Since early 2010, PCLG has been in transition between called pastors. During that time, we have had the pleasure of having our Interim Pastor/Head of Staff, Dr. Bob Bowles leading the congregation. Bob’s service to PCLG will be completed on March 31, 2012. We will bid a formal farewell to Bob and his wife Margie on March 25, 2012, with a reception following worship. It will be an exciting time to celebrate Bob’s ministry at PCLG and to express our appreciation for the contributions both he and Margie have made. We will miss them!
During the past two years the ministries and programs have flourished! Our lay leadership has stepped up to the plate and our staff has been fantastic. We are now ready to enter the next chapter in our journey together as a church family. The Session has called a congregational meeting for Sunday, February 26, 2012, following the worship service for the purpose of receiving the report of the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) and acting on the nomination of the PNC of the next installed pastor for PCLG!
Our PNC has been hard at work since the congregation elected them last May and they are excited to share the candidate with you. In order to introduce the congregation to the candidate, everyone is invited to meet and greet receptions on February 25, 2012. We have broken the congregation into two groups – 1-3 p.m. (A-K) and 4-6 p.m. (L-Z). The candidate will then be preaching on Sunday morning with the congregational meeting to follow and a cake reception in the Social Hall thereafter.
Pending congregational approval on February 26, the current plan is for the new pastor to begin at PCLG the week of May 7, with Sunday, May 13, as the first Sunday leading worship as Pastor/Head of Staff of PCLG. The Session is currently making plans for the short gap between Dr. Bowles’ departure from PCLG at the end of March and the new pastor starting in May. In coordination with the Board of Deacons, pastoral care will be attended to by local retired pastors who assisted us during Bob’s 9-week absence in 2010. We have plenty of time to prepare and will be ready to embrace this gap period as we prepare for our new pastor! The Session will keep the PCLG community informed as we approach this next stage of our transition.
Note: For now, the identity of the candidate needs to remain confidential in order to protect the candidate’s current employment and to protect the current congregation from learning about the candidate’s departure prematurely. Introductory information about the candidate will be provided in the weeks leading up to the congregational meeting. Once that information is released to the congregation, it must stay within the PCLG community until after February 26 – this is extremely important.
The stages and tasks of the pastoral call process are as follows:
Transition Beginnings: The Work of Session and Congregation
1. Dissolving the Pastoral Relationship - DONE
2. Planning Your Transition - DONE
3. Engaging the Congregation in a Mission Study - DONE
4. Electing a Pastor Nominating Committee - DONE
Searching for a Pastor: The Work of the Pastor Nominating Committee
1. Getting Organized - DONE
2. Writing and Submitting the Church Information Form - DONE
3. Receiving Personal Information Forms - DONE
4. Reading and Screening Personal Information Forms - DONE
5. Contacting References - DONE
6. Narrowing the Search - DONE
7. Meeting Prospective Pastors Face-to-Face - DONE
8. Choosing the Nominee and Extending the Invitation - DONE
Calling a New Pastor: The Work of Session and Congregation
1. Preparing for the Report of the PNC - In Progress
2. Electing the Pastor - Feb. 26, 2012
3. Installing the New Pastor
Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC): Erik Khoobyarian [408-219-3190], Ed Fotion, Don Gaab, Sharon Bynum, Amee Jones, Tony Bayne, Toneh Thompson, Tricia Parlato Herz, Jane Fainer, Marlynn Harwood, Duncan Logie, Ron Borcherding, Howard Thomas, and Jane Odell (ex oficio Presbytery liaison)
To contact the PNC, click This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
