This page has been recently updated with information related strictly to the selection of the new Head of Staff/Pastor and Transition related processes and events.  Other PNC related information that was previously on this page (Discernment phase, Search phase,  CIF phase, Mission Study phase,  PNC Signal Articles and PCUSA PNC information) can still be accessed by clicking on the appropriate links provided below.  We hope that you find this format more useful.

Please email me (Marty Ugarte) with any questions or comments.   Also, please feel free to contact us with any ideas to make this website more useful.  Thank you.

KEY and UPCOMING TRANSITION EVENTS

With the unanimous selection of Reverend Landry as Southminster's next Pastor/Head of Staff, the PNC responsibilities are almost over.  All the remains is the transition.  The following are the key transitional events and related activities that all church members are invited to participate in and/or attend.

Key Transitional Events:

• There will be a Farewell Dinner for Pastor Bob on March 14^th to thank him for his faithful service to us as our Interim Pastor.  Please contact Nancy Johnson with any questions regarding this event.

• Update: March 15^th will be Pastor Bob’s last day in the pulpit. Please be there to show him your support.  He will only be preaching one more Sunday at Southminster on March 15th.

•  March 16^th will be Pastor Kent’s first day on the job. March 22^nd will be his first day in the pulpit leading services.

• There will be a Welcoming Luncheon for the Landrys on March 22^nd immediately following the 11:15 a.m. worship service.  Please contact Dorothy Watts with any questions regarding this PNC sponsored event.

Transition Activities:

• The PNC invites you to complete the Family Information/Photo form. The forms will be used to create a Photo Directory that will be given to the Landry family to help them become familiar with us individually. (Please return your form by March 8^th).   Please click on the link provided above to obtain a copy of the form.

• Please wear your church name tags every week. This will aid the Landry family, visitors and other church members in fellowship. (this message is Frank approved)

• Please sign-up to help welcome the Landry family with an Old Fashion "Pounding". There is a sign-up list of items church members can purchase to help stock the Landry family pantry. (the Landrys are purchasing a home in Sienna)

KEY and UPCOMING PNC EVENTS

*** The Reverend Kent Landry was formally Called to be Southminster's next Head of Staff/Pastor at the February 15th Congregational Meeting.  The final Terms of Call were approved, "as is".  The vote was unanimous.  Overwhelming support was shown for the new pastor. There were no dissenting votes or comments.   ***

The Informational Packets that introduced the Head of Staff/Pastor Candidate (Kent Landry) were distributed on  Sunday, February 1st.  This will be the primary means for getting to know the candidate.  Copies not picked up on the 1st were mailed to the home address on record with the church office on February 2nd.

You can also download a copy from this website starting on Sunday.

*** Download Here ***

The Session approved the recommended Terms of Call at the called Session meeting on February 1st.  Copies were distributed at the February 8th worship service.  Copies will also be distributed at the February 15th worship service.  Copies will not be available online.

A PNC Town Hall Meeting was held on February 8th.  Additional informational was shared about the candidate and an explanation was given on the Terms of Call.

 New Head of Staff/Pastor Selection and Transition - 12/29/08 Update

12/28/08 Town Hall Meeting

The PNC hosted a brief update meeting in-between services on 12/28/08 that was well attended by approximately 60 church and PNC members. An overview of Southminster's PNC process was given by the committee moderator, Richard Early. This included a review of the early Mission Study and CIF phases as well as the Search and Selection phases.  The remainder of the meeting was focused on the final candidate transition process and the initial tentative transition timeline. The timeline provided in the 12/17/08 PNC Newsflash was also reviewed with no changes to any of the initial transition dates. A date of 3/22/09 date was given as the estimated first day in pulpit for the new Pastor if all the preceding steps go as planned.  A copy of the PNC Status Report Snapshot report was provided to all guests that outlined the significant transition steps.

