For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.      ~Romans 12:4-8
 

Presentation to Congregation - Dec. 6, 2011

     It’s been 9 months. When he met with us a couple weeks ago, that’s what Jim Carter told us. There was a slight flutter in the room as his words sank in. You could almost see the months being ticked off and hear the conversation inside our heads: “Yup, that’s right. 9 months. Really? That long? What have we been doing all that time? Shouldn’t we be further along?” A slight feeling of panic. But driving home, I calmed down as the first stanza of a poem by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin called Patient Trust came to mind. It reads:

                 Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
                 We are quite naturally impatient in everything
                              to reach the end without delay.
                  We should like to skip the intermediate states.
                  We are impatient of being on the way to something
                               unknown, something new.
                  And yet it is the law of all progress
                                that it is made by passing through
                                some stages of instability--
                   and that may take a very long time.

     Well, maybe not a very long time but a while longer. In my mid-October update, I described our work writing our Church Information Form, educating ourselves, reviewing Pastor Information Forms and starting a first round of networking calls. Since then we’ve made two more rounds of calls for a total of about 130 conversations about candidates others think fit our needs and desires. Talking to others in the denomination has been instructive and inspiring. One thing we’ve heard over and over again is how foundational our church, BMPC is to the PC(USA) and how much others want us to succeed in our search. That’s encouraging. Sometimes it’s hard for us to see that. We’re looking down at the road just ahead of us, not noticing others walking beside us, encouraging us, wishing us well.

     From those calls, we have a first round list of about 100 candidates recommended by from one to ten of our contacts. In November, we began research on these candidates and, right now, are starting to identify those who will make what we’ve come to call our “A” list. Our best estimate is that we will be able to start our first round of phone interviews beginning in March.

                  “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.”

     For us on the PNC, it’s draining and exhilarating at the same time. Draining to see the mountain of work ahead. Exhilarating because we are beginning to glimpse how the vision of candidates might dovetail with ours at BMPC. While now these are only glimpses, we know they will grow in strength and detail as we begin our talks with candidates.
    
     So again, we ask for your patience, prayers, and continuing contributions to our church. It’s an exciting time, for us on the PNC and for you, the congregation, a time that I think is captured by this slightly amended last stanza of that poem by de Chardin.

                   Only God could say what this new spirit
                                gradually forming within us will be
                   Give our Lord the benefit of believing
                                that his hand is leading us,
                    and accept the anxiety of feeling ourselves
                                in suspense and incomplete.
                    Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

Paul Burgmayer, PNC Chair

The PNC has finished the Church Information Form (CIF), click here to view.

To view PNC frequently asked questions click here.

PNC Progress Chart:

 

Election of PNC by the Congregation

Formation of the team

Study of church systems

Election of a Chair, and other positions

Meeting with Presbytery Representative

PNC website link created at BMPC.org

Research for and writing of the Church Information Form (CIF)

Approval of the CIF by BMPC Session

Approval of the CIF by Presbytery Committee on Ministry

Posting of CIF on PCUSA website

Reception of Personal Information Forms (PIF’s)  (Applications)

Evaluation of PIF’s

Creation of a "short list"

Contacts established with candidates

Phone interviews

Reference checks

Field narrowed to a few top candidates

Visits to prospective pastors in their churches

Prospective pastors visit BMPC

Nominee chosen by PNC

Invitation extended to accept the call

Negotiation of the terms of call

Presbytery COM grants approval of the nominee

Preparation of a report to the congregation

Presentation of the nominee to the congregation

Creation of a transition committee

Installation of the new pastor

 

The Pastor Nominating Committee

Brad Baturka

Jennifer Bowers

Susan Bravo

Paul Burgmayer

Judy Ehrman

Carolyn Gerrish

Sue Gibbons

Peggy Gregg

Kep Kephart

Sam McKeel

Steve Mygatt

Eric Swanson