PSC Update - February 2024

Here is a written update of the activities of the Pastor Search Committee that was presented to the church during the first Sunday in February. We would like all members to be informed, so this is for the benefit of those who were not present in the congregation when it was delivered.

The Pastor Search Committee continues to work daily and meet regularly to find the next pastor for Redland Baptist Church.
 
One of the major assignments of the committee has been to take a deep look at “who we are and who we desire to be” as a church.  Several months ago, the Pastor Search Committee began a formal process of listening both privately and publicly from the members of Redland.  We heard privately by way of the individual surveys that most of you took the time to complete.  You answered many questions about the church, its direction, and offered other viewpoints for our consideration.  We also heard from Redland publicly during our Town Hall meeting.  While we shared the collective responses of the membership, we listened further to some concerns of your hearts and took note of the questions raised.  We are now moving closer to fine-tuning our final draft of a job description for the Pastor position.  We are very near the end of our information gathering about the church.

During this past month, the Pastor Search Committee has spent time speaking with members of staff of Redland Baptist Church.  We have concluded our conversations with the Pastoral Staff and have spoken with (or are scheduled to speak with) most of the Administrative Staff of the church.  We believe this to be an important part of the process of identifying God’s Pastor for Redland.  For those of us who sit in the Sanctuary that faces the pulpit, we can readily discern the preaching and pastoral capabilities of anyone who might serve as the next leader of our church.  Equally true, those who serve behind the pulpit, namely the Pastoral and Administrative Staff of Redland, have insights regarding the work environment and professional characteristics that also hold significant weight in this process.  We should not assume that a person who can preach well on Sundays, can work well with others on Mondays.  The core of our Pastoral and Administrative Staff at Redland is outstanding.  It is not our desire to do anything to make their jobs more difficult.  While much of the information we have obtained cannot be set forth on the job description, it will be very helpful to us during the process of interviewing qualified candidates.

It is our hope to soon request a business meeting to share the job description for the Pastor position.  At that time, it will be for you to accept, reject or modify the proposal.  In the meantime, we will continue our quest to find God’s person to serve as the Interim Pastor for Redland Baptist Church.  We also anticipate making available to you a new approach to praying for this adventure in the weeks to come.
 
Finally, we thank you for your “prayers without ceasing” as we faithfully face this challenge of this generation of our beloved Redland Baptist Church.

Thank you for your prayers and support,
Your Pastor Search Committee