod.