How to Check References for a Pastoral Candidate (What to Ask)

Most search committees spend months reviewing resumes and conducting interviews, then rush through reference checks in the final week before making an offer - and that's exactly where costly hiring mistakes happen.

Checking references for a pastoral candidate is not a formality. It is one of the most important steps in your entire search process, and when done well, it will either confirm your confidence in a candidate or surface concerns that no interview ever would. This guide will walk you through exactly how to conduct pastoral reference checks, what questions to ask, and how to interpret what you hear.

Why Pastoral Reference Checks Require a Different Approach

Calling a reference for a pastoral position is fundamentally different from a standard employment verification call. You are not simply confirming job titles and dates. You are trying to understand how a person leads spiritually, handles conflict, cares for congregants, and operates under pressure over a sustained period of time.

Ministry references also come with a unique social dynamic. Many references are fellow pastors, denominational leaders, or church members who feel a sense of loyalty to the candidate. They may soften criticism out of Christian charity or avoid mentioning sensitive issues entirely. Your job is to ask questions structured in a way that makes it easier for honest people to tell you the truth.

A useful benchmark: plan to conduct at least three to five substantive reference conversations, each lasting between 20 and 40 minutes. Anything shorter than that rarely gets below the surface.

Who to Contact and How to Build Your Reference List

Start with the references the candidate provides, but do not stop there. Provided references are, by definition, people the candidate believes will speak favorably of them. They are still worth calling - sometimes a glowing reference reveals as much through what they avoid saying as what they say directly. But your most valuable conversations will often happen through secondary references, also called back-channel references.

Secondary references are people who know the candidate professionally but were not listed by the candidate. To find them, ask each provided reference: *"Who else do you think I should speak with who has worked closely with [candidate name]?"* Most people will give you at least one name.

For pastoral candidates, try to reach:

• A former elder, deacon, or board member from their previous church

• A direct ministry staff member they supervised (not a peer)

• A denominational contact or district superintendent if applicable

• A community leader or ministry partner from outside their church

• Someone who was under their pastoral care during a difficult season

If you are hiring for a senior pastor role at a Southern Baptist, Presbyterian Church in America, or other denominationally connected congregation, your denomination's regional office may have personnel records or informal knowledge about a candidate's history at a prior church. Do not overlook that resource.

Setting Up the Reference Call Correctly

How you open the call determines how honest the conversation will be. Do not begin with vague pleasantries and then jump into a list of questions. Instead, invest the first two or three minutes establishing context and trust.

A strong opening sounds something like this: *"We are a [church size] congregation in [city] considering [candidate name] for our [role]. We take this process seriously because we want to make sure [candidate name] is stepping into a context where they will genuinely thrive, and that our congregation is well cared for. I'm hoping you'll be honest with me even if some of that honesty is complicated."*

That last sentence matters. Giving the reference explicit permission to share concerns lowers their defensiveness and often shifts the tone of the entire conversation.

Also, always conduct reference calls verbally, never by email. Written references are almost always sanitized. The real information lives in pauses, tone shifts, and the way someone chooses their words in real time.

The Core Questions to Ask Every Reference

The following questions are designed to move from the general to the specific, and to open space for honest reflection rather than canned answers.

Opening questions to establish baseline:

1. How long did you know [candidate name] and in what capacity?

2. How closely did you work together day to day?

Ministry effectiveness and leadership:

1. What would you say [candidate name] does better than almost anyone you have worked with in ministry?

2. What area of ministry has required the most growth or caused the most friction for them?

3. How would the congregation they led describe their preaching over a sustained period, not just at their best?

4. How did they develop other leaders? Can you give me a specific example?

Character and integrity questions:

1. Have you ever seen [candidate name] in a situation where they had to choose between what was easy and what was right? How did they handle it?

2. Is there anything about their character or conduct that you think our search committee should know before making a decision?

That last question is one of the most important you will ask. Deliver it clearly and then be silent. Let the reference sit with it. A long pause before answering is itself meaningful information.

Conflict and crisis handling:

1. Can you describe a time when [candidate name] faced significant conflict within the church? How did they navigate it?

2. Have they ever made a significant ministry mistake? How did they respond to it?

Fit and placement:

1. What type of congregation do you think would bring out the best in them?

2. Is there a type of church culture or ministry context where you think they would struggle?

The closing question:

1. If you were on our search committee, is there anything you would want to know that I haven't thought to ask?

This final question often produces the most candid responses of the entire conversation.

