PART 1 BEGINNING SAN FERNANDO PRESBYTERY RESOURCE: SECURING A PASTOR

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1 PART 1 BEGINNING SAN FERNANDO PRESBYTERY RESOURCE: SECURING A PASTOR Supplement to the PC (USA) Materials: The Stages & Steps of the Pastoral Call Process Available for downloading at (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 1 of 10

2 1. BEGINNING Calling A Pastor 1. When a Pastor Leaves a) COM will conduct an exit interview with the pastor b) Session cares for the congregation, arranges for pulpit supply, deciding pastor financial package c) COM assigns a Liaison to your Calling a Pastor Process & a Moderator for your Session 2. Vision Day led by C.O.M. a) Starts the process of collecting information from your congregation to begin finding your next pastor b) Congregational survey given to the church before Vision Day (write, distribute, tally) 3. Mission Study a) Uses materials & information gathered from the Vision Day b) The Mission Study must be approved by C.O.M. before any next steps c) The Mission Study Team can become the PNC if the congregation approves A. THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY (COM) B. PROCEDURES FOR CHURCH WITH A VACANT PULPIT C. VISION DAY D. MISSION STUDY TASK FORCE E. COM Toolkit (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 2 of 10

3 A. THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY This guideline is intended for use at the organizational meeting of the Pastor Nominating Committee, which is elected once the Mission Study has been completed and approved. When a congregation has a vacancy in a pastoral position, or after the presbytery approves the effective date of the dissolution of an existing pastoral relationship, the congregation shall, with the guidance and permission of the presbytery, proceed to fill the vacancy in the following manner. (G ) It is the function of the Committee on Ministry to be of assistance to you during this time of vacancy. Direct contact may be made with our committee at any time through your official moderator, normally a member of our committee appointed by the Presbytery. You may also contact the chairperson of the committee or the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery. The decision to call a pastor is a three-way agreement that includes the minister, the congregation, and the presbytery. A. The Initial Meeting of the PNC: The chair of the Committee leads the initial meeting of the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) on Ministry (COM). The PNC member designated as the convener, and the chair of the COM coordinates the meeting. A representative from the COM will be assigned to assist the PNC in its work. This person is normally at the initial meeting of the PNC. B. Moderator of Session: When a pulpit is vacant, the COM appoints a moderator of the session, and assists the session in arranging pulpit supply and in securing an interim pastor. In this way, the PNC is free to focus their attention on their sole responsibility; nominating a candidate to be the pastor or associate pastor of the church. C. COM Representative: The representative assigned by COM to the PNC is there to offer assistance, counsel and support, for the purpose of making the considerable work of the PNC as easy as possible. Communication with the COM will normally be made through the representative, but whenever its needed, the PNC may contact the chair of COM directly. It is the policy of the COM that representatives to PNC's enjoy good working relationships with the PNC. In the event that a PNC feels that a change in representatives is needed, the PNC chairperson shall contact the chairperson of the Transition Sub-Committee, and request that a replacement be made. If the differences cannot be resolved, the Transition chairperson shall appoint a new representative. Within two weeks of the first meeting with the PNC, chaired by the representative of COM, the chairperson of the Transition Sub-Committee shall make inquiry of the PNC chairperson to determine the acceptability of the COM representative. Thereafter, similar inquiries shall be made on a quarterly basis, for the purpose of determining the status of the relationship. In the event that the PNC chairperson indicates that the relationship is not a good one, the Transition Sub-Committee chairperson shall discuss the situation with the COM (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 3 of 10

