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Session Report Update from your Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) This past week, the PNC acknowledged that it had been a year since we looked at the first PIF (Personal Information Form). Since then, we have reviewed close to 200 PIFs and no, we do not have a recommendation for the congregation to vote on as our new Senior Pastor, Head of Staff. On Reverend Hill’s last Sunday here, he revealed to the congregation something that the PNC did not know until our meeting on Monday night, January 9. He identified that the most recent leading candidate had informed us that he and his family did not want to come to Naples. This is about the sixth candidate who has moved at least into the middle portion of the search process, and who decided not to come to Moorings. The reasons given range from family factors such as children or grandchildren, to spousal wishes, to pastor's personal preference. There has never been a specific reason given that identifies that there has been a problem with SW Florida or Moorings Presbyterian Church. It seems that the pastors are willing to submit their names as candidates, but that the family dynamics have not been assessed adequately. This has been very frustrating for the PNC, in spite of the fact that we have tried to evaluate the pastor and his family’s sincerity as we go through the middle portion of the search process. Monday night, January 9, the PNC evaluated in detail where we are and what we have learned. There are three areas that we wish to share with you. Fairly early in the year, we found that worship service DVDs gave us an opportunity to evaluate preaching styles, which is first on our priority list. Also, some churches have web pages that include the Sunday services to give us the same information. But there has been a fair number of candidates who we would like to evaluate, and who have said they are unable or do not know how get a DVD. It is as though these candidates do not appreciate that the DVD can be their ticket for serious consideration in their search. The PNC has decided that they will inform each candidate that the PNC needs a DVD or equivalent, or that we will place their PIF on hold until we do receive one. The second major area that we discussed was in reference to the size of the church that the candidate has served in. Generally, the PNC has been using criteria of 400 – 1000 members as being the background that a candidate should have in being Pastor, Head of Staff. We also wish to see an increase in the church's membership that a candidate is currently serving in. As we discussed this, we recognized that MPC has its own uniqueness because of our membership's seasonal variation. Richard described our church as a large church in high season, a middle sized church on the shoulders of the high season, and a small church in the summer months. The PNC then realized that maybe the pastors from the large churches could consider that coming to Naples is a step down for them, and not a step up. Therefore, the PNC will go back and look at the past experience of the candidate, and really focus on the pastors that have been serving in churches of 200 - 400. Such candidates might consider a move to MPC to be a step up for them. The final area was the PNC's attitude toward Interim Pastors. We have tended to think of these candidates as being sort of second class citizens who cannot hold a pastorate, or who are trying to fill in their final years of pastoring. We have certainly been superbly served by Richard Hill, and now Sam Henderson is coming to us very highly recommended. On Monday, January 16, each member shared candidate’s names that had impressed them during the year by using our new thoughts. We checked their PIFs and went to the church web site by computer. We now have ten names to add to the ones we are currently working with and we feel re-energized. -The PNC Committee (Devoted committee members Gary Price, Mary Beth Schultheis (co chairs); Peggy Foss, Lisa Giblin, David Granfield, Joanne Halstead, Byung Kang, Barbara Langbauer, Al Laub, Anne Sellers, Steele Stewart, Larry Tibstra, and Dottie Withrow continue to seek God’s will in this process and move forward with the confidence that God is guiding us.)
CLERK’S REPORT
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