Goal: To give Reliant an understanding of their level of experience and spiritual giftings as it relates to their ministry role. Potential staff level must be estimated, but level determination later will determine salary offer.
Generally this isn't an area we defer for in Staff Missionary Level 1 positions. However, if we have concerns due to significant lack of experience, we'd want to share those thoughts with the local leadership. Pastors or Church Planters with low experience may be a red flag.

IDEAL

• Staff Missionary: two or more years of experience in at least part-time ministry in the job description described (e.g. evangelism, small group leadership, etc).
• Pastor: 5 or more years of experience in at least bi-vocational/part-time ministry in the job description described (not necessarily ordained). Experience leading and managing others.
• Lead Church Planter: While a church planter may not be formally ordained, the ideal candidate has all of the above for pastor, plus: evidence of entrepreneurial experience (starting things from scratch) and full positive assessment from a sending church, church planting network or denomination.
• Lead Pastor: A pastor who will have other pastors reporting to them ideally has all as noted for ideal pastor above, but an additional 3+ years in ordained ministry for total of 8 years ministry experience or more.

AREA OF CONCERN

• Staff Missionary: Has a year or less experience in any of the specific areas indicated in the job description that are not marked as an apprentice, intern, or learning role
• Staff Missionary: Has no sense of spiritual gifts for ministry
• Staff Missionary: Has a year or less experience in general ministry
  • Recommend voluntary deferral to gain more ministry experience
• Pastor: Less than 5 years of ministry experience
• Lead Church Planter: Has not been assessed by a recognized church planting network or denomination
• Lead Pastor: Less than 3 years of ordained ministry experience.

SIGNIFICANT CONCERN

• Staff Missionary Level 1 (entry level): Reliant has no red flags in this category
• Pastor or Staff Missionary Level 2: The missionary has no experience in key areas, e.g. job involves regular preaching, and the person reports never having preached.
• Lead Church Planter or Pastor: no sense of spiritual gifts for ministry
  
  • For all above, recommend church authority defer for further experience or post-hire document specific plan for gaining necessary experience
• Lead Church Planter: has no prior experience in church-based ministry
• Lead Church Planter: No blessing from sending church
  
  • If leaving the previous church under conflict or without blessing, the interviewer will likely need to investigate further as to the causes. Escalate to MR director.
• Lead Church planter: Have failed or recommended against church planting by a church planting network or denomination

AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION

• The church rejects the candidate as unqualified and does not want to hire the candidate
• Reliant has no automatic disqualifications in this category since we believe that all Christian believers can minister to some extent under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Comments

• Level determinations to determine offered level are done separately, but for purposes of evaluation they must be estimated here for evaluation. We expect much more from a lead church planting pastor than an entry-level campus missionary right out of college. Senior Staff 1 or Staff 2 generally have 2-4 years of experience post-college in the areas of ministry from their job description.
• When evaluating ministry skills, we defer to the local churches' preferences, but Reliant has a helpful role in presenting some objective insight.