Written by Mike Gibbons and Chris Kinman
Unity – In Every Season
As a committee, we are so thankful for the prayer support and the unity of MacArthur Blvd Baptist Church. We appreciate the opportunity to serve Christ and His Church in this capacity.
The following information was shared at The River service on Wednesday, April 25. You may listen to the audio if would like to hear the presentation.
What have we been doing?
Josh announced he was leaving in November. The vote to affirm the members of the committee was January 21 and our first meeting was January 28, so we have been together for approximately three months.
These are just a few of the documents we have been putting together alongside our focus on praying.
Lead Pastor Position Profile
Church Profile – this is a document that explains what our church looks like and believes including our philosophy of ministry, our mission, our method (Discipleship Pathway), and our culture (core values). This also includes our philosophy of pastoral ministry (a plurality of pastors and text-driven preaching), the history of the church, and broad attendance and budget numbers.
Surrounding Community Profile – this includes statistics on population, ethnicity, and religion.
Job Description – what we desire in our Lead Pastor.
Sermon Evaluation Form
This is a form we will use as a committee to listen to sermons.
Church Demographic Survey
We believe this is important for our next Lead Pastor to understand our church. Just as a missionary needs to understand the culture of his mission field, so a Lead Pastor needs to understand the culture of the church he is praying about.
What is something we can be praying for as a church body?
Please continue to pray for the unity of the body in the mind and spirit of Christ. We want to model unity in all we do as a committee.
What are the next steps?
We will soon be advertising the position and begin the process of reviewing resumes. Although we hold our plans loosely, we are on track, if not ahead, of the timeline we have outlined. The timeline listed below is tentative as we are praying for God’s timing in this transition.
PROJECTED TIMELINE
January-February: prayer; affirm committee
March-April: prayer; team building; review mission, vision and core values; develop communication/prayer plan for the congregation; training
May-June: prayer; create church profile, community profile, and job description
July-August: prayer; begin advertising the role
September-October: prayer; begin interviewing candidates
November: prayer; present final candidate to Directional Pastors and congregation
December: prayer; offer extended
What has been one of the most common comments you’ve received?
Our most common question has been about internal candidates, specifically Rickey Primrose. I am thankful for Chris Kinman, a committee member, that addresses that question below:
“I am reminded during this time of transition that God has been so gracious to us over the years, abundantly providing this body with the right man at the right time. We have had great pastors and preachers like Ron Dunn, John Meador, David Allen, and Josh Smith and today with men like Richard Taylor, Darrin Mechling, and Bob Bolander. We are truly a privileged people and we praise God for that.
Pastor Rickey Primrose is a part of this blessing. As a member, leader, teacher, and pastor, he has contributed much to MacArthur Blvd over these last ten years. There has been a considerable discussion, both open and private, amongst the staff and members regarding the open lead pastor position and Pastor Rickey. So that there is no confusion and to guard the unity of the church, it is fitting to clarify a few points.
Pastor Rickey is indeed interested in the lead pastor position and has presented his resume to the committee. It is important to note he is not directly involved in the process of searching for a new pastor as this would present a clear conflict. Because he desires for our church to be doing the will of God and also that he is doing the will of God, he has been in agreement since the beginning that we follow through with the Lead Pastor search process. Please do not forget that he is a current pastor, a fellow church member, and a friend to many people here and we are to be sensitive to the situation and to be praying for him and his family.
As a church family we share in victories as well as defeats, the easy and the difficult, and through it all, a spirit of unity must exist. Psalm 133:1 – How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Our Church’s process in searching for a new lead pastor is not meant to discourage or separate the family. Likewise, it is not intended to neglect or slow down our ministry opportunities. This process is designed to be open and transparent. The goal of this committee is to determine who God has as the next lead pastor for MacArthur Blvd while honoring the Lord, His church, and all candidates in the process.”
This is an exciting time in the life of our church. We have and still do surrender this process and position to God. After all, there is nothing too hard for Him! (Jeremiah 32:27) When the Lord makes it clear whoever this next man is, we should celebrate and give thanks in unity.
Other Lead Pastor Search Updates and Lead Pastor search info