Policy on Hiring
Community Mennonite Church, in recruiting and hiring pastors and staff, shall seek gifted and professionally qualified people, faithful to the increase of the kingdom of God and the mission of our church, and manage a fair, prayerful, and open process.
All qualified applicants for a position at CMC will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, or disability.
Hiring Committee. The Personnel committee may manage a hiring process itself; may ask Church Council to appoint additional ad-hoc members to the Personnel committee for the purposes of the hiring process; or may ask Church Council to appoint a search committee. A search committee is required for pastoral positions. The group that manages and performs the hiring process is referred to in this policy as the "hiring committee."
Oversight and Assistance. Church Council may at its discretion request oversight and assistance from the church's conference or district. In addition, the Personnel committee may add to the hiring committee a person who is not a member of Community Mennonite Church if the committee believes outside advice may yield a more fair evaluation of candidates, especially when one or more candidates are a member of Community Mennonite Church.
Position Announcements. The Personnel committee, through Church Council, shall declare a position open when the incumbent has stated his or her intention to leave a position; when the incumbent has been asked to leave a position; or when the job descriptions of existing positions have been updated in such as way as to create a new position.
Administrative positions will be advertised in local sources and Mennonite church media. Pastoral positions will be advertised in local, national, and Mennonite church media.
The chair of Personnel committee or the designated chair of the search committee will prepare and distribute position announcements.
Handling of Applications. Application materials will be treated as sensitive documents, available only to members of the hiring committee and current church staff. At all times, the search committee will acknowledge receipt of application materials and inform candidates of the status of the hiring process.
Interviews and Selection. The hiring committee will select candidates for interviews and at that time will ask candidates to authorize background checks as described in the Safe Church Policy. Interviews will be conducted by the hiring committee or members thereof in an evenhanded and fair manner, attempting to hold all interviews under similar circumstances and with the same members present. The hiring committee may interview all internal candidates regardless of qualifications, if deemed helpful to maintaining the relationship between the church and the candidates.
Following candidate interviews, the hiring committee will select their preferred candidate and ask that candidate whether he or she would accept the job. Pending congregational approval (if required), the official job offer will be extended. Upon written acceptance of the position by the selected candidate, the hiring committee will graciously inform the other candidates that the position has been filled.
Ad-Hoc Hiring
Hiring for specific tasks, repairs, or improvements will be handled by the Administration Commission. Preference will be given to members of the congregation who qualified for the work in question. Members of the congregation will be offered payment at their customary rates, and are not expected to work at a discount. While the Administration Commission may ask for volunteers to perform certain tasks, the rate of pay (i.e., paid work vs. volunteer service) must be stated from the outset.
When more than one member of the congregation is qualified to perform the work, Administration will make a choice based on availability and the level of service required. Should a need for a similar task arise later, the Administration Commission may offer the task to another member of the congregation with similar qualifications. The goal is fairness in opportunity, not equal distribution of church funds.
Approved by Church Council, December 13, 2018.