A Letter to the Congregation
To: WPC Congregation
From: Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) — Hank Sanders-Chair
Catherine Blount, Roxanne Cromartie, Trey Dubose-Vice Chair, Sue Inman, Lydia Kellett, Tim Reed,
Jeff Reynolds, David Rutledge
Subject: Update on Pastor Nominating Committee activities
Date: May 1, 2017
This is a monumental time in the life of WPC. To search for a new Senior Pastor after thirty years creates a world
of emotions for those who have been members for decades as well as those who may have just joined WPC. As
this congregation’s committee, we are working on your behalf and take the responsibility you have placed with us
very seriously.
With that in mind we want to keep you informed of the process and our progress:
– We have been meeting regularly starting in March.
– To date we have completed two major tasks in the process.
1. Meeting with Foothills Presbytery leadership to learn how the search process works
2. Completing the Ministry Information Form (MIF)
The Ministry Information Form (MIF) is the official job positing for the senior pastor/head of staff position. The MIF describes WPC’s mission along with details about our church and who we are. It includes the characteristics and leadership competencies we seek in our next senior pastor. The MIF is presented to the Session and the Presbytery. Once it is approved the MIF is posted on the PCUSA website for candidates to review.
The next phase will involve a time when the Presbytery will match our criteria from the MIF with candidates currently seeking positions. We will then receive Personal Information Forms (PIF) from candidates applying for the position. The PIF is essentially a resume and an application. We have been told we may receive as many as 50-100 PIF’s for consideration in the first phase.
Some have asked if members of WPC may suggest candidates. We welcome you to encourage candidates to apply by submitting a PIF to the PCUSA website. This is the only way a candidate can be considered.
How long will it take to find the right person? Lud will be with us until November 2018. Generally a search for a new pastor takes one to two years. We hope that timeline will coincide with the timeframe for our process.
We plan to give you periodic updates on our progress but please know that there are parts of our work that must remain confidential in respect of the candidates applying. But, feel free to reach out to any of the committee with thoughts, concerns and questions. We promise those will be passed on to the full committee.
We are sure that you have more questions than we have answers at this point. We ask for your patience and your
prayers as we go about our work.
A note to candidates:
To learn more about our church and what we are looking for in a candidate, please review our Ministry Information Form (MIF).
In order to be considered for the Senior Pastor position, we must receive a Personal Information Form (PIF) through the Foothills Presbytery.
Pastor Nominating Committee
Hank Sanders
Chair
I joined Westminster Presbyterian church with my wife Amanda in 2001. Our three children have attended the Westminster Weekday School and are currently involved in It’s Elementary and Middle School Youth Group. I am an Elder currently serving my second term on Session. I chair the Finance Committee and I am a member of the Personnel Committee. Previously I served on the Education Committee as chair of the Weekday School Committee and on the Long Range Planning Committee. I also represented Westminster on the board of Pleasant Valley Connection as we helped to create a multipurpose community center.
Trey Dubose
Vice-Chair
Trey DuBose is originally from Greenville SC and joined WPC in 2003. He and his wife Kimmie have four children, Ellie (14), Cara (12) Jack (10) and Ben (9). Trey is a General Internist and Kimmie is an OB/GYN and together they have led two mission trips with their family to Embagweni Hospital in Malawi, continuing a mission partnership established by previous physicians from WPC. They are making their third trip to Africa this summer. Trey has also served on our annual medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic. In addition, Trey has served on session as well as the membership committee and witness and service committee. He was on the pastor nominating committees for both the pastor for young adults and the youth pastor.
Catherine Blount
Brian and Catherine Blount joined Westminster in 2013, a few years after moving to Greenville from Texas. A mother of two boys, ages 6 and 10, Catherine has been involved in Sunday School, Children’s Church, Shut-in Flower Delivery, and the It’s Elementary after-school program. She has been on the adult mission trip to the Dominican Republic for the past three years, and she currently serves on the Worship Committee as a Ruling Elder.
Roxanne Cromartie
Roxanne Cromartie and her husband Jack have been members of Westminster for twenty-six years. She grew up in the Presbyterian Church in Taylorsville NC. Roxanne’s service to the church includes the following: Pictorial Directory Chairman in 2015, Associate Pastor Search Committee, Long Range Planning Committee, Chairman Membership, Head Usher, Wedding Committee, Chairman Worship Committee and Endowment Committee promoting legacy giving from WPC members. She currently serves on the Session and has served one previous term. Roxanne is retired from a 30 year career with United Way.
Sue Inman
Sue Lile Inman joined Westminster with her husband, Sam, in November 1963, with their two older children, adding two more in 1964 and 1970. She’s an elder having served twice on the session, has taught in adult Sunday school, chaired the Membership committee, went on the first DR mission trip, wrote the History of Westminster, published in 2007, and currently chairs the Heritage Lecture Committee and helps teach Bible in the It’s Elementary program on Wednesday afternoons.
Lydia Kellett
I have been a member of Westminster Presbyterian church since 1973. My children and grandchildren were raised in this church. I have served as a Ruling Elder three times. I have served on five pastoral search committees. Four searches were for associate pastors and one was for our current senior pastor. My husband and I have worked internationally in the mission field for 20 years. Locally, I was involved in leading a team that worked to improve life in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood very near to our church. It was a collaborative effort that built a HeadStart Center and a multipurpose center . The center focuses on education of elementary school age children, day care, middle school programs and Senior citizen activities.
Tim Reed
Tim Reed has been a member of Westminster his entire life growing up in the Sunday school and youth programs before returning to Greenville after college. He has served in various capacities of the church including Sunday School teacher, junior high youth advisor, elder five terms, basketball coach, finance committee, treasurer, endowment committee, long range planning committee, building committee, capital funds committee, search committee, and Stephen Minister. Tim just recently completed serving as a Trustee for Columbia Theological Seminary. He is married to Susan Thomas Reed and has three adult daughters of which all grew up in the church and are still members.
Jeff Reynolds
Jeff Reynolds married into the Westminster family in 2005. He and his wife Kathleen have four young kids – a son and three daughters. Jeff is involved in Youngish Adults and Men’s Group, teaches preschool Sunday School, is on the Head Usher committee, and coordinates men’s softball.
David Rutledge
David Rutledge and his wife Dorothy joined Westminster in 1982, and raised two sons in the church. David has taught often in the adult Sunday school program, has been on the Session, is a Trustee of the church, has served on two Presbytery committees, helped organize the Creation Stewardship group, and has done other tasks occasionally (ushering, Children’s Church, Habitat house, etc.).