Search Committee Update #1 (April 16)
Shalom! Greetings to the members of Young Nak Church of Toronto in the name of the Lord.
On January 22, 2023, a 15-member team was established in accordance with the church’s procedures to begin the 4th Senior Pastor search process (hereafter referred to as the search committee).
On January 31, 2023, the search committee held its first meeting to draft the Regulations and Implementation rules and received approval from the Session. The Regulations encompassed the objective, structure, organization, responsibilities, and tenure of its members. In the Implementation rules, the objective, the calling method, the qualifications of candidates, documentation requirements, screening details, and the selection procedures and methods were laid out. In terms of the calling method, the Session agreed to use a combination of public advertisement and referrals to respect the committee’s value of transparency and impartiality.
During the dedication service of the search committee on February 1st, 2023, the members engaged in earnest prayer, seeking God's guidance. Reverend Minho Song delivered a sermon on the calling process and our mindset, referencing Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways, submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” The calling process is not about finding the most suitable person for our church, but about confessing that God leads the calling process. We were reminded that it is a humbling and prayerful process to discern and receive the person God sends to us.
The first seminar for the search committee was held on February 11, 2023, where Pastor Seok-Hyun Han, Pastor Emeritus of Vaughan Community Church, was invited to share his insights on the calling process. The 15 members of the search committee and a few elders attended the seminar. Following the seminar, the committee members reviewed the results of the church-wide survey and had a time of prayer led by Pastor Sun-Yak Jung.
On February 28, 2023, the search committee finalized the revised Regulations and Implementation rules after many thorough discussions. The survey review results (congregational questionnaire) were also presented during the meeting. In preparation for the calling process, the committee met every two weeks during March and April to create various required forms and to establish criteria for individuals who may be requested to recommend candidates.
In addition, pursuant to Article 59(6) of the Constitution of the Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad (KPCA), “when the current moderator is preparing his retirement and the Session agreed to invite the Associate Pastor to be the next moderator, such pastor shall be nominated after a nomination and calling process upon resignation of the current moderator.” The Session decided during the January meeting to request clarification from the Presbytery regarding the flexibility of this clause in light of our church’s circumstances. Essentially, the Session inquired as to whether two pastors could have a sufficient transition period after nominating a successor pastor with the approval of 2/3 or more of the member’s vote at the Congregational meeting.
The Presbytery ultimately decided that the transition period would be resolved within 6 months. Therefore, our church will hold a congregational meeting after the spring 2024 Presbytery to nominate our next pastor with the approval of 2/3 or more of the member’s vote. We will then report the year-end retirement schedule of our current senior Pastor at the fall Presbytery, following which a new pastor will be installed after the current pastor’s retirement.
We would like to inform you that the following schedule has been set in accordance with these decisions. We ask for your prayers.
Thank you.
April 16, 2023
Chair of the search committee Elder Ki-Young (Ken) Baik
PS: Please note that the schedule is subject to change.
