Church Family Business

May 6, 2019

By Steve King

Over the past year, our church has been engaged in a process to find a new lead pastor. Last July, we formed a committee made up of nine members of our congregation and tasked them to evaluate and narrow a large pool of applicants. After six months, they selected three from that pool and recommended them to our Elder Council.

Our Elders then spent three months extensively and prayerfully evaluating those candidates. They narrowed the three down to two: one internal and one external candidate.

Covered by prayer support from the congregation, the Elders met for a retreat over this past weekend to seek God’s will concerning each of the candidates. After much prayer and evaluation, the Elders unanimously present our own Pastor Tom Oostdyk as the Lead Pastor candidate.

In my 42 years as a pastor, I have not had an experience like the one we had at the end of our retreat. After the Elders voted unanimously for Tom, we began to cry—the presence of God was so strong. He had answered our prayers for unity in our decision.

We now enter the last phase of our pastoral search process. The congregation has the responsibility to pray and evaluate our recommended candidate over the next two months.

At our July 21 Members Gathering, the congregation will vote whether to affirm Pastor Tom for the position of Lead Pastor. If affirmed, Tom will assume the role starting September 1.

All members should make it a high priority to attend the next Members Gathering on Sunday, May 19. The Elders will provide more information on the search process and what to expect over the next two months.

I want to remind you of a promise from Ephesians 3:20-21 that we can claim during this season, as we pray daily for our church family: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”