The reason for the delay in releasing candidate specific information was also emphasized.  Since the final candidate is from out-of-state, the Presbytery's Committee on Examinations (COE) must sustain their examination of the candidate before any detailed candidate information can be released. The COE's next meeting is scheduled for 1/31/09 so until then the PNC cannot release any detailed candidate information.

During the next month, the PNC will be putting together the detailed candidate information as an introduction of the Pastor nominee to the congregation. The congregation will not personally meet the will Pastor nominee prior to the congregational meeting. The introductory material will be the primary means for "getting to know" the nominee.  The PNC also envisions holding another meeting similar to today's sometime after the COE sustains their examinations and prior to the congregational meeting. 

The PNC thanks everyone who attended the meeting.

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PNC NEWSFLASH 12-17-08

At the December 15^th meeting of the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC), the PNC selected a final candidate to be Southminster’s next Pastor/Head of Staff and extended a call offer to that candidate.  The selection was reached by consensus and was unanimously supported by the members of the PNC after much prayer, thought and discussion.

The PNC is also very happy to report that the candidate ACCEPTED the call offer.  The call offer is subject to Presbytery approval and a congregational vote to extend a formal call.  Only the congregation can extend the formal call.

Because the candidate is coming from another Presbytery, he must meet with our local Presbytery’s Committee on Examinations, which in turn must sustain his examination before the PNC is permitted to release any candidate-specific information to the congregation.  This examination is scheduled for January 31, 2009 (the earliest possible date). 

Assuming the examination goes well, which the PNC certainly expects, the PNC will be prepared to systematically share detailed information on the candidate beginning on or around February 1, 2009, well ahead of the congregational meeting/vote.

A firm timeline for the transition is not available because this is a very dynamic situation.  However, the PNC has assembled the following TENTATIVE timeline of the key upcoming transition related events.  Please note that this timeline is not final and that it is HIGHLY SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

·       January 31^st - Candidate is examined by the Presbytery’s Committee on Examinations (COE)

·       February 1^st - Assuming the COE sustains the candidate’s examination, release detailed candidate

         specific information to the session and to the congregation.

·       February 1^st - Called meeting of the Session to consider calling a meeting of the congregation to hear

          the report of the PNC (i.e., the congregational meeting to vote on the recommended candidate)

·       Mid-February - Congregational meeting to hear the report from the PNC and consider calling the

         recommended candidate as Southminster’s next Head of Staff/Pastor

·       Mid-March - Assuming the congregation votes to call the candidate, we say goodbye to Bob, thanking

         him for his faithful ministry to our congregation, and welcome our new Pastor.

We give thanks to God for leading this candidate to our congregation.  We are also hopeful that the remainder of the transition process will be reflective of God’s will.

The PNC members continue to ask for your prayers and they also request your prayers for the candidate, Pastor Bob and Becky and both our congregations as we all journey together in this process.

Additional Message from Richard Early, the PNC Moderator:

"It is the PNC's strong belief that God’s hand was clearly evident in directing our process, and we believe that this candidate is reflective of God’s will for our congregation.  We rejoice in God’s faithfulness, and are excited about this important next step in our congregation’s journey together to the glory of God."

Respectfully submitted,

                     Your Pastor Nominating Committee

PNC STATUS REPORT SNAPSHOT

Do you want to see a snapshot report of the Southminster PNC process and progress?  Please click on the following link to access the most recent  PNC Status Report Snapshot.  The report was last updated on 2/16/09 to show that the congregation voted to extend formal Call to Rev. Landry and that the final terms of call were approved at the February 15th congregation meeting.

WHO IS ON THE PNC?

Committee Moderator: Richard Early

Correspondence: Mackenzie Buell and Clara Goforth

Communications Workgroup: Marty Ugarte and Dorothy Watts

Secretary: Randy Corbin

Various roles: Dan Hauschel, Doug Earle and Nell Schwartz

PNC MONTHLY SIGNAL ARTICLE - MOST RECENT

February 2009 Signal

The PNC members thank you for entrusting them with this important responsibility.

Your Pastor Nominating Committee