How to Check a Pastor's References the Right Way

Reference checks are one of the most important tools available to a search committee — and one of the most consistently misused. Most committees treat references as a formality, contacting the names a candidate provides, asking a few pleasant questions, hearing positive responses, and moving on. That process produces almost no useful information.

Here is how to do reference checks in a way that actually gives you what you need to make a wise decision.

The Problem With Candidate-Provided References

When a candidate provides a list of references, he is providing a list of people he is confident will speak well of him. That does not make those references useless — they can still reveal important information — but it does mean you are hearing from his most favorable advocates, not a representative sample of people who know him well.

Go Beyond the List

The most valuable reference conversations happen with people the candidate did not give you. Ask each reference: who else knows this person's ministry well that we should talk to? Then contact those people. Ask the candidate's former elders, deacons, or board members. Ask former staff members, especially those who reported to him. Ask people in his current congregation who are not on the church's leadership team. These conversations will surface information that the provided list never would.

Ask Specific Questions, Not General Ones

General questions produce general answers. "What do you think of Pastor Smith?" will produce a general positive response from almost anyone. Specific questions produce specific answers. Ask about particular situations: How did he handle a significant conflict in the church? What is the most difficult thing about working with him? If you could change one thing about his leadership style, what would it be? Tell me about a time when he handled a criticism poorly. These questions are more uncomfortable to ask — and they produce far more useful information.

Listen for What Is Not Said

Experienced interviewers know that what a reference does not say is often as revealing as what they do say. When asked about a candidate's integrity and there is a pause before the answer, that pause is information. When a reference enthusiastically praises a candidate's preaching but says nothing about his relationships, that silence is information. When a reference sounds like they are reading from a script, that is information too.

Ask About Departure

For any church a candidate has previously served, ask references why he left and what the circumstances of his departure were. Patterns of departure — short tenures, unresolved conflicts, sudden exits — are among the most predictive indicators of future ministry struggles. A candidate who has left three churches in five years deserves careful inquiry, regardless of how compelling his references are otherwise.

Background Screening

In addition to reference conversations, a formal background screen is a non-negotiable part of responsible pastoral candidate evaluation. This should include a criminal background check, a sex offender registry search, and verification of educational credentials. Some churches also conduct a credit check, particularly for candidates who will have authority over church finances. Background screening protects the church and signals to the candidate that you take the process seriously.