We are bringing in three youth minister candidates this month.

One of them lied in his philosophy of ministry sheet. I would have thrown him out, but I’m not in charge of the universe and other people see it as “only exaggerating.” I think that is a problem.

One of them asked if they could pray for my son when I said he is an atheist.

One of them is working on an MDiv and eventually wants to be a college professor. (Not immediately, but eventually.)

I guess you can see which one I like the best. How would the leader of our group characterize these guys?

One is working in youth ministry currently.

One is working at Starbucks.

One doesn’t want to be a youth minister long term and can’t come until June anyway.

That’s a big difference in the characterization, isn’t it? The one working at Starbucks (who prayed for my son) has 8 years ministry experience. He quit when his elders refused to talk to his wife and gave him different directions than they told other people they were giving him. I think that is a legitimate reason to quit. And his elders didn’t have anything bad to say about him.

Looking for a new youth minister is not fun.

And I am leaving the church at the end of January. The mess with the elder over the one candidate who lied on his philosophy of ministry degree and with the teacher of my youngest has been the final camel’s back breaker. I think we might have stayed, even so, if there were not a better church anywhere. But one started in September that we know and like, so… We’re out of here.

Our youngest wants to stay at this church and we have told him he may attend when there is nothing at the new one. However, so far he’s been going to class here and then going to church with us at the late service. R would rather go to the early service, but is waiting so that M can go to church.

The first three weeks of January M and I need to be at church for both class and church. Then I’ll be gone.

Why don’t I leave now? Because I think (truthfully or not) that the work I am doing with the youth ministry search committee is something God has given me to do. I think they are going to choose the wrong candidate, unless God drops a piano on that one, but I need to do my best to get the kids there the best youth minister I can. This youth minister will be my son’s (at least for a while) and there are plenty of other kids there that I care about.

I wish, though, that it were February and it was all over.

God, please make it crystal clear to everyone which youth minister you want at Kingwood. Even to me.