written by Dan Riley, Chair, Pastor Search Committee
After the resignations of our ministers last summer, we accepted the job of filling the void in staff leadership. We are now operating with what we feel is an excellent interim staff of Julie Long, Chuck Poole, Erika Houser, and Allie Ford. These employees, combined with lay leadership, have provided us with not only the climate to survive but also to thrive. Though Chuck Poole will be ending his time with us at the end of January, we are hopeful that Craig McMahan will step in as Interim Preaching Pastor pending approval of church council and conference.
With the departure of full-time ministers, many of us naturally had some feelings of anxiety. To address some of our concerns, we held a series of listening sessions. Earlier in December, we printed a compilation of ideas expressed in these gatherings. Our job now is to search for a new senior pastor, but in the process we also must acknowledge that our entire staff structure needs to be more compatible with the current size and financial position of our congregation.Our committee wants to find the best person to lead us and navigate our new normal. We want our congregation to be involved in not only deciding the qualities of our new senior pastor but also in establishing our commitment to being the best church we can be.
The Pastor Search Committee proposes that we have several church-wide lunch meetings after Sunday worship to discuss some key issues:
• Where we have been—our history, our values
• Where we are now—our assets, our strengths, our challenges
• Where we want to be in the future—our leadership
These meetings are scheduled for February 11, March 3, and March 10, following morning worship and will be facilitated by Jay Kieve, Church Transitions Specialist with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Jay brings a wealth of knowledge in leadership transitions and working specifically with CBF churches. We look forward as a congregation to reflecting, sharing, and planning for our future.