New Associate Pastor Approved!!!    The Rev. Shelli Latham was called as our new Associate Pastor for Preaching and Outreach, and Presbytery approved her terms of call at their meeting on June 15^th. Shelli will begin work at Westminster on August 15^th.

September:   The first task of the APNC is to develop a Church Information Form - known as the "CIF".  A CIF is the church's own "resume" of its work, its ministry and a description of the position and the skills and characterstics we're seeking. After the CIF is developed it must be approved by Session. After approval by Westminster's Session, the document needs to be approved by Donegal Presbytery, Committee on Ministry.

October:The CIF, was approved by Session, and then submitted, and subsequently approved by the Donegal Presbytery, Committee on Ministry. The CIF was posted on the Presbyterian USA website on October 28, 2009. Also during October, the APNC develeped an advertisement, which was placed in Presbyerian Outlook's magazine and website. Within days of being posted, the APNC received information from over 40 candidates.

November: The team was be busy during November, reviewing candidates' written information which is a called a PIF, Personal Information Form.

December 2009/January 2010: Over 100 PIF's have been reviewed.  

A wide diversity of candidates have expressed interest. The list includes:

•  Local (tri-state region), national, and a few international
•  Over 90% ordained PCUSA or candidates for ordination, a few from other denominations
•  Experience levels are very broad, 0 - 35 years, small and larger church  experiences
•  Educational backgrounds includes some Phds
• All express a passion for sharing the love of Jesus Christ.  

From this list of talented pastors, the APNC narrowed the list down to those who were more closely alligned to our needs. We have reviewed approximately 30 sermon Audio/Video tapes, and have begun to schedule phone interviews. 

February 2010:  Though the winds of winter howled and snow drifts filled our communities, the search for a new associate pastor continued to gain momentem. During the month of February interviews were conducted with four additional candidates, bringing the total up to seven for first round conversations. This  truly is a new age, as we interview candidates via Skype technology enabling the entire committee to be engaged with candidates from as far away as Oregon.  Not only do we have conversation, but we also see the candidate in action. In addition, many sermons can now be easily accessed on-line.  One wonders how difficult it must have been to conduct searches prior to the new age technologies.  

March holds further promise as we anticipate doing sermon visitations. Committee members will travel to other churches to get a sense of the candidate's presence and voice, often in their home church setting. Though we continue to be open to additional candidates, we clearly are advancing in the process. The pieces of the puzle are starting to reveal several viable candidates and we  will continue to look to God's guidance in finding the best match for pastor and church alike.

March/April 2010  As the days of April fly from the calendar, we continue to move steadily forward towards matching a dyamic candidate with our Westminster community. On recent Sunday mornings, APNC committee members have traveled to local Presbyterian churchs that have generously shared their pulpits, provide pastoral candidates with a place to give voice and spirit to their candidacy.  These gatherings have been much more than sermon presentations. They have actually been intensive weekends where committee members have the opportunity to question and engage with protential prospects over lunch, tours of West Chester, and dinner. In many ways these sessions serve as second and third interviews affording both the committee and the candidates' precious time to get a true sense of each other.   Pastor Don Lincoln has also met with each candidate in an effort to share Westminster's vision and how our mutual efforts could serve the kingdom.

At this point in time, we are nearing a decision.  The list of candidates has been reduced to three viable applicants. Each possesses unique, yet diverse talents and has much to offer our community. These are exciting days as we reflect, discuss, debate and search for God's voice in reaching a conclusion.   We have truly been impressed and thankful for all of the talented and thoughtful individuals who participated in our search.

May 2010:  Session has called a Congregational Meeting on June 13 for the purpose of voting on a candidate for Associate Pastor for Preaching and Outreach. Information on the candidate will be made available during the week of June 6.

In order to allow the candidate to preach for the entire congregation in both worship spaces, we are adjusting the worship schedule as follows (as you can see, NO concurrent worship):

              8:00am – traditional service in sanctuary

  9:30am – contemporary service in Spellman Hall

11:00am – traditional service in sanctuary, followed by congregational meeting

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this exciting opportunity to hear and vote to welcome a new pastor in our midst!

          Draft Timeline of Search Process

          Advertisement

The APNC welcomes your input! If you have questions or suggestions, please email us. 

            email address:  APNC@westminsterpc.org