# We're beginning the search for a new pastor.



## Seb (Sep 15, 2008)

Please pray for us.

After 15 years of service, our pastor has accepted a call to a different Church (somewhere in Wisconsin), he will continue to be with us through November. He is a friend, as well as a great pastor/teacher and will be deeply missed.

We are a conservative congregation, leftover from better times in the CRC (you can't write us all off) and with the errant teachings and doctrinal positions in some of our denomination, I'm concerned that it will be a long, difficult search to find the right *man* for the job.

Any pastors around here want to move to sunny Southern Florida?


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## turmeric (Sep 15, 2008)




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## BJClark (Sep 15, 2008)

Check your messages..


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## R. Scott Clark (Sep 15, 2008)

So You're Beginning a Pastoral Search?

Candid Comments for Candidates


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## greenbaggins (Sep 15, 2008)

The PCA has an over-abundance of ministers...


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Sep 15, 2008)

If there are an overabundance (as there obviously is) why are there so many open pulpits in the PCA?


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## greenbaggins (Sep 15, 2008)

That is not very many open pulpits. And when you add on top of that the fact that almost every church can now afford to be picky, some of them will stay open a bit longer. There are far more ministers than open pulpits in the PCA.


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## fredtgreco (Sep 15, 2008)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> If there are an overabundance (as there obviously is) why are there so many open pulpits in the PCA?



So many? The PCA has like 1300 congregations. There are about 60 openings. That is less than 5%.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Sep 15, 2008)

:ducks:

In perspective there are almost more openings in the PCA as churches in the RPCNA.

Starting a new thread...


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## toddpedlar (Sep 15, 2008)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> If there are an overabundance (as there obviously is) why are there so many open pulpits in the PCA?



and if there is an overabundance, then why aren't we hearing about lots and lots of church plants in areas underserved by reformed denominations?


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## R. Scott Clark (Sep 15, 2008)

That's a great question Todd!

The way NAPARC churches organize and fund church planting needs to be reviewed. 

In my federation we're quite disorganized. 

In the PCA, as it seems to an outsider, if one goes outside MNA (for whatever reason) one is isolated and hard pressed to find funding. 

The OPC seems well organized but I don't know about funding.

Then, in many NAPARC churches, there are competing schemes. "Two years and out" used to be the model in some places. In other places folks refuse to admit failure and move on. In too many instances the model seems to be to plant congregations that look like the typical mega church or the local charimatic congregation (lite). 

Even worse, in many places planting is really just sheep shifting. Is anyone really reaching the lost?

As to recent sem graduates planting churches, I'm not sure that's always the best idea. There are pros and cons. 

Pro: he's young and doesn't know enough to be scared silly. He's enthusiastic. Energetic. Willing. Relatively free of hinderances. Has the time to commit to the work. 

Con: he's young and needs the guidance of an experienced consistory/session which may not be available in a mission setting. The typical first mistakes of a young pastor may be fatal to a church plant. 

Our congregations and federations and denominations need to become more "missional," in the best sense, i.e.. we and they must begin to make decisions which best serve the mission of reaching and teaching. 

For example, mature congregations might become more willing to call younger pastors so that the more seasoned (ahem) fellows are free to plant churches. 

We might consider the need to plan for missions, especially where there are no Reformed churches, even where the population is smaller. For example, the lower midwest (Mo Valley) is bereft as is the Pacific Northwest. The SW desert areas do not have an over abundance of confessional Reformed congregations. 

Further, there are many major urban centers with no or proportionally too few Reformed congregations. The number of Reformed congregations in NYC, Boston, LA, and Chicago is still very small.

Random thoughts.

rsc



toddpedlar said:


> Backwoods Presbyterian said:
> 
> 
> > If there are an overabundance (as there obviously is) why are there so many open pulpits in the PCA?
> ...


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