Call Committee Nomination Form

Help us prayerfully identify members to serve in this important ministry.

The Call Committee will help Immanuel Lutheran Church discern and evaluate pastoral candidates as we seek our next called pastor. Serving on this committee requires faith, prayerful discernment, confidentiality, cooperation, sound judgment, and a willingness to devote time to the call process.

Elected nominees can expect to spend many hours in meetings and expend significant energy over many months during their service on the Call Committee. This ministry requires dedication and commitment from those who will lead the process that brings about the selection and eventual call of the new pastor.

Who May Be Nominated?

• Nominees must be active voting members of Immanuel and must be willing to serve if elected. Congregation members cannot nominate themselves, however you can ask someone to nominate you.
• Officers of the church council are not generally on Call Committees; however, having one council member is common, depending on the balanced needs of the final committee.
• Church Staff and paid employees, who would be under the formal supervision of the future pastor, could create a conflict of interest, so they are typically not nominated.
• Interim or Transition Pastors typically do not sit on the committee.
• Nominees should be local (not Snowbirds) and able to attend meetings in person.

The committee should intentionally represent the whole congregation, including long-time and newer members who have been with the church for at least a year, different ages, men and women, and people involved in different ministries in the church.  It’s good to have a variety of background experience on the committee; for example, it may be good to nominate people with experience interviewing and hiring, someone who communicates well for newsletter/temple talks, and someone with secretarial and organizational skills.

Before submitting a nomination, please speak with the person to explain the responsibilities and confirm their willingness to be considered.

Please understand: Submitting a nomination does not guarantee that the nominee will appear on the final ballot. After nominations close, the Church Council will verify eligibility and willingness to serve, review the nominations, and select a balanced slate of candidates for the congregation’s consideration.  With a proposed constitutional change, the congregation is expected to elect five voting members and one alternate from the final slate.