Last week, the Session approved the Mission Study developed by a faithful team of your fellow members. At the same meeting, we learned the Commission on Ministry of the Presbytery of Philadelphia approved that document contingent on Session endorsement, which means the first phase of our transitional process has ended! You can find the Mission Study on the website and in printed form around the campus. On October 4, the Mission Study Task Force will speak about their findings as part of an after-worship gathering.
Today, I want to name the most significant result of the Mission Study’s approval: namely, we can now start to form the Pastor Nominating Committee. The PNC will consist of 9 or 11 active members of BMPC who, guided by prayer and insights from the Mission Study, will begin the process of searching for, identifying, and then recommending to you BMPC’s next installed Senior Pastor. The PNC will be elected by the congregation, and thus, for three weeks starting September 27, you can pass along recommendations of members for that team.
To help you understand more fully what it’s like to serve on a PNC, our Nominating Committee is hosting an event on Monday, September 28. At that gathering, individuals who were part of a previous PNC at BMPC will comprise a panel offering a behind-the-scenes look at their time of service. What were the blessings and challenges of that experience? What surprised them about the work? What impact did that time of service have on their faith and tie to BMPC? What kind of time commitment should members of the next PNC expect?
The answers to those questions and others posed on the 28th are intended to enlighten all who gather that evening and help you make more informed suggestions to the Nominating Committee. It all begins at 7:00 p.m. in Fullerton. I hope you can join us!