|
April 30, 2025
Greetings friends.
Blessings and peace to you from the MPC Session. This letter is the beginning of our sharing of information about the ongoing pastoral transition. Future updates may appear in any MPC communications.
Pastoral relationships in the PCUSA are partnerships among Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Presbyteries, and congregations, which are represented by a Session of Elders. When Pastor Ann accepted her new call, the Shenandoah Presbytery's Committee on Ministry (COM) reached out to support MPC during the time of transition.
Ordinarily when a head pastor departs, a Session will hire an interim pastor and engage in a mission study. The situation at MPC is different because we were served by Pastors working in a co-pastor model of leadership and we continue to work through the details of a mission study completed before Pastor Keith was called. COM advised Session that Pastor Keith could assume pastoral leadership while MPC worked with the congregation to evaluate our current mission, ministry, and clergy model. One of the first questions for Session was to determine whether to continue with the co-pastor model of leadership, or change to a traditional model of leadership with a head pastor and an associate pastor. Session, with positive input from both Pastor Ann and Pastor Keith, has decided that the co-pastor model of leadership has served our faith community well for the past three and a half years and we will continue with that model of leadership.
Instead of a traditional mission study, Session has entered into a coaching relationship with Becky D'Angelo-Veitch of BDV Coaching to walk Session through engagement with the congregation during the season of transition. Session is currently reviewing the Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) completed with Holy Cow Consulting in 2019 and the Church Leadership Connection Ministry Information Form from 2020, and will seek input from the congregation to address the following areas of evaluation:
- What opportunities are before us for our mission and ministry? What is God calling us to do?
- Reflect on the current mission statement, ministry priorities, and goals at MPC. Are those in line with our current ministry? Do those support the pursuit of mission and ministry identified in point #1?
- Based on the findings from points #1 and #2, what gifts/talents/skills/qualities would be most helpful in a co-pastor working with Pastor Keith?
- Reflect on the co-pastor model as practiced between Pastor Ann and Pastor Keith at MPC from September 2021 through January 2025. What worked well? What could use improvement? How can the model be strengthened?
After this time of evaluation, Session will discern how to respond to the points and report to COM. When COM agrees that MPC has done due diligence in discerning the next steps, the way will be cleared to establish a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC), and a pastoral search can begin.
Session seeks input from the congregation during this time of evaluation. Opportunities will be organized for meeting with groups of the congregation, but as those plans are developed please share comments, desires, and questions with an Elder. Our current and near future Session members are listed below and also appear in the bulletin each Sunday. Thank you in advance for your input.
| 
