Important Message from Pastor John Vernon.
September 23, 2008
First Wesleyan Family,
In April of 2006 I was elected to serve as Senior Pastor, and Pastor Steve
McEuen was
elected at the same time to serve as Associate Pastor. The initial term of
service was two
years, beginning officially on June 1, 2006, and concluding on May 31, 2008.
Our team concept was unique in the sense that my role as Senior Pastor was more
focused on the overall spiritual leadership of the entire campus ministries, and
tended
most often to fall more on the administrative side of ministry. Pastor Steve’s
role was
largely focused on preaching/teaching and giving leadership to the church
ministry staff.
This scenario was designed to address the complexity of this local church
ministry and its
affiliates, as well as to most effectively utilize the mix of strengths, gifts
and abilities God
had given to Pastor Steve and me as individual pastors.
Pastor Steve’s recent transition to assume a new ministry role in New York has
obviously
brought about major, and immediate transition in my role as Senior Pastor. I am
currently seeking to balance out the most important priorities, while delegating
as much
as is reasonable to others on staff, or among lay leadership. I am very thankful
to have
some wonderful people serving with me.
Can we just hire another Associate Pastor? Unfortunately, due to
the fact that there are
only a little over eight months left in the current pastoral service term, it
would be
difficult to secure a qualified Associate Pastor to serve in such a short term
scenario. It is
also more difficult to find a pastor who is willing to serve as the primary
preacher/teacher, but does not desire to serve as the Senior Pastor.
What is going to happen at the end of this current pastoral service term?
Normally an
existing Senior Pastor will determine if he senses God leading him to continue
serving for
a subsequent term. If he feels so inclined, the LBA would then recommend him to
the
church family, and a vote would be held seeking to affirm his continued service.
If he
senses it is not God’s will to continue serving in that role, he would likewise
inform the
LBA of this, and the search process would begin in order to secure the next
Senior Pastor.
What am I sensing God leading me to do at this point? I have
recently informed the LBA
that I do not sense God leading me to submit my name as the candidate to
continue in the
role of Senior Pastor for another term. There are several reasons for this. The
major
reason, however, is that I am simply not sensing a clear compelling call from
God to
serve in this specific role. The previous team concept was a unique and
fulfilling avenue
of service for me, and one that I had hoped would continue for some time to
come. That
was obviously not meant to be the case, however. I feel God is now leading me to
step
aside and allow a new Senior Pastor to take the church forward.
What happens now? My service as Senior Pastor will continue
officially through the end
of the conference year (May 2008), and could also include, if necessary, a
transitional
period for a new pastor up through the second Sunday in July, 2008. The LBA will
begin immediately, however, to search for a new Senior Pastor. Informing them of
my
heart on this issue at this time simply allows them more time to find a suitable
leader.
Am I unhappy here? Absolutely not. I have said very plainly that I
love this church
family and still feel God has great things in store for the future. It is a very
serious thing
to consider God’s will when it comes to leading His church. It is more than just
a job.
So my decision is totally about sensing God’s will for the primary leadership of
His
church and not due to any negative personal feelings toward the church. Because
of this,
I sincerely hope that you can understand and support me in this decision.
Is the LBA influencing this decision? Absolutely not. This is a
decision I have reached
through much prayer, and discussions with Kim. The LBA has been extremely
supportive of me and my leadership since June of 2005, and that continues up to
this very
moment. I could not have asked for a more supportive and affirming group of
church
leaders. I am very thankful for this group of people, including all who have
served on the
LBA throughout my term as Interim Senior Pastor and as the elected Senior
Pastor.
What do we do until a new Senior Pastor is found? Keep moving
forward as a church
family! The ministry staff and I will continue to give leadership as we move
forward.
We have many things planned in the months to come. In October we will launch a
new
sermon series entitled “Rescued.” This will help us understand how we get “lost”
in the
midst of some powerful cultural forces, and what Scripture has to say about how
we must
be “rescued.” On October 31 we will again hold our costume carnival and open our
doors to the community. We will have a very special guest speaker, Mark Cahill,
joining
us on Sunday, December 2. Mark recently spoke at our spiritual emphasis week at
WEC
and had a profound impact on the faculty and students. We will be taking
ministry to our
community during the month of December. Plans are being formulated now that will
get
us outside the walls of the church and into the lives of our community. This is
just an
overview of things to come, and there will be more when the new year rolls
around as
well.
I will close by simply saying again that I love you very much as a church
family. I
believe strongly that God still has great things in store for this church and
all its
ministries, and if it is in God’s will for me to continue being involved in any
way, I
remain, as always, open to His will. I would ask each of you to join with the
staff and the
LBA, linking arm in arm to continue building a strong church in great
anticipation of the
things God has in store for this church family.
God bless you all. I continue to be honored to serve alongside you.
Pursuing Christ,
Pastor John Vernon