PSC Update - August 2023

Here is a written update of the activities of the Pastor search Committee that was presented to the church for the month of August. We would like all members to be informed, so this is for the benefit of those who were not present in the congregation on the first Sunday of August when it was delivered.

The Pastor Search Committee continues to work daily and meet weekly to find the next pastor for Redland Baptist Church. As indicated last month, we are primarily focused on identifying God’s person to serve Redland as our Interim Pastor. We have received and reviewed several resumes, listened to and evaluated sermons, and otherwise engaged in the necessary due diligence required for this challenge of our lifetimes. We have been actively engaged with a number of formal and informal sources for the receipt of resumes, and our network for doing so is expanding. In the secular world, it would be typical for a job posting to set a deadline for the submission of applications. The Pastor Search Committee will not consider setting such a deadline for the Interim Pastor position unless and until we have heard the call to do so from our Lord.

After participating in a very broad search approach, we are now led to focus primarily on candidates who are geographically close to our area. We believe the church will benefit best by having an Interim Pastor who can engage with our congregation on a basis not limited to preaching on Sunday mornings. While our hope is for the Interim Pastor to be involved in every aspect of church life at Redland, this might not be possible as many viable candidates will not live close to the church and may have other commitments in their schedules. Conversely, we believe that having a person who “only preaches on Sunday” is too limited to learn who we really are and to be of help beyond the pulpit. We are searching for an Interim who is not merely a “placeholder,” but for an Interim who can prepare Redland for our next Pastor.

We appreciate that some of you have offered contact information for potential candidates. We have and will continue to follow up on every referral. Please continue to use the “Prayer Guide” that the church made available last month. We believe that God hears our prayers, and our Prayer Guide will help us to petition God in a collective way. We are benefiting from your consistent and in-depth prayers on behalf of our church in this hour of need. We sincerely thank you and urge you to continue. May God bless each of you praying in the unity of the Spirit . . . for Redland Baptist Church.