The Session and Nominating Committee of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church are prayerfully discerning whom to nominate for service on our Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). Here is some information about the role of the Pastor Nominating Committee and the characteristics of the people we are looking for to serve on the PNC.
The members of the congregation must give careful and prayerful attention to the election of persons to serve in this important role. In the Presbyterian call system, the congregation gives authority to the PNC. Once the PNC is elected, the other members of the congregation and the session have no role in determining who will be the next pastor until the PNC is ready to recommend someone to the congregation for a vote. Any church member may have names to suggest to the PNC, but the work of the PNC must be protected from pressure and intrusion. Names under consideration are not shared outside of the committee. This is both to protect the persons being considered and to protect the integrity of the discernment process. When pastor candidates interact with our PNC they should get the sense that they are interacting with a microcosm of our congregation. So we will be looking for a variety of people with different perspectives and different relationships with the life of our congregation (as voted on at our November 13 congregational meeting). Yet there are some common qualities and commitments that all the members will be asked to make in order for the PNC to serve the congregation and our Lord well.
Election to A PNC Is A Sacred Trust -- Those who serve on a PNC should:
* Be persons who understand and accept this as a task of spiritual discernment, grounded in prayer and Scripture, and not being easily influenced by personal desires or congregational politics, but rather listening for the voice of God.
* Be knowledgeable of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, our community, and Presbyterian theology and government.
* Be willing to serve.
* Be persons of integrity who respect and can maintain confidentiality.
* Consider this to be a significant commitment of their time, energy, and very best wisdom.
* Commit to full participation in the PNC for its duration (usually 6 months to 1 year). Of course, members will miss a week here or there for other commitments, but they should not serve if they plan to be out of town or away from the group for an extended duration.
* Listening focused -- Is good at listening and interpreting what they have heard without having an unquenchable need to be heard.
* Be willing to state opinions and influence their committee colleagues while always open to being influenced by their committee colleagues and changing their minds. In other words, people who are rigid in their perspectives and opinions, or only care about 1-2 issues rather than the health of the whole body, do not do well on PNCs.
* Be comfortable with basic internet skills such as browsing the world wide web, use of e-mail and file attachments, using and filling out online surveys or forms. Internet, phone, and sometimes video communications technology will support the PNCs work.
* Be willing to interview individuals and small groups of the congregation as part of the “appreciative inquiry” mission study process (training provided by Interim Pastor).
If you wish to recommend someone to serve on the Pastor Nominating Committee, please contact Tom Patterson, Interim Pastor (425-486-6388 – ext. 102), who will forward your recommendation to Session and Nominating Committee for consideration.