Several weeks ago in worship, Gene Locke and Dick Redding spoke movingly about the importance of supporting outreach from our congregation to the community and wider world through benevolence and social justice activism. One of the most important ways Westminster has reached out to our community since our founding more than 75 years ago has been through University mission.

Earlier this year, after a period of discernment extending back to Jim Baker’s retirement and Laura Sugg’s call to Wheat Ridge Presbyterian Church in Colorado, Westminster’s Session concluded our congregation was ready to call two associate pastors, Lynne Clements and a second associate pastor for University ministry and social justice work. With Presbytery’s approval, our congregation elected an associate pastor nominating committee (the “APNC”) on June 10, 2018 to search for that second associate pastor whom God is calling to serve with us.

The APNC, comprised of Winston Barham, Taylor Beard, Susie Bruce, Kathy Redding, Heather Warren, Ken Young, and Ron Wiley, has been working since then. The committee has met ten times and continues to meet twice monthly. We are pleased to inform the congregation that our Ministry Information Form (MIF) has been posted and we have begun a national search for this position. If you simply click on the links provided in this article, you can read over the MIF and job description.

The APNC anticipates many potential candidates will contact the committee through the Church Leadership Connections system. The committee also will advertise the position in various progressive Presbyterian publications and, probably, through social media. The committee certainly will welcome referrals of interested candidates.

The APNC has great faith (and some trepidation!) many well-qualified candidates will apply and the committee’s difficult mission will be to discern the one God is truly calling to serve with us here at Westminster in reaching out to the University, community, and world. The committee believes this opportunity, as envisioned in the MIF and detailed in the position description, will be very attractive to candidates seeking a called position. The APNC prays we may discern God’s call in a candidate who will help Westminster for many years continue to find its way home to our University and social justice mission. The committee expects that prayerful discernment of whom God is calling to take several months. Keep us in your prayers.

Ron Wiley, Associate Pastor Nominating Committee, Chair