Dear Congregation,
Your Pastor Nominating Committee continues to be optimistic in our search for a new Head of Staff. We have heard many words of encouragement from around the PC(USA), such as “This is a sacred time for your congregation and your committee” and we are thankful for the loving support and sincere concern from all of you. Indeed, we are all in this search together.
As we reported in February, we have developed a short list of strong candidates. We are getting to know them by watching livestream services, listening to online sermons, reading their church websites, and looking at their writings as well as their work in their presbyteries and in the PC(USA). We have begun making visits to these selected candidates to get better acquainted in face-to-face meetings and to attend their church services. These visits will continue into April.
We celebrate Steve Montgomery, his faithful ministry to Idlewild and in Memphis, his guiding leadership in a time of shifting cultures, his loving care for our congregation, and his special tenderness in times of grief. We as the PNC are NOT in a search to replace Steve. Rather, we are charged to search for a new pastor to serve as Head of Staff with his or her own particular gifts. This person will bring new vision, new skills and talents, new leadership, but the same faithfulness to Christ and his call to love and serve God. We trust that we are following the leading of the Holy Spirit to the person that God has prepared for Idlewild.
We are hopeful that a new Head of Staff can be in place after a transition period following Steve’s retirement. The Administrative Leadership Team, chaired by Mitchell Redd, is working on the specifics of a transition plan. We plan to give another update at the April Session meeting and will provide as much additional clarity as possible at that time. We are grateful for your patience. We are at work and will continue to make regular reports.
Please continue to pray for the search and for our faithful Idlewild staff.
“Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit, serving the Lord.” Romans 12:11
In Christ,
The Idlewild PNC
Betty Louis Sheppard (chair), Jeanne Marie Cummings, Albert Johnson, Julie Markham, Cindy Moore, Mitchell Redd, Jeremy Sykes, and Jeff Thompson
