One-Page Quick Reference — April 2026

Mayflower Church — Non-Pastoral Staff Hiring Process. One-page quick reference. v1.0 · April 2026.
Companion to the full SOP. The SOP is authoritative; this card is a pocket reference for Servants Council meetings and staff onboarding conversations.
Guiding Principles
Process before urgency.
Better no hire than the wrong hire.
Character → Competence → Chemistry — in that order.
Confessional alignment. Member in good standing affirming Statement of Faith & Church Covenant.
Protect the flock. Screening is not optional.
Same process, every candidate.
Stewardship and transparency.
The Ten Stages
Phase A — Discern & Define
Stage 1 — Identify the Need. Senior Pastor + Servants Council. Gate: signed Position Authorization Memo.
Stage 2 — Secure Funding. Board of Finance. Gate: Finance Memo; congregational vote required if non-budgeted > $5,000.
Stage 3 — Write Position Description. Search Team → Servants Council. Gate: PD approved and added to the Manual.
Phase B — Recruit & Screen
Stage 4 — Post & Invite Applications. Search Team. Gate: posting closed (21+ days), pool complete.
Stage 5 — Pre-screen. Search Team. Each applicant: Advance / Hold / Decline (response within 7 days).
Phase C — Interview
Stage 6 — Five Interviews. 1. Screening · 2. Patterns · 3. Results · 4. References · 5. Relationships. Same questions, every candidate; scored on the Appendix C rubric.
Stage 7 — References & Background Checks. Search Team chair. Verbal references (3+). Criminal · Sex offender registry · role-specific checks · continuous monitoring post-hire.
Phase D — Decide & Offer
Stage 8 — Recommend & Council Vote. Search Team → Servants Council. Elders confirm confessional alignment. Majority vote recorded.
Stage 9 — Written Offer. Servants Council Chair drafts; Senior Pastor delivers. No verbal offers. Contingent on background clearance. 7–10-day response window.
Phase E — Onboard & Evaluate
Stage 10 — Onboard + 90-Day Probation. Paperwork (I-9, W-4, M-4, direct deposit) before Day 1. 30 / 60 / 90-day check-ins. Council confirms continued employment at 90 days.
Decision Rights
Servants Council directs all non-pastoral hiring (Bylaws Art. II §B 4(c)(9)).
Board of Finance confirms funding; non-budgeted > $5,000 needs congregational approval.
Board of Elders confirms confessional alignment of the top candidate.
Search Team (3–5 members) runs Stages 3–8 under a written charter.
Church Treasurer sets up payroll; Clerk archives the personnel file.
Typical Timeline (10–14 weeks)
When
What
Week 1
Stages 1–2 — need + funding
Weeks 2–3
Stage 3 — write Position Description
Weeks 3–6
Stages 4–5 — post + pre-screen
Weeks 6–9
Stage 6 — five-interview sequence
Week 10
Stage 7 — references + background
Week 11
Stages 8–9 — recommend, vote, offer
Weeks 12+
Stage 10 — onboard + 90-day probation
See the full SOP for the Position Description template, interview question sets, reference script, offer letter, onboarding checklist, and 90-day review template. Adapted from Streamline: Healthy Church Systems and The Guide to Healthy Church Operations, anchored in Mayflower Bylaws (March 2026). The source Word document is attached to this page.