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 Searching for a Campus Minister or Chaplain

Ministries in Higher Education Communities embrace a broad variety of staffing patterns at the turn of the century; campus ministers, chaplains, pastors serving congregations in or near university campuses and laypersons in congregations that views campus ministry as a mission field. Many employ full-time staff, others engage staff persons part time. Many call a person who holds ordination in one of the participating denominations; some, however, are hiring laypersons. Available and/or realistic potential funding are critical factors in determining staffing needs.

The search for a person to fill an open staff position is an occasion to build into the ministry its hopes and visions for the future, instead of merely perpetuating past experiences. The HEMA PERSONNEL SERVICE denominational leaders in the participating judicatories and experienced campus ministers and chaplains stand ready to assist the local search committee to work through each step in the process of selecting new staff.

TO BEGIN YOUR SEARCH, we recommend that your local ministry board take the followings steps:

step 1
Conduct a thorough review and analysis of the ministry including:
  • identifying the primary campus and church communities served;
  • clarifying the goals, objectives, strategies, potential opportunities and directions, structures and finances of the ministry; and
  • stating candidly the strengths and weaknesses of the ministry.
step 2
Based on the learnings from Step 1, determine the skills (general and specialized), experiences and style of leadership needed to fulfill your expectations for the ministry. The denominations participating in the Higher Education Ministry Arena are committed to fair employment and affirmative action hiring practices.

step 3
Select the strongest possible search committee, representative of females and males, and racial/ethnic persons. An ideal size is between five and seven persons.

step 4
Prepare, in consultation with all partners involved in the ministry, a brief (one page) announcement to advertise the open staff position. Send this announcement to the HEMA Personnel Service Administrator for distribution to potential applicants. This announcement needs to contain a brief description of the ministry and the higher education community it serves.
Please include the following:
  • the ministry's goals, objectives, and opportunities for expanding the ministry;
  • its supporting denominations;
  • specific skills and personal qualities sought; and
  • salary range;
  • identify the time-line for the search giving an application deadline date;
  • List the types of initial information requested from applicants (resumes, proposals, responses to specific questions and references); and
  • Give the name, address, telephone and e-mail address of the search committee's contact person.
Submitting and publicizing job announcements through the HEMA Personnel Service is free of charge.

step 5
Have your search committee review carefully the applications received, selecting those for interview and concluding by presenting the "best" person to the ministry's board. As applicants are eliminated from the search, please inform them of this decision as soon as possible.

step 6
Negotiate the terms of call with the person selected, working in accordance with the calling procedures and practices of that individual's denomination.

step 7
Notify the HEMA Personnel Service Administrator as soon as possible once the position is filled.

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