Pastoral Call

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term cheongbing (請聘) means "to request and invite." It refers to a church's formal invitation and reception of a minister, such as a senior pastor or an associate pastor, according to established procedures. The temporary body a church forms to search for and vet candidates is called a pastoral search committee (or call committee).

Biblical and Historical Background

Two examples are commonly cited as the basis for the pastoral call. One is the Jerusalem church's selection of seven workers from among the congregation (Acts 6:1-6); the other is the Antioch church's setting apart of Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:1-3).

After the Reformation, denominations diverged in their approaches.

• Presbyterian churches: developed a system in which the congregation calls a minister and a higher church court (a governing body of the church) approves the call.
• Methodist churches: established an itinerant system in which a bishop appoints, or sends, ministers to their charges.
• Congregational churches and Baptist churches: developed a system in which each local church calls its own minister.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Presbyterian: Generally, the session votes to extend a call, and the congregational meeting confirms it by ballot. The letter of call is then submitted to the presbytery for approval. Many denominations require a two-thirds majority at the congregational meeting to call an installed pastor. Associate pastors are usually called by resolution of the session, with the approval of the presbytery.
• Methodist: In the Korean Methodist Church, the bishop formally appoints the pastor in charge. In practice, however, the local church decides on the minister it wishes to receive, and the bishop then appoints that person.
• Baptist: Baptists emphasize the autonomy of the local church. A call is decided by a vote of the entire membership, and higher bodies are comparatively less involved.
• Anglican: In the Anglican Church of Korea, the diocesan bishop appoints priests. The Anglican practice therefore differs in character from systems in which the congregation calls its minister.

In practice, the search committee posts announcements in Christian media or at seminaries. It then narrows the field through review of application materials, hearing candidates preach, and interviews. Both single nomination, in which one candidate is presented, and multiple nomination, in which the congregation votes among several candidates, are used.

Disagreements among members during the call process sometimes escalate into disputes. The practice of calling a senior pastor's child or relative as successor has given rise to the hereditary church succession controversy, and some denominations have adopted regulations restricting it.