M1 Pastor Search Committee Update 07/23/2023
Dear Church Family,
The Pastoral Search Committee is pleased to share an update on our work over the past month.
On a personal note, I want to thank each of the members of the committee for their sacrificial dedication and their desire to seek God’s will and to hear His voice. I have never been a part of a group that takes their mission so seriously and with as much humility as the servants on this team. It is a blessing and a privilege to serve alongside them.
We completed our prescreen interviews with about 20 pastors and have been so encouraged and blessed to learn more about these Godly men and their life of ministry as pastors.
Based on these interviews and after much prayer and seeking to hear from the Lord, we have decided to move forward with several Senior Pastor candidates who are external to our church and not include any internal candidates from our present church ministry team.
As a result, we transitioned to the next step in our search process, which is in-depth interviews. These two hour Zoom interviews provide us with details of each pastor’s beliefs in theology, church doctrine, ministry, worship, preaching, pastoral care, counseling, discipleship, Christian education for all generations, missions, evangelism, church growth, leadership, staff relations, deacons, family life, and his personal walk with the Lord.
We also have been viewing and listening to sermons; studying the pastor’s church website for doctrinal statements, programs, mission activities, etc.; and viewing the pastor and church’s social media activity. All of these actions will enable us to evaluate each pastor.
We thank each of you once again for the invaluable feedback you provided in the Pastoral Expectations Questionnaire back in April. Your feedback helps us evaluate each pastor and consider the Man of God our church is seeking and the vision of our church ministries going forward.
Friends, we are at a crucial place in our search, and we humbly ask you to pray even more fervently for us in the days to come. The further we progress, the more difficult the decisions become. Our committee knows that God has already chosen the man who will lead our church.
Will you take these requests to the Lord?
We are thankful for your trust in us, your continued prayers, and for the unity of our church family. As always, if you have any questions about the process, please reach out to any one of us. Our contact information and all updates can be found at m1bc.org/search.
May God continue to bless our staff, our ministries, and our church families.
Shirley Jensen
July 2023
The Pastoral Search Committee is pleased to share an update on our work over the past month.
On a personal note, I want to thank each of the members of the committee for their sacrificial dedication and their desire to seek God’s will and to hear His voice. I have never been a part of a group that takes their mission so seriously and with as much humility as the servants on this team. It is a blessing and a privilege to serve alongside them.
We completed our prescreen interviews with about 20 pastors and have been so encouraged and blessed to learn more about these Godly men and their life of ministry as pastors.
Based on these interviews and after much prayer and seeking to hear from the Lord, we have decided to move forward with several Senior Pastor candidates who are external to our church and not include any internal candidates from our present church ministry team.
As a result, we transitioned to the next step in our search process, which is in-depth interviews. These two hour Zoom interviews provide us with details of each pastor’s beliefs in theology, church doctrine, ministry, worship, preaching, pastoral care, counseling, discipleship, Christian education for all generations, missions, evangelism, church growth, leadership, staff relations, deacons, family life, and his personal walk with the Lord.
We also have been viewing and listening to sermons; studying the pastor’s church website for doctrinal statements, programs, mission activities, etc.; and viewing the pastor and church’s social media activity. All of these actions will enable us to evaluate each pastor.
We thank each of you once again for the invaluable feedback you provided in the Pastoral Expectations Questionnaire back in April. Your feedback helps us evaluate each pastor and consider the Man of God our church is seeking and the vision of our church ministries going forward.
Friends, we are at a crucial place in our search, and we humbly ask you to pray even more fervently for us in the days to come. The further we progress, the more difficult the decisions become. Our committee knows that God has already chosen the man who will lead our church.
Will you take these requests to the Lord?
- Pray that we trust in God alone and keep our eyes focused on Him.
- Pray for our church with the leadership of our deacons for unity and steadfastness.
- Pray that the Lord prepare our hearts to receive the pastor He is calling.
- Pray for our amazing staff who are carrying the heavy burden of ministering to our church family during this time. Ask the Lord to bless them for their tireless labor in service to Him and for loving and caring for all of us.
- Pray that the Lord’s calling on the man He has chosen to be our next Senior Pastor is clear and unmistakable.
- Pray that God prepare his and his family’s hearts for the transition.
- Pray that God continues to prepare and equip him to be the Shepherd of our family here at Magnolia’s First Baptist Church.
We are thankful for your trust in us, your continued prayers, and for the unity of our church family. As always, if you have any questions about the process, please reach out to any one of us. Our contact information and all updates can be found at m1bc.org/search.
May God continue to bless our staff, our ministries, and our church families.
Shirley Jensen
July 2023
Posted in M1 Pastor Search Committee Update