A Season of Pastoral Transitions
On behalf of the Session and the Interim Senior Pastor Search Committee, we are delighted to announce the Rev. Dr. John M. Willingham as our Interim Senior Pastor and Head of Staff.
John steps out of retirement to join BMPC after a 36-year career as a Presbyterian Minister of Word and Sacrament. Most recently, John completed 20 years as Senior Pastor at Doylestown Presbyterian Church. There, John ministered to a membership of 1,150, supervised a staff of fifteen, including two Associate Pastors, and moderated a Session of 26 members.
The search committee was elected by the Session this spring and began our search for a highly experienced candidate to lead our church and staff as we prepare ourselves for new leadership at BMPC. We engaged BMPC’s Trustees, Deacons, Associate Pastors and Music Directors in conversation about the qualities and characteristics they desired in an Interim Senior Pastor. Members of our committee networked widely, seeking recommendations from clergy leaders across our denomination.
Our final candidates spanned nationally across the PC (USA). In the end, the committee and our staff met with a few highly qualified candidates, and John stood out as the ideal Interim Pastor for BMPC at this moment in time. John brings strong leadership skills and a calm and steady energy. He is engaging, thoughtful, collaborative, and kind. The committee is highly confident in John’s ability to lead our congregation during this time of transition and John is thrilled for the opportunity to serve our church.
The Presbytery of Philadelphia has affirmed John’s call to BMPC, and he will begin his work at here on December 15. John and his wife, Lori, will alternate between staying at the manse on our campus and commuting from their home in Doylestown. We invite the congregation to meet John following worship on December 21.
Thank you for your support and prayers during the search process. Enclosed is a brochure highlighting John’s incredible career and gifts for ministry. Please welcome John as he ministers to us, guides our Associate Pastors, and supervises our staff. We are grateful for the energy and passion he brings as he serves our congregation.
Grace and Peace,
Keith Brinks and Sarah Gunther, Co-Moderators
Bill Bosch, Susan Bravo, Emily Cieri, and Meg Holdsworth
Senior Interim Pastor Search Committee