Pastor Search Team Update

Thank you, members of SCC, for affirming and praying for our pastor search team in worship recently. Since then, the team has met twice, once to elect officers and once for a training and planning session. The group elected Ginnie Kinsey and Lisa Carraway as co-chairs and Elaine Abernathy as secretary. Joyce Trump, Robert Boyce, Douglas Parr and Benita Rhodes round out the team.

During our training session, the team reviewed our constitution and personnel handbook. These documents, along with the church and pastoral profiles (based on information gathered in the Town Hall meetings and created by the Transition Team), will inform their work going forward. Now, they are in the process of developing an interview rubric that they will use to help evaluate pastoral candidates. We emphasized that although our hard work is important, this is a deeply spiritual process; one that we trust will continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit working in and through us. Please continue to pray for your Search Team that this will indeed be so.

You may remember that this search will be different from other searches we have done in the past. Previously, we would advertise the position widely and work through the  denomination for potential candidates. Since SCC is no longer denominationally affiliated, the Transition Team chose to contract with The Center for Healthy Churches to help shepherd us through this process. Soon, the Center will help us compile a short list of candidates who would be a good fit for Suffolk Christian Church. The team also welcomes applicants from other sources, so if you know someone who is interested, encourage them to apply. Resumes and cover letters can be sent to: sccpastorresume@gmail.com. Members of the committee will begin reaching out to all potential candidates soon.

As the Search Team gains consensus about a candidate (this will take several months), they will work with the Transition Team to schedule a call weekend. Over the course of 2-3 days, all church members, staff, and boards will have the opportunity to meet and interact with the candidate. The candidate will preach and lead in worship, then the church will vote immediately following the service.

Please understand that our pastoral candidates are likely already serving in other congregations. It is imperative that the committee work with complete confidentiality until they are ready to announce a candidate. They will update the congregation as they are able, but they thank you in advance for honoring their need to work quietly for now. I will be advising and coaching the Search Team, but I will not participate in the interviews.

Thank you for your prayers and your patience as we continue to move through this process. As one team member said, it is much more important to do this right than to do this quickly. I add a hearty Amen.

On the journey with you,

Tracy