4 representative and the PNC Chairperson to determine if a change in COM representative is appropriate. In the event there is disagreement regarding the continuation of the relationship, the PNC chairperson's view shall prevail. D. The COM shall: According to the process of the presbytery and prior to making its report to the congregation, the pastor nominating committee shall receive and consider the presbytery s counsel on the merits, suitability, and availability of those considered for the call. (G ) The presbytery has authorized the COM to find in order calls which are issued by churches (SFPSR 7.52H). Once the requirements have been met and the COM has found the call to be in order, the pastor is invited to appear before Presbytery for examination on the floor. To facilitate the presbytery s oversight of approval of calls for pastoral services and invitations for temporary pastoral services it may delegate its authority to designated entities within the presbytery. (G ) E. AA/EEO Responsibilities: The COM is responsible to assure that the PNC has adhered to the presbytery's policies on Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity and Housing. B. PROCEDURES FOR CHURCH WITH A VACANT PULPIT I. MEETING WITH THE SESSION OF A CHURCH WITH A VACANT PULPIT As soon as possible after a pastor has left a congregation, representatives of the Committee on Ministry shall meet with your Session. The purpose of this meeting is to explain the process to be followed by the church as it seeks a new pastor. II. MODERATOR OF A CHURCH WITH A VACANT PULPIT A. Churches with a vacant pulpit shall normally be moderated by a clergy member of the Committee on Ministry. B. This person shall be the moderator of all session and congregational meetings. He/she may ask any other minister of the Presbytery to moderate specific meetings. C. The moderator appointed by the Committee on Ministry shall receive a copy of the minutes of all meetings. III. PULPIT SUPPLIES Pulpit supplies in a church with a vacant pulpit are arranged by the session, in consultation with the Committee on Ministry. Usually this is done through a session committee or person named for that purpose. The Committee on Ministry "shall provide a list of pastors and qualified laypersons to supply vacant pulpits." (G f) Contact the administrator at the Presbytery office for a current list of names. (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 4 of 10

5 IV. TEMPORARY PASTORAL RELATIONSHIPS (G b) Titles and terms of service for temporary relationships shall be determined by the presbytery. A person serving in a temporary pastoral relationship is invited for a specified period not to exceed twelve months in length, which is renewable with the approval of the presbytery. A teaching elder employed in a temporary pastoral relationship is ordinarily not eligible to serve as the next installed pastor, co-pastor, or associate pastor. (G b) A presbytery may determine that its mission strategy permits a teaching elder employed in a temporary pastoral relationship to be eligible to serve as the next installed pastor, co-pastor, or associate pastor. Presbyteries that permit this eligibility shall establish such relationships only by a three-fourths vote of the members of presbytery present and voting. (G c) A. Pulpit Supply A Pulpit Supply is a person secured by the session to conduct worship services on a week-to-week basis. A list of teaching elders (approved by the Executive Presbyter and the COM Moderator), who are available on a Sunday to Sunday basis may be obtained from the Presbytery Office. B. Interim Pastor An interim pastor is a teaching elder invited by the session to preach the Word, administer the Sacraments, and fulfill pastoral duties for a specified period not to exceed 12 months at a time, while the church is seeking a pastor. The session may not secure an interim pastor without seeking the counsel of Presbytery through its Committee on Ministry. A position description shall be written for this position and approved by the Committee on Ministry, which shall also approve a written contract between the church and the interim pastor (see attached forms). With the permission of the moderator, the interim pastor, if a member of this Presbytery, may moderate session and congregational meetings to insure continuity. C. Stated Supply A stated supply is a minister appointed by the Presbytery, after consultation with the session, to perform the functions of a pastor in a church. A stated supply relationship is established when for some reason the church is not currently seeking a pastor. A stated supply serves as a pastor, and is approved for no longer than one year at a time. D. Designated Pastor (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 5 of 10

