Bro. Abbott,

When I was a child the Conference assigned pastors to churches and the church had little or no say in who they got. Sometimes we got someone who was a good match for the congregation and sometimes we didn't when when we didn't, that was a big reason why pastors got moved every two or three years. But where I am today, the conference leadership puts considerable effort into trying to understand the needs and goals of the church before picking someone who will be a good match and leaves them there for the long-term. It works very well.