Except for the decision of which minister to hire, the selection of your Search Committee Chair is THE MOST important decision that the Elders will make during the hiring process.
The Committee Chair sets the pace, drives the process and becomes the “face” of the Committee both internally and externally. Candidates will often develop their first impressions of your congregation based off of their interactions with the Chair. So the Chair can have a great deal of impact on which ministers ultimately become or remain Candidates for your position.