A minister’s resumé should include the following elements:
- Personal and family information. Along with the minister’s name, birth date, and marital status, this section should list the name of the spouse, the names and ages of the children, and any other personal information the minister wishes to include regarding his or her family.
- Conversion/ Call/ Ministry Statement. It is important that the minister briefly share his or her conversion experience and subsequent call into the ministry. Also included may be a short statement regarding the minister’s doctrinal beliefs and the particular type of ministry position for which the minister is available.
- License/Ordination information. If the minister is licensed and/or ordained, the resumé should include the dates and churches that officially did the licensing and/or ordination.
- Formal education information. Beginning with the most recent degrees, the minister’s place of education, degrees, majors, and date of graduation should be listed on the resumé.
- Continuing education. Include any continuing education experiences in which the minister has participated, including the type, place, and dates.
- Experience/history of places of ministry. Beginning with the most current place of service, a detailed list of salaried ministry locations and descriptions should be provided, including the beginning and ending dates of service.
- Denominational involvement. It is appropriate for the minister to list any involvement on the association, state, or SBC level in which he or she has served, including types, places and dates.
- Experience/history of secular employment. A good resumé includes any information regarding secular jobs, full or part time, the minister may have had.
- Community/volunteer involvement. A well-rounded minister will show evidence of community involvement whether it is through coaching, volunteering, or serving on committees outside the church realm.
- Hobbies/personal interests. If a minister has a hobby or personal interests apart from his or her routine work, it is beneficial to list these. This section of the resumé gives a committee an idea of who the applicant is “outside of work.”
- References. Possibly the most important part of the résumé is the slate of references. It is important for the minister to list a variety of people from many walks of life who know him or her well and will give an honest recommendation.
