Pastor Wellness
Pastors have the most important job in the state. The balancing act is demanding and never stops. We support pastors in these areas of health: Spiritual, Vocational, Relational, Physical, and Financial.
GET HELP NOW:
For mental health and counseling services offered by Eagle’s Landing Christian Counseling Center, call 678-289-6981.
For immediate access to crisis services, call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line at 1-800-715-4225. GCAL is available 24/7 to help you or someone you care for in a crisis.
Our Staff
Latest Posts
What your pastor needs from you, your church
Joshua and the people of Israel needed Moses’ arms in the air to be victorious over Amalek and his people, but Moses needed help from Aaron and Hur to keep his arms up. For the Israelites to be victorious, God’s people needed to work together and be supportive of their leader. What was true for […]
The Lonely Pastor: Building Community is Closer than You Might Think
We live in a world full of people who describe themselves as lonely. Recent statistics paint a picture of the loneliness of our society. Loneliness has adverse health effects equal to smoking 15 cigarettes a day 1/3 of people in marriages are lonely 35% say they have no one to turn to when they are […]
Pastor Wellness Events
SERVICES & TRAINING
To schedule any of the training or services listed below, contact Loretta Crow – Email Loretta Crow or 770-936-5232
Right Start
Right Start is a ministry designed to assist Georgia Baptist churches during the time immediately after their pastor leaves.
What are the benefits of Right Start?
- To bring stability to the church during the early days of a pastor transition
- To assess the immediate needs of the church
- To be a sounding board for church leadership during the transition
- To provide consistency in the pulpit during the early weeks of a transition
Request help HERE
Pastor Search Committee Training/Interim Committee Training
The Pastor/Staff Committee training presents a chronological, step-by-step process of the work of a Pastor/Staff Search Committee. The training includes resources to help the committee lead the church in searching for God’s Will regarding a new minister. Each member of the committee receives a study guide for use during the training event.
A CMR Specialist or Consultant will come to your church and conduct a 1.5-2 hour training on a Monday, Tuesday or Thursday evening. Once your Search Committee is formed please call our office to confirm a date for the training.
Pastor Search Committee Handbook Toolbox
To access training materials related to this training event click here…
The Pastor Search Committee Training is a free service to Georgia Baptist churches made possible by the faithful giving of Georgia Baptist churches through the Cooperative Program.
Transitional Pastor Training
1. Who should attend?
Any Southern Baptist Minister that is interested in training to be a transitional pastor and lead a church through this time of adjustment. This training builds on the knowledge a minister already has and focuses on this transitional time.
2. Where and when is the training?
The training is held at the Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center. Classes are usually held in the Spring and Fall; specific dates will be in the Event Calendar.
3. What is the cost and what is included?
The cost at this point is $115. Included in the cost are the materials, breaks, and three meals. Lodging is not included in the cost but a block of rooms are reserved at a discounted price at the Holiday Inn across the street from the center.
Conflict Mediation
A process of third party mediation is available to churches, church staffs, and associations which is led by trained and certified third party mediators. Seminars on “Understanding and Resolving Conflict” are available for small groups, churches, and associations.
PASTORAL CARE
Get Help
As we continue to promote health and awareness related to mental health initiatives, we wanted to offer a self-evaluation resource. The below site allows you to answer a few simple questions to gauge where you might need help. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for a visit with a healthcare professional, but only to help identify if you might need additional resources. Once you take the assessment – you will be provided a score with comments on next steps.
FindYourWords.org Self Assessment Test
The Georgia Baptist Mission Board partners with Eagle’s Landing Christian Counseling Center for mental health and counseling services. For more information please visit their website @ www.ELCCC.org or call 678-289-6981. Or for additional questions and/or guidance – please email wellness@gabaptist.org
For immediate access to routine or crisis services, please call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) at 1-800-715-4225. GCAL is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year to help you or someone you care for in a crisis.
https://www.georgiacollaborative.com/providers/georgia-crisis-and-access-line-gcal/
To reach Pastor Wellness after-hours for a non-emergency call, please call 770-936-5590.
Pastors’ Wives
Pastors’ Wives Wellness exist for the purpose of encouragement, prayer, inspiration, events and retreats. Learn more…
RESUME SERVICE
GBMB Job Board
- If you are a Pastor seeking a job in a GBC Church or a GBC Church seeking to fill an open ministry position please visit our site georgiabaptistjobs.com to register as a job seeker or to post a job.
- Other resources available for state and nationwide opportunities at sbc.net/jobs.
- Churches must add their SBC ID # that is assigned by the Southern Baptist Convention
- Contact Loretta Crow – lcrow@gabaptist.org or 770-936-5232 with questions or concerns about the GBMB Job board.
RESOURCES
Church Job Descriptions Booklet
This 50 page booklet provides sample job descriptions for 35 of the most common positions in the church.
