Minister Connection helps match churches, pastors

Once Scott Patz and his wife Angela agreed that God was leading them to move to Texas from Orlando, Florida, the long-time pastor began the usual process of putting out resumes and seeking open positions. In early 2023, the couple settled in College Station to be near family.

While his wife quickly found work at a Christian school nearby, Scott encountered a little more difficulty. 

“I was sending out my resumes, but I really didn’t know too many people in Texas and no one in College Station,” said Scott.  “I started working at a Christian bookstore while I was looking.” 

While at work one day, Scott met a local pastor who mentioned that he found his current church through Texas Baptists’ Minister Connection and explained the process. Scott reached out to Texas Baptists’ Center for Ministerial Health for assistance.

“He set me up on Minister Connection in May 2023, and in two months’ time, I had talked to a few churches and even preached at one,” he said. “While that one turned out not to be a good fit, I wanted to help them out, so I kept preaching while we both looked. I tried to set up the next pastor and prepare the church for them as well.”

In July, Scott first heard from First Baptist Church in Van Vleck, a town of about 2,000 located 90 miles west of Houston. While he admits the church was not originally on his radar since it is two and a half hours from his home in College Station, the Patzes decided to check it out anyway.

“We went through an interview on Zoom, and they had questions for me. In September, they called me to preach, and I accepted the position in October,” said Scott. “Really, it was about two months from getting connected on Minister Connection that it happened.”

His time at FBC Van Vleck has been a whirlwind. Scott came on board just before the busy holiday season, followed by winter activities and, most recently, his first Easter Sunday there. Running around 40-50 members when he arrived, the church has grown a bit to around 65.

Scott says he has enjoyed the sweet congregation and being able to build long-term relationships in the small community. He is excited to plug in and make even more connections toward ministry. He credits the ease and efficiency of Minister Connection with allowing him to find this ministry opportunity. 

“I was getting the word out there, but it wasn’t until the Minister Connection that it really came through. I view it all in God’s timing,” he laughs. “I appreciate the program very much, and I’ve been very blessed through it. I would recommend it to anyone; it definitely gets the word out quicker.”

The church feels much the same from its perspective. Ross Eidlebach, who served as chair of the pastor search committee that called Scott to serve, said the church had successfully used Minister Connection a few years earlier and went there first when they found their pulpit vacant again in September 2022.

“It was very instrumental in our process,” noted Ross, who said the Colorado Baptist Association first told them of the website. “I got on there and started looking at resumes and downloading some. We looked at a lot of resumes and weeded through them, contacted several and even had one come out.

“When we found Scott’s resume, we thought he might be good. One thing led to another and it worked out great,” he added. “God led us to the perfect person for our church.”

A program of the Texas Baptists Center for Ministerial Health, Minister Connection is a web platform that allows both churches seeking ministers and ministers seeking churches to share information through listings. Ministerial Health staff review, screen and password-protect approved listings. Submissions take between five days and two weeks to approve, and then access to the web platform is granted.

Learn more about Minister Connection and how it can be a resource to you and your congregation at txb.org/ministerconnection.