LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Pastor Interview Questions about Counseling
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
11/2022
Pastor Interview Questions about Counseling
Counseling is an important aspect of a pastor's job. People of all ages have struggles that
they go to pastors about. How a candidate handles those situations will reveal how good of a fit
they are for your church.
How person candidates answer the following questions for pastor interviews will let you
know how they would likely perform at your church.
What is Your Position on Pastoral Counseling?
Asking a pastoral candidate about pastoral counseling can be a good way to get a sense of
where there head is at. You'll also gain insight into what they believe in and the work they do in
the field.
Pastors are not required to complete pastoral counseling training and it is not an essential
part of pastoral ministry. However, it is important for pastors to understand how pastoral
counseling works and what it means for their ministry.
Pastoral counseling can be helpful for pastors as well as the people they are ministering to.
Pastors should be open-minded about this form of ministry. The best candidates will be willing
to learn more about it from colleagues or books.
Do You Consider Yourself a Counselor?
Answering pastor interview questions like this can help you understand if the candidate has
the characteristics that you are looking for in a candidate you hope will take on counselors'
duties. Some pastoral candidates might not consider themselves counselors. Instead, they see
themselves as a spiritual leader or minister.
If they answer no to the question, it could be an indication of their personality and what
they have been doing in their previous jobs. While they may not be trained in counseling
