shareholders senior pastor transition faq

Senior Pastor Transition

FAQ

What are you looking for in the next senior pastor? Foremost, we are looking for a surrendered, mature Christ follower who evidences the fruit of the Spirit. We are seeking a Spirit-filled evangelical leader and a gifted communicator—someone who can connect with a diverse spectrum of people, particularly the next generation of young adults. We want someone with an entrepreneurial mind-set and large church experience. And finally, we are looking for someone who will love Cincinnati and the Vineyard. Why do we need a search firm? A change in the senior pastor role is one of the most significant transitions a church can experience, so we wanted to make sure to tap into the best available wisdom from those with experience in this arena. Vanderbloemen Search Group has an excellent track record of surfacing great leaders for churches. They can cast the net wide to ensure that our search committee has the opportunity to select from a broad set of candidates. What is the role and responsibility of the search committee? The search committee (comprised of current and former trustees) will conduct personal interviews with the candidates, research and visit the candidates’ current churches, and review videos of their teaching and any other published works. Once the search committee is prepared to recommend a particular candidate, it will bring the recommendation to the full trustee board for a vote. This process lines up with our church by-laws, which state that it is the responsibility of the trustee board to select the senior pastor. How long will this process take? We expect this process to move quickly and diligently, but there is no deadline. Ultimately it will take as long as is needed to confidently believe we have found the right person, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The search firm has told us that the overall process typically takes somewhere between six and twelve months. What is Dave going to do next? Dave will remain on staff. He will support the next senior pastor with the transition and be available for special projects, teaching and speaking as needed, and networking with other churches, as directed by the next senior pastor. He will continue in his role within the larger Vineyard movement, sharing his gifts and experience with a larger audience to advance the kingdom.

What about the future for current ministries? We don’t expect any wholesale changes in our current ministry offerings, but we do expect that the next senior pastor will bring new ideas and fresh experiences to our church. We are pursuing a leader to lead this church, and we are open to what God has in store for us. What’s my part? Most importantly, we covet your prayers throughout this process and welcome any insights you would like to share with the search committee and church leadership team that come from your time spent with God. In addition, if you or others in your circle of influence have questions, come to one of the “open table” sessions on the weekend or send an email to [email protected]. We want you to have accurate and timely information to minimize conjecture. Finally, as shareholders, once your personal questions or concerns have been addressed, please speak with confidence and enthusiasm about the transition within your volunteer teams and small groups. Staying Updated You can expect updates about this process as we go along, both in the Shareholder newsletters that are sent regularly, but also through a dedicated page for Shareholders accessed by logging into my.vineyardcincinnati.com. If you do not already have a MyVineyard account, simply go to vineyardcincinnati.com and click on the Register link in the upper right corner. Also, vineyardcincinnati.com/trustees identifies members of the search committee and includes contact info should you have questions. If unsure about who to contact, simply submit questions to [email protected]. Open Table Sessions Members of the search committee and staff leadership team will be available after each celebration on the weekend of February 16 and 17 in the Community Room off the Atrium. Come talk with us!