How long will this process take? / When will we have a new pastor?
We are
currently on Step 5 of the Lead Pastor Search Process: collecting and evaluating applications. We don’t
have a specific timeframe for when we will move to the next step (narrowing to a short list of applicants), but we are committed to keeping
you informed of where we are in the process.
What role does the congregation
play in this process?
The
congregation is most directly involved in steps 1, 2, 7, & 8: nominating
people to the Pulpit Committee, informing the PC in Listening Sessions and the
Congregational Survey, and then meeting the candidate and electing to call the
new pastor. The congregation is also
encouraged to submit recommendations to the Pulpit Committee in Step 4.
However,
the congregation is also indirectly involved in the evaluation process (steps 5
& 6), because much of the criteria we use for evaluating applicants will be
drawn from what we discover in the Listening Sessions & Survey.
Because
this is a spiritual process, we also believe that the prayers of the
congregation play a significant role in this process, and really do have an
effect on what happens.
How do you plan to make the
search documents public?
The documents are currently available on this blog and on the church website. See the How to Apply section to download the pdf.
Will we have a chance to comment
on the documents created? / What if I disagree with the Desired Pastor Profile?
We
believe that the best way to collect feedback is to do it before we create the
documents. This is why the Listening
Sessions & the Congregational Survey are so important.
Ultimately,
it’s the responsibility of the Pulpit Committee, as a representative group of
the congregation, to create the search documents. We are hopeful that these documents
accurately reflect who City Church is and the type of pastor we are looking
for.
What if I have a candidate to
recommend?
The application deadline has passed, so we are no longer taking recommendations.
What type of pastor are we
looking for?
See the profile documents in the How to Apply section for details and qualifications.
Does the pastor have to be from
the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America)?
City
Church is part of the PCA denomination. A candidate does not have to be currently
serving or ordained in the PCA, but if called by our congregation he would need
to go through the ordination process. In
other words, he would have to join our denomination. Any candidate that we intend to call as
pastor must be examined and approved by our local Presbytery.
Does the pastor have to be a man?
Yes. Our denomination holds to the belief that Scripture
teaches that the office of elder, and therefore pastor, is reserved for men
only.
Will the congregation know who
has applied for the position?
It is
standard process for pulpit committees to keep candidate names
confidential. Much of this is done out
of consideration for the applicants, who often do not make it public knowledge
that they are applying for a position at another church. So we have decided that we will not be
sharing names or personal details about who has applied for the position
outside of the Pulpit Committee. This
means that we will not be sharing names with the Session, or for those of us
who are married, we will not share those details with our spouses.
What does it mean that the
congregation “elects” the pastor?
In our
denomination, it is the congregation that calls a pastor. After a candidate is introduced to the
congregation (Step 7), the congregation is given a yes or no vote on the
candidate.
What if we don’t like the candidate?
The
candidate that the Pulpit Committee recommends does not have to be elected by
the congregation (i.e. he can be rejected).
This is one reason why we think Step 2 is so important. We really want to hear at the beginning what
type of pastor will be a good fit for City Church. We would only put someone forward who we are
extremely confident would be elected by the congregation and approved by the
presbytery.
What have the dynamics been like
within the Pulpit Committee so far?
One of
the great things about being part of a church of 200 or so is that all of us on
the committee have interacted with one another before. We’ve talked to other churches who have over
a thousand members, and their Pulpit Committees have to spend time just getting
to know each other. Having some personal
history with each other has been great.
We’ve
been very intentional about defining our values for group engagement and
discernment. Respect and mutual
submission towards one another are big priorities for us, and we try to make
sure that everyone gets heard. We seek
to have discussions that are marked by honesty, humility, trust, and joy. We also maintain a strong emphasis on prayer
and personal devotion as we seek to discern God’s will together.
What happens if you guys disagree
on a candidate?
In the
process of group discernment, disagreements or different views can exist while
still maintaining a strong sense of unity.
Or the opposite can be true—a seeming lack of disagreements, but a sense
of disunity. Our hope is to be a group
that encourages honesty and diverse opinions, while also knowing that we are
unified in our purpose.
We’re
hopeful that in creating the search documents we will all be on the same page
for the type of person we are looking for.
But we expect that there will be disagreements about who best fits those
characteristics, and we plan to value and honor those disagreements. It’s essential to the health of our committee
that people have a variety of views and they feel comfortable expressing those
views. We will honor those disagreements
and pray for unity in the midst of them and in moving forward.
I have another question!
Feel free to approach a member of the Pulpit Committee with any questions you may have! You can also email the Pulpit Committee at ccenpc@gmail.com.
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