The Pursuit of Our Next Pastor

Thank you for that introduction, Sue.

You set me up exactly where I was hoping to start today.

Hi, my name is Josh.

I say that because a few of you may not know who I am. It is not your fault. As a fully confessing introvert who is known to be either holding or chasing after my young children to avoid an anxious conversation, I take full responsibility.

But if I'm going to be somebody someday, I need to step into areas where I am uncomfortable. This is the right time and the right place to give it a try.

Moving forward with me are also Sue, Clay, Bob, Courtney, and MaryBeth. We are all committed to glorifying God with this search. If that takes ten weeks, ten months, or 10... let's wait to go there... but you get the picture. We all want to raise a hallelujah and do good work for MRC as we pursue our next pastor. A friend recently shared that phrase with me: Pursuit of our next pastor. What a privilege!

In the beginning, Pastor Grabill made our work explicit and presented it to everyone as a litany. We stood together and said that with God's guidance and your prayer:

• We would remain open and patient listeners to the congregation and church leadership.
• We would protect the candidate's and each other's privacy through strict confidentiality.
• We would review all applications with an open heart and open mind.
• Above all, we would seek to make decisions by consensus, which would build a firm foundation for this church's mission and ministry.

It is a litany and commitment we still hold dear.

Do you recall your role in that litany? It is meaningful. Your prayers will keep us connected and united together. 

Please pray with hope. 

Please pray with patience. 

Please pray with care.

If you need help, I do have a suggestion.

Right now, we are asking you to pray Psalm 115. It has been called "The Glory to God Psalm." Pray that all of us have the strength of faith to give up control because the next move for MRC is in God's hands. He is already at work. Somewhere, He is preparing the heart of a candidate to be able to minister with us and lead us onward.

Our pursuit will have four distinct stages. We are now at stage one, our "Posting and Response Stage." Our "Interviews and Evaluations Stage" will continue until it is abundantly clear that we are ready to move to our "Presentation to Consistory. Stage" The last stage of this pursuit is the "Final Visit Stage," where we invite the candidate to visit us in Midland.

You can expect to hear from me on the 2nd Sunday of every month to learn about our ongoing efforts. The job is posted on our website, with the RCA, and around the World Wide Web. Please share it with your friends. We love all candidates.

Thank you