Vanderbloemen Search Group Tapped by Providence Church to Find Senior Pastor

October 2, 2018 – Houston-based Vanderbloemen Search Group, which finds leaders for churches and ministries, has been retained by Providence Church in Nederland, TX, to lead its search for a new senior pastor.

The senior pastor of Providence Church will be expected to provide overall direction and vision for the congregation, perform pastoral duties, supervise and lead staff, and be a voice for spreading the gospel. “They will also work in the confines of the leadership structure of the church by serving as a voting member of the team, offering guidance, installing regularly elected members and administering discipline and boundary setting when necessary,” said Vanderbloemen Search Group.

Candidates are required to have an undergraduate degree. Further theological education from an accredited seminary and familiarity with the theology of Providence Church is preferred, said the search firm. The incoming leader must have a depth of connectedness with God that is reflected through the individual’s teaching, speaking and leading.

Other desired traits include: Theologically and biblically sound; an excellent communicator and presenter/speaker; compassionate and accepting of others, especially the unchurched; a spirit of integrity; an approachable demeanor; high leadership skills and capabilities; and a prophetic voice and inspirational advocate for all, a caring shepherd for all.

Faith-Based Recruiters

Vanderbloemen Search Group is a pastor-focused search firm that helps churches and faith-based organizations find mission-driven leaders. It has completed hundreds of searches serving churches and ministries from 70 to 70,000 in size, including nearly 100 denominations and tribes.

The firm was founded in 2010 by William Vanderbloemen, who has combined over 15 years of ministry experience as a senior pastor with the best practices of executive search to provide churches with a unique, and some would say, inspirational offering.

Among its recent placements, the search firm has recruited:

  • David Eldridge as senior pastor for 2,500-member Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL. Dawson’s previous leader had served for 26 years.
  • Joe Skillen as senior pastor of Advent Presbyterian Church in Cordova, TN, which has a membership of 1,100. The search took nine months to complete.
  • Patrick Schwenk as future lead pastor of New Hope Community Church in Bryan, OH. This search came along with succession consulting to make for a smooth transition in the role.
  • Jon Ritner as lead pastor for Ecclesia Hollywood, a non-denominational church in Los Angeles. “It didn’t feel like a business transaction, but like building the kingdom,” said executive pastor Gary Clemmer, about his experience of working with Vanderbloemen.
  • Phillip Miller as lead pastor of Westwood Baptist Church in Olympia, WA. The previous senior pastor, Lee Forstrum, was retiring after 41 years of service.

Faith-Based Searches

Hunt Scanlon Media periodically reports on search assignments either underway or completed for faith-based organizations. Here’s a look at a few from the company’s news archives:

Los Angeles-based Kevin Chase Executive Search Group has been retained by the West End Collegiate Church in New York City to lead its search for a senior minister. Managing partner Kevin Chase is heading the assignment along with senior associate Catie DiFelice. 

Executive recruiting firm the Dingman Company is seeking a senior pastor for the United Church of Chapel Hill in North Carolina. Rev. Dr. Rich Kidd of the Dingman Company is leading the search. The recruiters are exploring a broad network to identify potential candidates, the firm said.

CarterBaldwin Executive Search placed Larry Griffith as CEO of Corporate Chaplains of America (CCA). The board’s selection comes after an extensive search that involved reaching out to more than 1,000 potential candidates. The assignment was conducted by CarterBaldwin founding partner Price Harding.

Diversified Search placed Sean P. Roddy as chief financial officer for Catholic Charities USA, one of the biggest charities in the country. Nalini Perkins, managing director of the recruiter’s non-profit practice, and Mark Mulvanerty, managing director of its financial officers practice, co-led the assignment.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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