Pastor Transition

At this time you can expect to hear from different voices on Sunday mornings until we are able to identify a transitional/interim pastor.  Until that time, each Sunday you will hear from one of our pastors or a guest speaker.  It's unlikely we will publish a preaching schedule.  Our heart is to see to it that you receive God's Word each week.  God's Word is what is most important in preaching; not the man who delivers God's Word.  We hope you'll come prepared to receive God's Word from the preacher God brings to our pulpit each week.  

It's hard to define how long it will take to find God's man for the job.  The key is for us to be patient and prayerful in waiting on God to reveal our next Pastor.  While we don't know the specific time period, it isn't out of the ordinary for a pastor search to take 12-24 months.  However long it takes, the healthiest thing for our church is to find God's man for the job; not to rush a decision that we find out later won't work well.

The framework of the process, both in terms of qualifications and the process itself, is defined by our Constitution.  Unlike in some denominations, our church is autonomous so we are responsible for seeking out and hiring a new Lead Pastor.  There is no higher denominational organization that will assign us a Pastor.  There are a few steps to take to lay the groundwork for a successful search.  Once those steps are taken, the Search and Selection Team will be assembled as per the constitution.  The team will then determine the order of their steps in searching and selecting a pastor.  When they have narrowed the candidates down to 1, the congregation will have the opportunity to hear him preach, meet him, and ultimately be involved in voting to affirm the recommendation of the Search and Selection Team.

According to the Constitution, the team will be composed of the Leadership Team and at least an equal number of members from the flock.  The congregation will have the opportunity to make recommendations for who should be on this team. Any active member, whether man or woman, may be recommended.  We can not understate the importance of having people who attempt to walk closely with Christ, are actively engaged in ministry, and willing to dedicate significant time, both in prayer and doing the work of the Search and Selection Team.  Utilizing those recommendations, the Leadership Team will seek the Lord's direction to narrow those down and make a recommendation to the church.  Once the Leadership Team makes a recommendation of who is to be on the Search and Selection Team, the members of the church will have the opportunity to vote to affirm the recommendations. 

The Leadership Team is currently determining the needs of the church as it relates to the transitional time period we are in.  The role of an interim is generally more limited to filling the pulpit and some other teaching responsibilities.  A transitional pastor is someone who will fill the pulpit and also is a pastor trained in healthy transitioning of a church from one pastor to another.  In both cases these are temporary positions.  Once the Leadership Team determines what is needed during this transition period, the Leadership Team will identify, through the Lord's leadership, and recommend to the congregation a man to fill this temporary position.  The congregation will then have an opportunity to hear the candidate preach before we take the final step of the membership of the church voting to affirm the recommendation.  

Any active member of the church, who is at least 18 years old, may vote on any of the recommendations provided by the Leadership Team or in the case of our Lead Pastor search, the Search and Selection Team.  To be a member, you need to have completed a membership class or met with a pastor, professed faith in Christ, been baptized, and completed the Membership Commitment form.  Responding to an invitation or growing up in the church does not make you a member of FBCW.  If you're unsure if you've completed the membership process by turning in your Membership Commitment form, please feel free to contact  and she will be glad to check our records, help you set up a meeting with a pastor, or complete the Membership Commitment form.

The Leadership Team has an email address - .  If you are not able to send an email to us, please feel free to address a letter to the attention of the Leadership Team and place it in the mail or drop it off in the church office.