The Intake Form: Assessing Theological and Cultural Fit Before the Interview

One of the most common challenges in church hiring is this: theological and cultural misalignment that was present from the beginning but was never surfaced during the search process. The candidate said the right things in the interview. The references were strong. The resume was impressive. But the deeper questions about how their theology shapes their leadership, how they handle authority, and how they relate to the Senior Pastor's vision were never asked with enough care to reveal the misalignment that would eventually surface.

The Love + Lead Intake Form is designed to address this before it becomes a problem. It is developed in collaboration with the Senior Pastor (or the supervisor the new employee will report to) and is designed specifically for the role being filled and the culture of the church doing the hiring. It is not a generic questionnaire. It is a tailored instrument built from the clarity work done in the initial Senior Pastor conversation and team meetings.

Strong candidates receive the Intake Form during their initial Zoom interview with Love + Lead. This is intentional. The form is not a screening tool designed to eliminate candidates. It is a discernment tool designed to generate the right conversations. Once the results are submitted, they are shared with the Senior Pastor along with the candidate's resume. The Senior Pastor then has the information needed to evaluate not just what the candidate has done, but how their theology and character align with the church's identity and mission.

When the Senior Pastor or supervisor senses that a candidate is a strong fit based on the Intake Form results, Love + Lead helps arrange the next meeting. The additional steps from that point are determined in collaboration with the church's HR team. The process is designed to be clear to all involved, because ambiguity in a search process is one of the most common reasons strong candidates disengage.