Ministry After graduating, Vanderbloemen took a post as the associate pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of
Hendersonville, North Carolina. At 27, he accepted his first senior pastorate at the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Montgomery in Alabama. In less than four years there, the membership tripled and the church completed a $5.5 million building program. In 2001, Vanderbloemen was a guest chaplain for the
U.S. House of Representatives. In 2006, he presided over the funeral of former U.S. House Representative, Senator, Treasury Secretary and Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee
Lloyd Bentsen.
Corporate career Vanderbloemen has studied the issue of pastoral "succession planning" as a means to help churches and ministries continue beyond the term of a main spiritual leader and has become a consultant on the topic of church succession planning and compensation analysis for churches and ministries. He also works with relief organizations, such as
World Vision International and
Living Water International. Vanderbloemen has been a media commentator on the issues surrounding
Mars Hill Church and its former pastor
Mark Driscoll,
Christianity Today, and
Gospel Herald. Vanderbloemen says that "all pastors are interim pastors"," and talks about a "hyper-connected world", rendering the needs for churches to plan ahead because they will face transition issues. He has been a contributor to
Forbes, where he covers topics about having a strong faith and building a business,
Fortune, and
Outreach Magazine. He has also been published through
Fast Company,
Entrepreneur, and
Inc. Vanderbloemen served as a human resources manager at
Anadarko Petroleum. In 2008, he was the senior vice president/ministry practice leader at FaithSearch Partners, an executive search firm focused on faith-based hospitals, health care systems, and ministries.
Vanderbloemen Search Group Based in
Houston, Texas, Vanderbloemen Search Group opened in 2009. The executive search firm, which also conducts compensation analysis and consulting services for organizations, specializes in a mix of domestic and international placement of faith-based leaders within churches and ministries, as well as Christian organizations. It works with churches all over the world and of every denomination. Vanderbloemen Search Group acquired the search firm Help Staff Me in 2011. == Personal life ==