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Pastor Search

As you may have heard during our worship service on January 28, the Pastoral Search Committee (PSC) shared an important update regarding our pastoral search process. It is with the utmost excitement and thanksgiving that we have unanimously voted to present to you our candidate for Redeemer East Side’s next Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Crawford Stevener. If you were unable to attend the Q&A session after service, we invite you to read more about our candidate.

On Sunday, February 11, Rev. Dr. Stevener preached during our worship service. At the conclusion of the service, we held a brief congregational meeting for members to vote to approve Crawford to be our next Senior Pastor.

We want to thank you for your grace and patience over the past two and a half years as we journeyed through this process. It is important to note that the PSC, together with the Elders, unreservedly give their full support for Dr. Stevener. We believe that Crawford’s ministry will be a blessing to RES, to the East Side, and to New York City at large. We humbly hope and pray that you will vote with us to approve his nomination.

Pastoral Search Committee


Meet The Pastoral Search Committee (PSC). We were nominated and approved by Redeemer East Side members and include a broad representation of our congregation across age, race, marital and vocational status. We are honored to serve Redeemer East Side through this process. Feedback, questions, or comments? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

Process

Phase 1: Organization

✔ Nominating Committee selects the Pastoral Search Committee (PSC) and Chairman

✔ Nominating Committee selects McGowan Global Institute (MGI) as a consultant to help guide the Pastor Search process.

✔ Redeemer East Side (RES) Members vote to approve PSC members at congregational meeting on June 13, 2021.

✔ MGI hosts Discovery Weekend Focus Groups for RES Congregation.

✔ PSC forms subcommittees and positions listed below to mange and implement the search process:

  • Church Survey Committee
  • Focus Group Committee
  • Church/Pastor Profile Committee
  • Prayer Committee
  • Website Committee
  • Candidate Management Committee
  • Sermon Listening Committee
  • Document Development Committee
  • Communication Coordinator
  • Secretary

✔ PSC prays together weekly and prepares for candidate selection by reading Preaching by Tim Keller and discussing the book together.

✔ PSC has internal training with MGI.

✔ Survey Subcommittee designs, sends out and analyzes survey to RES congregation on Church Vision and Pastor Qualities.

✔ Prayer Subcommittee creates a prayer guide for the RES congregation throughout the preparation process.

✔ Website Subcommittee sets up a PSC webpage within the RES website.

✔ Focus Group Subcommittee prepares for and conducts Vision and Brainstorming sessions with RES congregation in small groups, including time for Q&A.

✔ Church and Pastor Profile Committee develops preliminary Church and Pastor Profile based on congregational input from survey and focus group results.

✔ Training is provided for the PSC on sermon review through Redeemer City to City professionals.

Phase 2: Collection

✔ PSC publishes the Church and Pastor Profile and solicits candidates with the support of the congregation, and pastor and MGI recommendations.

✔ Candidate files are created in a confidential Google drive for the PSC.

Phase 3: Evaluation

✔ Candidate Management Subcommittee implements a candidate evaluation process and manages remote interviews for the PSC members.

  • PSC interviews candidate selections, reviews sermons, gifting profiles, references; and conducts remote interviews for candidates.
  • PSC narrows down to no more than three finalists.

Phase 4: Selection

✔ Background and reference checks are conducted on the final candidate.

✔ PSC votes internally to select the final candidate.

✔ Personnel Subcommittee finalizes the arrangements for a public visit. The finalist makes a weekend visit to interview/meet with RES staff and lay leaders, deliver the sermon and be introduced to the RES congregation.

✔ The candidate is introduced to the RES Session.

Travel plans to visit candidates and to have candidates visit RES may be modified due to Covid-19 pandemic and MGI’s recommendations.

Phase 5: Completion

✔ PSC distributes final report and recommendation to the RES congregation.

✔ RES Members vote to call the Recommended Candidate at a Congregational Meeting.

✔ Presbytery confirms the Called Candidate.

Presbytery installs the Called Candidate as the new Senior Pastor of RES on Sunday, July 28, 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the PCA guidelines for the election of pastors?

These guidelines are available in the Book of Church Order. You can read them by clicking here.

When did you start looking?

The first steps of the search process began in the spring of 2021 when we learned that Dr. Abraham Cho would be stepping down as senior pastor.