The 7 Cs – Competence

At Baptist Search Partners, we orient our partnership and search process around 7 Cs. They are:
1. Conversion
2. Calling
3. Character
4. Competence
5. Culture
6. Chemistry
7. Confirmation of the Holy Spirit

The bottom line of the competence stage is finding out if the candidate has the chops to do what you need him to do, and possibly even more than you need. The first step in making this determination is an updated and thorough job description. I find that these need to cover the big rocks of the responsibilities as well as expectations to perform such duties.

When you hire, you can bring on someone with a clear track record of experience, or you can lean on the side of potential and hope he develops into the leader you need in the long run. When you establish a search, you have a choice to make. Does this position require a high-capacity, experienced leader, or would we also be open to a leader who hasn’t completely proven himself yet.

Questions like education, experience, temperament, other training, and strengths assessments become key data points at this stage. But data is just the beginning. To determine if a candidate is a fit with your competence expectations, you need to watch him in action. From an interviewing standpoint, this is where Baptist Search Partners starts to turn the search responsibility over to the church. We can only find out so much through a resume, video calls, watching teaching samples, reading temperament tests, and conducting reference checks.

We can “think” he has what it takes, but in order to gauge this best, you need to get face-to-face and watch him interact in a ministry setting. This is where the rubber meets the road.