Pulpit Committee Composition

On August 24^th a majority of members of the congregation of Christ Community Church (CCC) voted to have 2 elders, 1 deacon, and 4 members-at-large serve on the pulpit nominating committee.  Names of individuals who are nominated and agree to serve on this committee will appear on a ballot and will be voted on during a congregational meeting on September 14^th.

Note: The “Voting” section below was modified on August 29th to further clarify procedure for the September 14 meeting.

Qualifications for Pulpit Committee Members

Given the importance of the committee’s task, it is imperative that careful consideration be given to those who may potentially serve on it.  A nominee must be a member of Christ Community Church who is spiritually mature and invested in the life and mission of the church though he/she doesn’t necessarily have to be a longtime member.  More specifically, a nominee should display among other potential qualities, the following in his/her life:

• Prayerfulness because the task of finding and calling the right pastor is humanly impossible.
• Scripture centeredness because the church doesn’t ultimately belong to its elder, other leaders, or its members.  Rather it belongs to Christ, the Head.  Therefore, the most important consideration in evaluating a potential pastor is what Christ has spoken in His Word concerning His gospel, His Church and those who would serve under Him as shepherds of His flock.
• Teachability because this will be an unfamiliar process for most/all and there will be much to learn.
• Servanthood because a committee member must be more concerned about the overall good of the entire church than he/she is about his/her particular preferences.
• Peacemaking spirit because unity (though not necessarily unanimity) must be sought in the midst of the differences of opinion that will arise during the process.  Note that peacemaking isn’t the avoidance of those differences or necessarily the restraint of one’s opinions.  Rather it’s the commitment to work through differences in a manner that honors the Lord.
• Wisdom and discernment because among other things many factors must be weighed, preconceived notions must be challenged, and initial impressions must be scrutinized.
• Diligence because there will be a lot of follow up and follow through that must be done.
• Trustworthiness and discretion because the committee will be handling confidential information.
• Availability because the work of the committee will require a significant weekly time commitment (estimate of about 4-6 hrs/week, though the amount of time in a given week will probably fluctuate.  Meetings will likely be held a minimum of twice monthly.)

The above qualifications are from the book “When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles and Practices to Guide Your Search” by Chris Brauns.  We recommend this book to anyone in the congregation interested in the upcoming search process especially those considering accepting a nomination.  We anticipate that this book will be required reading for the elected committee.

Timeline

Nominations can be made between August 25^th and September 7^th by filling out a nomination form (available at welcome desk in foyer of sanctuary, in the church office, and online here) and placing it in the nomination box in the foyer of the church, by dropping it off at the church office, or by emailing it to the church office at office@christcommunitychurch.com.

Once all of the nominations are received and their eligibility has been verified, the church office will produce the ballot and mail a copy to each member household on Tuesday, September 9^th, in preparation for the congregational vote on September 14^th. The ballot will also be made available on the church blog.

Nomination

The session strongly encourages members of CCC to consider demographics such as gender and age in their nominations.  It is the desire of the session that one or more women will be elected to the committee. We also encourage the membership to consider those demographics in the process of deciding their vote.  After the ballots are cast, no attempt will be made to have particular demographic groups represented on the committee.  Members should consider those individuals that best meet the qualifications of nominees outlined previously. While any member of CCC is eligible (including CCC staff), we recommend nominating one member (18 years or older) per immediate family. Again, we encourage members to consider all of these demographics when casting their votes on September 14^th.

Nominations can be made between August 25^th and September 7^th by filling out nomination form(s) and placing it in the nomination box in the foyer of the church, by dropping it off at the church office, or by emailing it to the church office at office@christcommunitychurch.com.

Voting

On September 14^th members will be able to cast their ballot during a congregational meeting held immediately following the worship service.  Each CCC member can cast a vote for 7 individuals.  Assuming that at least 2 elders and at least one deacon appear on the ballot, congregational members will be asked to vote for 2 elders, one deacon, and 4 members-at-large.  Nominated individuals who are serving as elders or deacons will have their office listed next to their name.

