About the Pastor Nominating Committee

 

 

As defined by the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) represents and is elected by the whole congregation. This committee has the ultimate responsibility for nominating a minister to the congregation for election as the next pastor.

​

In fulfillment of that role, over a number of months, the PNC works through the pastoral search process, listening for the call of Christ and “participating in God’s own choice” for our next pastor.

​

In November 2024, the following members were elected by the congregation to serve on the PNC:

Sarah Butterfield

Scott Cranford

Barb Forshey

Amy Loyer

Charles Moody

John Pritchard

Ann Sperry

 

 

In February 2025, the PNC posted the Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP) with the Presbyterian Church (USA), providing prospective candidates for the position of pastor an overview of First Presbyterian Church, Newton and of what we are looking for in our next pastor. You can read the MDP information here. 

 

Requirements and Expectations of PNC Members

Members of the PNC must be active members of First Presbyterian Church for at least one year, demonstrate faithful participation in both worship and the life of our church, and support the ministry and mission of First Presbyterian Church through financial stewardship by pledging.

 

Responsibilities of the PNC include, but are not limited to

​​​

• Meeting frequently (potentially weekly) as a committee to conduct activities related to the search process

• Receiving, reading, and evaluating Personal Discernment Profiles (PDP) from pastors in a spirit of prayerful openness to the movement of God’s Spirit

• Narrowing the field of prospective pastors through listening to sermons, checking references (which is done both by the PNC and the Presbytery of Western North Carolina), and conducting phone or video interviews, all while sharing, listening, and praying together

• Traveling as necessary to visit and engage with candidates

• Interviewing face-to-face a “short list” of prospective pastors

• Arranging with the Presbytery of Western North Carolina for the necessary examinations and approvals of finalists

• Providing regular reports to the congregation on the pastoral search progress

• Committing to confidentiality of all discussions and decisions, during and even after the process is complete​

​

 

How Long Does the Pastoral Call Process Take?

 

 

The length of time for a pastoral call process can vary widely, but for a church like FPC-Newton, it is likely to take at least six months.

Previous PNC committees may have taken more time but we hope this time can be shortened.

 

Critical accelerants to the process are both (1) the advances in technology that now facilitate virtual meetings and the ability to worship and listen to sermons online as well as (2) the work of the Mission Study Task Force which provides clarity around FPC -Newton’s mission and vision statements that are critical for conversations with pastoral candidates.

That said, the process is inherently uncertain, as we do not know what the pastor candidate pool will look like, and the PNC will only conclude its work when it finds the right candidate to recommend to our congregation.

​

 

How will you know where we are in the process?

 

 

You will receive updates through the church newsletter and bulletins. Please contact any of the PNC members if you have questions or recommendations as the process continues.