Executive Pastor Search

 

    At our November 15 Church in Conference, the congregation heard reports, elected incoming deacons for 2021 active service, approved the nominating committee's proposed new church committee member and officers, and approved the 2021 church budget.  You can read more about all this in my November 4 blog post (see link above).

    In addition to these important matters, I also shared with the congregation about a staff realignment and search process approved by the personnel committee.  That was the first time this announcement was made to the congregation.  In this blog post I share with you the slide presentation and the next steps, including the congregation's input in this process.

    This post consists of three portions: (1) Explanation of the Pastoral Team Organizational Chart for 2021; (2) A Call to submit nominees for the Executive Pastor search committee; and (3) A Call for a congregational vote to elect the Executive Pastor search committee along with the respective job description and compensation.  Each of these processes require your prayerful support and participation.

Pastoral Team Organizational Chart for 2021

    The slide presentation shared with the Church in Conference can be viewed by clicking on the link in the heading above.  It may be helpful to know that there are three categories of staff at Calvary:

• Pastoral:  Called through a search committee process and by church vote
• Associates: Ministry personnel, usually with a higher education degree, and hired
• Support:  Include ministry assistants, custodians and other personnel 

Please note that the explanation below does not include ministry assistants and other support staff but focuses on pastoral staff and ministry associates.

    Team Changed in the Past Ten Years.  In the past ten years our pastoral staff team has changed much both in terms of positions and persons who occupied them.  In 2010 we had eight full-time pastors, including a Pastor for Pastoral Ministries and Administration, a Pastor for Music and Worship, and a Pastor for Adult Discipleship, among others, in addition to a full-time Church Business Administrator and a part-time Community Ministries Associate (Ten total: Nine full-time and one part-time).  Throughout these years we have made changes to adapt to the needs of a growing and changing congregation and to keep personnel costs at a minimum.

    Team Organization at the beginning of 2020.  At the beginning of 2020 our pastoral staff team consisted of six full-time pastors and one part-time Spanish Language Ministry associate in addition to a full-time Worship and Media Coordinator, a part-time Community Ministries Associate, and a part-time Communications Associate (Ten total: Seven full-time and three part-time) as slides two and three of the presentation above show.  The reduction of the pastoral staff team was accomplished by combining some position and/or distributing certain responsibilities among current team members.  This was the right team for our time leading up to the start of the pandemic.

    Interim Team Organization in 2020.  Since Pastors Rolando Aguirre and Marcus Rodriguez were called away to other churches this year two full-time pastoral team positions are currently vacant.  That means that currently we have four full-time pastors, one full-time worship and media coordinator, a part-time Community Ministries Associate, a part-time Communications Associate and three part-time Interim Associates, who are temporarily filling pastoral vacancies (Ten total: Five full-time and five part-time) as slide four of the presentation shows.  Also since Pastors Rolando and Marcus supervised several other staff members, more team members are reporting to the Lead Pastor in this interim period.  While all of these shifts have taken place in the midst of the pandemic, this current interim plan is not sustainable.  In order for our church to be effective we need to have a better organization for 2021.

    Pastoral Team Organization Plan for 2021.  After much prayer, deliberation and consideration we have put a plan in place which will allow us to move more effectively into the future.  As slide five of the presentation shows this plan includes the formation of an Executive Pastor position (see slides six through eight for more details about this position).  This new position will take roles which were formerly assigned to Pastor Rolando Aguirre and other previous pastoral staff members.

    However the Executive Pastor will not focus exclusively on the Spanish Language Ministry.  The former Associate Pastor for Spanish Language Ministry will now become the SLM Discipleship Pastor.  In other words, we will still have a pastor whose assignment is focused on Spanish Language Ministry but that pastor will not be the only one relating to SLM.  It is expected that the Lead Pastor and the rest of the pastoral team will relate to the whole church (English and Spanish).  We want to avoid having two teams for two congregations.  On the contrary our vision is to have one team that serves the whole church.

    The Executive Pastor and the Mobilization and Multiplication Pastor (new title for what was formerly MAGI) will report directly to the Lead Pastor while the rest of the pastoral staff and associates will report to one of those two (Ten total: eight full-time and two part-time).  Because of the Executive Pastor's role it is important that the search to fill other pastoral staff vacancies do not take place until an Executive Pastor is called.

    The funding for this plan is already included in the approved 2021 budget.  So what remains now is to pray, give and call the Executive Pastor.

Submit Nominees for Executive Pastor Search Committee

    Our church bylaws (Article II.II) provide the process for filling a pastoral staff vacancy.  This process involves a search committee.  The bylaws stipulate that the search committee should meet the following criteria:

1. Consist of five members
2. Committee members should have been members of Calvary for at least one year
3. Calvary employees and their immediate family members are not eligible to serve
4. There should be a minimum of two men and a two women in the committee
5. Election of the committee should be done by secret ballot
6. Nominees receiving the highest numbers of vote constitute the search committee

    So the first step is for the congregation to submit names that meet criteria 2,3 and 4 above.  Calvary members may do so in one of the following ways:

1. Electronically using the following form: Nominees for Executive Pastor Search Committee between 11-24-20 and 12-06-20
2. Nomination form hard copy submitted on Sunday 11-29-30 or Sunday 12-06-20 in the offering boxes
3. Nomination form hard copy submitted to the church office during regular office hours between 11-30-20 and 12-04-20 (call the church office before going to make sure it is open)
4. Nomination form hard copy sent by mail to 1600 Harvey St, McAllen, 78501 postmarked by 12-05-20
5. Nomination form hard copy sent via email to office@calvarymcallen.org no later than 12-06-20

The nomination form hard copy can be downloaded by clicking on the respective links above.  There will also be hard copies available in the foyer on Sundays and in the office during the week of 11-30-20.

    Once the names are received in the church office, they will be screened in accordance with the bylaws qualifications.  Those that meet the criteria will be placed on a secret ballot form which will be made available to the congregation electronically and in hard copy by 12-13-20.

Vote to Elect the Executive Pastor Search Committee

    We are calling for a vote to elect the Executive Pastor search committee by secret ballot on Sunday, December 13, 2020.  Church members will receive the following either in electronic or hard copy form by then:

1. A list of all the names submitted by the congregation for search committee nominees who meet the bylaws criteria
2. A proposed job description and compensation for the Executive Pastor position

Church members will vote on the two items listed above on Sunday 12-13-20 either electronically or by secret ballot hard copy in the offering boxes of the worship center.  (Those who are not able to vote electronically or in person on 12-13-20 may come by the church office to do so on 12-11-20).  Each voting member will select the top five names from the list provided and will check "Yes" or "No" on the job description and compensation line.  The five people with the highest amount of votes will constitute the search committee.

    We hope the search committee can get organized by year end and begin the search process early in 2021.  Once the search committee is ready to recommend a candidate for the position, it will be brought to the church for vote.

    This entire process requires prayer from the nomination of the search committee to the calling of an Executive Pastor.  If you have started praying already, please continue to so.  If you have not started yet, please start doing so now.