Reading Between the Lines: What References Won't Say Directly

Experienced search committee members know that what is *not* said can be more revealing than what is. Watch for these patterns:

• Enthusiastic generalities with no specific examples. If a reference says a candidate is "a wonderful man of God" but cannot describe a single concrete situation where they demonstrated that, it may signal the reference does not know the candidate well, or is being careful.

• A noticeable shift in energy when certain topics come up. If the reference was warm and detailed for the first ten minutes, then becomes brief and measured when you ask about conflict or leadership, pay attention.

• The word "but" appearing after every compliment. "He's a great preacher, but..." is a transition worth following with a direct follow-up question.

• Refusal to answer the rehire question directly. Always ask: *"If [candidate name] wanted to return to ministry at your church, would your congregation welcome that?"* A direct "yes" is meaningful. Anything else is a signal worth probing.

One common scenario: a Non-Denominational or Evangelical church hires a candidate who comes with glowing references, but none of the references were from people who worked under the candidate's authority. That gap alone should prompt additional back-channel outreach before you extend an offer.

Handling Negative or Concerning Information

If a reference shares something concerning, do not rush past it. Ask clarifying follow-up questions:

• "Can you tell me more about what you observed?"

• "How did that situation resolve?"

• "Has anything changed in that area since then?"

Ministry is filled with imperfect people leading imperfect institutions, and a reference mentioning a past failure does not disqualify a candidate. Context matters enormously. A pastor who navigated a church conflict poorly ten years ago and has clearly grown from it is a very different candidate than someone who left a string of troubled churches with no apparent self-awareness about their role in that pattern.

If a reference raises a serious concern related to moral failure, financial misconduct, or abusive leadership behavior, that information needs to go directly to the full search committee or governing board. Do not make the decision to set aside that concern on your own, regardless of how compelling the candidate seems.

For churches in the Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, or Assembly of God traditions where ordination credentials and formal denominational oversight apply, a concerning reference should also trigger a direct conversation with the candidate's credentialing body before moving forward.

Practical Logistics and Documentation

A few practical notes that most search committees overlook:

• Take notes during every call, and keep them on file. If a hiring decision is later questioned, your documentation matters.

• Ask the candidate to sign a reference release form before you begin contacting anyone. This protects your church legally and makes it clear to references that the candidate has given consent for the conversation.

• Complete all reference checks before extending a formal offer or presenting a compensation package. Reversing an offer after a problematic reference is far more awkward and damaging than waiting. For context, a senior pastor compensation package at a mid-size church often ranges from $65,000 to $120,000 in total compensation depending on region and church size - that is not a commitment you want to reverse.

• If a reference is initially unresponsive, follow up twice before moving on. Some of the most valuable conversations require persistence to schedule.

• Do not delegate reference calls entirely to an administrator. At least one pastor, elder, or senior search committee member should conduct the substantive conversations personally.

Integrating What You Learn Into Your Decision

Once reference checks are complete, bring the information back to your full committee in a structured way. Do not simply report "the references were fine." Instead, share specific themes that emerged, both positive and concerning, and discuss what those themes mean in the context of your specific church's needs and culture.

A candidate who receives consistent praise for their preaching and vision but whose references all independently noted they struggled to delegate and develop other leaders may be a poor fit for a church that needs to build out a strong multi-staff ministry team. That same candidate may be a perfect fit for a smaller Pentecostal congregation where the senior pastor is expected to be the primary leader across all ministry areas.

The reference process is not about finding a flawless person. It is about finding the right person for your specific congregation at this specific moment in your church's life - and making sure you have done the due diligence that faithful stewardship of your church requires.

Conclusion

Reference checks done well are a gift to your candidate, your congregation, and the broader church. They protect good candidates from being placed in the wrong context, and they protect congregations from making decisions based on incomplete information. The questions in this guide are not meant to trap anyone - they are meant to open honest conversation between people who all presumably want the same thing: a healthy church led by a person of integrity and genuine calling.

Build adequate time into your search timeline, at least two to three weeks for thorough reference work. Assign it the same weight you give interviews and theological vetting. And when you sit down for those calls, remember that the person you are asking about will one day stand before your congregation in some of their most vulnerable moments. It is worth taking an extra hour to know who they really are.