6 A designated pastor is a teaching elder approved by the Committee on Ministry to be elected for a term of not less than two nor more than four years by the vote of the congregation. The relationship shall be established by the Presbytery. Such a teaching elder shall be nominated by the congregation's pastor nominating committee only from among those designated by the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery. The congregation and the minister both must volunteer to be considered for a designated term relationship. Such a call may be established only with the prior concurrence of the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery. V. ASSOCIATE PASTOR A. If your church now has an associate pastor on its staff, it is quite in order for the session to realign some of his/her duties during the interim period when you are without a pastor. The status as associate pastor does not change. An associate pastor is not eligible to continue in the role of interim pastor. VI: PARISH ASSOCATES A parish associate is normally a position for a retired pastor, or one who has another employment source. The agreement between the session and the parish associate shall, whenever a pulpit becomes vacant, be terminated, at the discretion of the pastor. VII. THE VISION DAY, MISSION STUDY AND CHURCH INFORMATION FORM (CIF) The first task of the session is to schedule a VISION DAY for the entire congregation, led by the Committee on Ministry to gather the beginning pieces of information that leads to the development of a Mission Study. When the Vision Day is finished and those materials are compiled, the Session will appoint a special Mission Study Task Force prior to the election of the Pastor Nominating Committee to carry on this task. The Committee on Ministry s Transitions Sub-Committee shall guide them in this task. When the Mission Study is completed and approved by the session and COM, the PNC will be elected and will prepare a Church Information Form. VIII. LEADERSHIP OF THE CHURCH During this period when your church is without a regularly installed pastor, the session must assume additional and complete leadership responsibility. This need not be a period to "mark time." Rather, it can be a time for honest evaluation of your church and a time of spiritual renewal. (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 6 of 10

7 C. THE VISION DAY A Congregational Vision Day enables a church to gather in one day most of the information and materials they need to get started on finding their new pastor. At the end of this day the local church will be able to start producing their Mission Study, which when approved by Session and the Presbytery s Committee on Ministry, will allow them to form their Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). The PNC will then be able to begin producing their Church Information Form (CIF), which when approved by their Session and the Presbytery s Committee on Ministry will allow them to start receiving Personal Information Forms (PIF) from candidates wanting to apply for their position. A church may also choose to host a Congregational Vision Day at any significant point in their congregation s life, even if they are not looking for a new pastor. It is a wonderful tool to review, reflect, and re-engage the congregation as a whole in their local mission. The Congregational Vision Day is facilitated by members of the Transitions Sub-Committee from the Presbytery s Committee on Ministry. All members should fill out the surveys on worship and pastoral preference in advance. COM encourages the participation of as many members as possible in the Vision Day for the most representative results. For more information or to start your own vision day, contact COM. (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 7 of 10

8 D. THE MISSION STUDY TASK FORCE A specially assigned Mission Study Task Force (MSTF) appointed by the session conducts a mission study with support from the COM Transitions Sub-Committee. Members of the same family cannot serve together on the Mission Study Task Force The Mission Study Task Force may become the PNC by the election of the congregation at the discretion of the Session A liaison from the Committee on Ministry (COM) will be assigned to the MSTF to guide them in their process The Mission Study precedes the preparation of a Church Information Form (CIF), which is used by the denomination to assist in subsequent search work. It includes a statement of the mission of the church, including goals and objectives for the next three to five years. When completed, the Mission Study is reviewed and approved by the session and COM, and signed by the clerk of session. If revisions are required, it will be sent back to the Task Force. (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 8 of 10

9 E. THE COM TOOLKIT Most of the following materials are available at no cost on the web. If you do not have access to the internet, you can order many of these materials through Presbyterian Distribution Services (PDS) materials call COM: Ministers: Ministry & Vocations: Annotated Book of Order: Committee on Ministry Handbook: Commissioned Lay Pastors: On Seeking A Call: On Calling A Pastor: New Times New Call: A Manual of Pastoral Options for Small Churches - Guidelines for Session Personnel Committees Triennial Visit Resource Book oga.pcusa.org/mgbconnect/pubs/triennialvisit.pdf Comparative Statistics introductory-essay-mem/ The Orderly Exchange of Ordained Ministers (Formula Partners): Standards of Ethical Conduct - oga.pcusa.org/publications/ethical-conduct.pdf Calling to Educational Ministry - (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 9 of 10

10 BOARD OF PENSIONS RESOURCES: Benefits Administrative Handbook Information for Members Planning to Retire Understanding Effective Salary Seminary Debt Program Brochure Response Brochure Dues Schedule Social Security Basics for Ministers and Churches Tax Guide for Ministers and Churches (Revised 1/4/2012) Page 10 of 10