PNC

Pastor Nominating Committee

“Christ calls the Church into being, giving it all that is necessary for its mission in the world, for its sanctification, and for its service to God. Christ is present with the Church in both Spirit and Word. Christ alone rules, calls, teaches, and uses the Church as he wills.” (Book of Order, F- 1.0202).


Presbyterians believe that God uses committees, papers, procedures, and our polity, sprinkled with a generous measure of prayer, Scripture, and worship, to help you discern who it is that God is calling to be your pastor. This call is confirmed as the pastor, the church, and the presbytery each say “yes” to the relationship.


This three-way partnership is acted out throughout the pastoral call process, with the presbytery having the primary responsibility for oversight of the process. “... No pastoral relationship maybe established, changed, or dissolved without the approval of the presbytery” (Book of Order, G-2.0502).


The Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC), representative of the whole congregation and elected by the congregation, has the ultimate responsibility for nominating a minister to the congregation for election as the next pastor or associate pastor. Over a number of months, the
PNC will journey through the pastoral search process, seeking to hear the call of Christ and “to participate in God’s own choice” for your next pastor. In the pastoral call process, the PNC’s responsibilities include:

  • Completing the congregation’s Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP), entering it online with Church Leadership Connection (CLC) and submitting it for session and presbytery approval;
Faith U.P. MDP Form #11375
  • Receiving, reading, and evaluating Personal Discernment Profiles (PDP) in a spirit of prayerful openness to the movement of God’s Spirit;


  • Regularly providing reports to the congregation on the pastoral search progress;


  • Narrowing the field of prospective pastors through listening to sermons, reference checking (by both the PNC and the presbytery), and phone or video conference interviews—all while sharing, listening, and praying together;


  • Interviewing face-to-face the “short list” of prospective pastors, providing for a welcoming and hospitable visit to your church community;


  • Arranging with the presbytery for the necessary examinations and approvals of your finalists;


  • Selecting one nominee to present to the congregation and negotiating the terms of call;


  • Obtaining presbytery approval of the call;


  • Presenting the nominee to the congregation for its vote;


  • Following the affirmative vote of the congregation, signing the pastoral terms of call for the new pastor;


  • Notifying Church Leadership Connection (CLC) when a call has been extended and accepted.

Congregational

Self-Study

During the time of transition between pastors, a congregation is invited to engage in a spiritual discernment process to discover or reconfirm its call to ministry—what God wants the church to be and do in the next phase of the congregation’s life. Your presbytery may ask your congregation to engage in a mission self-study that involves Bible study, prayer, and an honest and thoughtful look at your congregation and community, as a way to discern the ministry direction in which God is leading you. Once this becomes clear, the pastor nominating committee (PNC), in consultation with the presbytery, begins the discernment process of discovering who God is calling to be the pastor in this next chapter of your congregation’s life and ministry.


The PNC helped to guide this process for Faith U.P. beginning with a November luncheon with the congregation to review the 2022 Visioning process and verify the congregation’s commitment to the mission priorities and goals. A congregational survey completed the process with a February luncheon to share the results of that survey. In between, the PNC reviewed community demographics and needs, as well as congregational statistics. The information from the this process was used to help guide the writing of the MDP.

Self Study Report 2024 Executive Insight Ministry Insight

PASTOR NOMINATING

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Linda Brezinski
Christie Campbell
Elizabeth Davison
Brad DeBusk
Lisa Lombardo
Scott Reese
Bettie Stammerjohn

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