Frequently Asked Questions

Will our associate ministers be required to resign when a new pastor is called?
No. Our associates are called to their positions at Idlewild. They are free to make their own choices with regard to their futures at Idlewild.

Will there be an interim minister?

The Pastor Nominating Committee has been charged with seeking a new Head of Staff for Idlewild. We are focusing on this goal. The question of whether to call an interim minister during the transition period is outside the scope of our charge.

What are these acronyms we keep hearing?

PNC - Pastor Nominating Committee

CLC - Church Leadership Connection. The PC(USA)'s online matching system which endeavors to match candidates to open jobs in the denomination.

MIF - Ministry Information Form. The PC(USA)'s version of a job advertisement. Ours has been posted in the CLC since September after approval by the Session and Presbytery.

PIF - Personal (or Pastor) Information Form. Function as both resumes and job applications for potential candidates. The PNC receives PIFs in response to our MIF which is posted on the CLC.

How is the position being advertised?

Our Ministry Information Form was posted on the PC(USA)'s electronic matching system in September. You can read the Idlewild MIF here. We have also spoken with PC(USA) leaders, pastors, and contacts in affiliated seminaries for direction and suggestions regarding our next Head of Staff. Finally, we sincerely appreciate the suggestions we have received from members of our congregation, and we welcome further suggestions.

Have you spoken with potential candidates?

Yes. As of late October, we are in the process of reaching out to and speaking with potential candidates.

....can you tell us about the candidates?!?

With apologies, no. Among other reasons, the PNC must maintain confidentiality to avoid impacting the candidates' relationships with their congregations. This does not mean that we will tell you nothing, however. We represent you, and we intend to continue to update you about our search progress. That said, we will be unable to mention names, locations, or even the genders of our candidates.

I have a candidate or resource to suggest, how can I communicate with the committee?
Please feel free to e-mail any suggestions to pnc@idlewildchurch.org
Otherwise, stop us at church and let us know! Just make certain we have a pen and paper handy.

Who are you, exactly, PNC members?
Betty Louis Sheppard (chair) - ESSheppard@gmail.com
Jeanne Marie Cummings - jcmmings1@gmail.com
Albert Johnson - albert@vuconllc.com
Julie Markham - julie.a.markham@gmail.com
Cindy Moore - cmoore@mifa.org
Mitchell Redd - mitchellredd@yahoo.com 
Jeremy Sykes - jssykes@gmail.com
Jeff Thompson - jthompson@martintate.com

How can we help?

Apart from sending us suggested candidates or resources, we invite you to pray for:

1) our church as we enter a season of change,

2) our committee as we speak with candidates, and

3) the candidates as they discern whether they have been called to Idlewild and continue serving in their current roles.

In Christ,

The Idlewild PNC