Click Here for the FREE Download (PDF 1mb)
Pastor Search Committee Toolbox
The following tools are designed to work in cooperation with training provided by Church Minister Relations of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. If you choose to utilize these tools separate from training please call our office 770-936-5362 for help personalizing these tools to your individual church. (All downloads are PDF format)
Tool 1 Pastor Search Committee Retreat
Tool 2 Directory of Baptist State Conventions
Tool 3 Pastor Search Committee Covenant of Agreements
Tool 4 Pastor-Church Covenant of Relationship
Tool 5 Pastor’s Salary, Housing, Benefits and Expenses
Tool 6 Checklist for Pastor’s Salary, Housing, Benefits and Expenses
Tool 7 Pastor Search Congregational Survey
Tool 8 Position Insights and ministry Insights Assessments
Tool 9 Demographic Profile of Church Membership
Tool 10 Directory of Southern Baptist Seminaries
Tool 11 Biographical Profile
Tool 12 Prospective-Pastor Evaluation
Tool 13 Degrees Related to Pastoral Ministry
Tool 14 Confidential Personnel Information
Tool 15 Reference Release
Tool 16 Portfolio of Church and Community
Tool 17 Letter for Written References
Tool 18 Character-Reference Inquiry
Tool 19 Letter for telephone Interviews
Tool 20 Interview Questions
Tool 21 Sermon Evaluation
Tool 22 Credit and Legal information Release
Tool 23 Request for Criminal Records Check and Authorization
Tool 24 Letter to Prospective Pastor about Questionnaire
Tool 25 Prospective-Pastor Questionnaire
Tool 26 Service of Installation and Commitment
Tool 27 Installation Service
Tool 28 Pastor-Church relations Team
Tool 29 Performance Review
Sample Letters:
First Sample Letter – Acknowledge Receipt of Resume
Second Sample Letter – Different Direction
Second Sample Letter – Top Group
Third Sample Letter – Confirming the Call
Credit and Background Checks
Sites where you obtain a comprehensive criminal background check:
A typical site to obtain a credit check:
Pastor and Deacon Ordination
Constitution & By-Laws
These samples are available to you for drafting and building a church constitution and by-laws.
Compensation Survey
The 2017 Compensation Study was a joint project of state Baptist conventions, GuideStone Financial Resources, and LifeWay Christian Resources. Compensation and congregational data was collected anonymously from ministers and office/custodial personnel of Southern Baptist churches and church-type missions. Reports are based on compensation for over 12,000 respondents from all 42 state conventions.
Additional Pastor Search Resources
Personnel
- Consent Form for Your Church to Provide References
- Interviewing Applicants for Church Support Staff Positions
- Ministerial Compensation Worksheet
- Non-Ministerial Compensation Worksheet
- Paying a Minister Legally
- Personnel Policy Questionnaire
- Providing Good and Safe References
- Record-Keeping Requirements for Employees
- Sexual Harassment Sample Policy
- Tax Concerns for New Ministers
- US Department of Labor Poster Advisor
Church Staff Compensation
- 2018 SBC Compensation Survey
- Employees Insurance Plans
- Ministerial Housing Allowance
- How are Ministers Treated Differently in Tax Matters?
- New Employee Checklist
- Overtime Laws
- Social Security Basics for Ministers and Churches
Employee Evaluations
Employee Evaluation Sample forms are available for you and your staff. The purpose of the performance evaluation is to inform the employee how well they are doing and evaluate areas for improvement.
QUICK LINKS
Ministry Job Board
The Georgia Baptist Mission Board offers a free service to Southern Baptist Churches through georgiabaptistjobs.com. Churches may post various ministry positions and pastors can post their resume. Job descriptions, requirements, and instructions to contact each church are available for each posting. A nationwide resource is the Southern Baptist Convention JobSearch. Neither the Southern Baptist or Georgia Baptist Convention hosts the job offerings. Any inquiries should be through the contact information provided on the job listing.
For churches that have an open ministry position and would like to submit a job description, or those looking for an open ministry position at a church:
Note: For the SBC site, you will need your SBCID Number. If you are a new church and don’t have an SBCID number yet, or forgot your SBCID number, please contact Loretta Crow – lcrow@gabaptist.org or 770-936-5232
Financial Resources
Greg Love joined GuideStone in 2012 and serves as a Senior Relationship Manager for Retirement Solutions, specializing in church retirement plan design and employee education. He holds degrees from both The University of West Alabama and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration from Dallas Baptist University.
Greg is passionate about helping local churches thrive, make disciples and impact the globe for Christ. He and his wife, Jaime, have been married since 2001 and enjoy raising their two children — John Parker and Georgia Grace.
Greg Love
Email Greg
214-720-2871
www.guidestone.org