If more than two elders appear on the ballot, then the two elders receiving the most votes will serve on the pulpit nominating committee.  Likewise, if more than 1 deacon appears on the ballot, then the deacon receiving the most votes will serve in the “deacon” position on the committee.  Any remaining deacons on the ballot receiving votes will be considered part of the members-at-large grouping, meaning that a deacon may be elected to the committee as a member-at-large if his vote total is among one of the top four nominees. The voting will occur in two phases: phase 1 – votes are cast for nominated officers only (2 elders and 1 deacon to be elected).  Phase 2 – votes are cast for the 4 members-at-large in which elders and spouses of officers elected in phase 1 are ineligible.

The 4 members-at-large who receive the most votes from the congregation will serve on the pulpit nominating committee.  The individuals who rank #5 and #6 in the congregational vote will be asked to serve as alternates.  Alternates will be named to provide adequate committee members in the unlikely event a member is unable to fulfill their elected role.  The elected committee will determine the extent of the role of alternates.  Only one member of an immediate family can be elected and serve on the committee.

Sample Nomination Form (One form per nomination)

Nominee _________________________________________

Nominator ________________________________________

Check this box to indicate that you have spoken to the nominee and they have agreed to give of their time in service to Christ and His church in this important way if elected.

Nominations can be made between August 25^th and September 7^th by filling out this nomination form and placing it in the nomination box in the foyer of the church, by dropping it off at the church office, or by emailing it to the church office at office@christcommunitychurch.com.

Sunday, August 17th, a quorum of the congregation’s members voted to release Rob Pendley to his call in Alabama.

At the meeting, the session also distributed a handout detailing the options set before the congregation in seeking a new pastor. That information is provided below. Please feel free to bring any questions or concerns to our attention. You can easily find contact information for our elders and the staff on our website. Our next congregational meeting is this Sunday, August 24th, immediately following the worship service.

THE BOOK OF CHURCH ORDER (BCO) OF THE

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA

20-2. Every church should be under the pastoral oversight of a minister, and when a church has no pastor it should seek to secure one without delay.

A church shall proceed to elect a pastor in the following manner:  The Session shall call a congregational meeting to elect a pulpit committee which may be composed of members from the congregation at large or the Session, as designated by the congregation (see BCO 25). The pulpit committee shall, after consultation and deliberation, recommend to the congregation a pastoral candidate who, in its judgment, fulfills the Constitutional requirements of that office (e.g., BCO 8, 13-6 and 21) and is most suited to be profitable to the spiritual interests of the congregation (cf. BCO 20-6).

The Session shall order a congregational meeting to convene at the regular place of worship. Public notice of the time, place, and purpose of this meeting shall be given at least one week prior to the time of the meeting.

In following the BCO, the congregation has two clear options for composition of a pulpit committee:

• Members of the Congregation at Large

OR

• The Session

We will vote as a congregation on one of the above options next week on 8/24 in a congregational meeting immediately after the worship service.

If the congregation votes for Members of the Congregation at Large to compose the pulpit committee, the session would propose a committee of 7 members that would include 2 elders, 1 deacon and 4 members.  This structure would be voted on by the congregation. If the congregation votes for the Session to compose the pulpit committee, the session would seek input from members to ensure a minister is found that is most suited to the spiritual interest of the congregation.

Next Steps

• 8/24 / Congregational meeting to vote on composition of the pulpit committee.
• 8/24-9/7 / Nominations for members of the congregation at large (if that option is selected)
• 9/14 / Election of the pulpit committee (if that option is selected)

The session has been researching and planning for the upcoming pastor search over the past month.  Based on the experiences of others who have gone through this, we expect this process to take anywhere from 9-12 months.  It could be shorter and could be longer.  Our highest goal is to find the man God has planned to lead CCC.  We intend to do this in a prayerful and faithful way that depends on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us.

We trust that God is going to use this time together as a church family to build our sense of mission and community.  We know it is tempting to view this period in the life of our church as a trial but we truly believe God has great things planned for us in the next year in community together.

Please don’t hesitate to talk with Charlie, Larry, Mike or Nate about any questions you have. Contact info available here.