UPDATE ON THE PASTOR PROFILE SURVEY RESULTS

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UPDATE ON THE PASTOR PROFILE SURVEY RESULTS

Dear Church Family,

Let me begin by saying thank you for your daily prayers which continue to be felt within and among your Pastor Search Committee (PSC). If you are thinking, but how do we know this? You are asking a great question. So here is one answer: since we have been constituted and dedicated on March 23, 2016 we have met ten times and I can tell you that on no occasion have we ever made a decision which was not unanimous! Given the diversity of the membership of our committee, you will have to conclude, that is something more than we are capable of doing in our own power.

Thank you also for responding to our call to participate in the Pastor Profile Survey which closed on May 22, 2016. There were 415 respondents with 373 or 90% specifically identifying as members or associate members of First Baptist Church, Tallahassee. As part of our plan to reach out to the whole church, and with the help of Suzette Mason, we conducted a focus group with our children’s ministry (grades 1 – 5). Here are a few characteristics our children would like to have in our Senior Pastor. He should love God, be kind, honest, love and care for others, listen to people, donate money and his stuff to others, pray for people and let the church know about people who are hurting so we can pray for them. Finally, our children are asking for someone who has already been a pastor and whose preaching applies to everyday life. My take? The future of FBCTLH is being built on solid ground and you and I should be grateful for the work the Lord is doing in our children’s ministry. The future of FBCTLH is in good hands!

Here are the most commonly chosen answers from each of the questions in the completed surveys:

  • A Pastor who is between 41 and 50 years old
  • A Pastor who is married
  • A Pastor with a minimum of a Master of Divinity degree but with a doctorate degree preferred.
  • A Pastor with at least 6 to 10 years of pastoral experience
  • A Pastor who has some experience pastoring a dually affiliated congregation
  • Has a strong focus on evangelism
  • An effective preacher/teacher
  • Spends time in prayer
  • A dynamic preacher/teacher was the top quality respondents chose
  • Finally, there was a great interest and response to our invitation for comments. We received more than 300 comments and we thank each of you for taking the time to pass on your thoughts, desires and guidance. We are working hard to review your comments which will help us in our deliberation as we review pastoral candidates.

For those interested in a more detailed version of the empirical survey results, they will be available at a future date.

The next stage of the pastor search process is to complete the church profile in two to three weeks and thereafter to release an advertisement inviting applications. At that point, we will invite your participation in nominating individuals you will like considered and to receive applications from the general public. Details of how to send in your nominations and applications will be provided in due time.
Thank you once again and please know that we continue to ask for your prayers as we together pray for our beloved FBC and our future. Be blessed.

~ Seth Ablordeppey and
Your Pastor Search Committee