As you may have heard, Sanctuary Columbus Church is looking to hire an Associate Pastor! As we go through this process together, we recognize that church members may have questions or input that they want to offer. Below, we have compiled answers to some common questions that people may have. If you have any other questions or things you would like to discuss, please feel free to reach out to Pam Laing, Jason Chang, or drop an email to hiring.sanctuarycolumbus@gmail.com.
Why do we need an Associate Pastor?
While we recognize the excellent work that Pastor Rich has been doing in leading our church, it is also evident that as we continue growing and evolving, there is a need for a complementary partner to come alongside him to share the burden of leadership. We have made great use of part-time staff over the years, but believe that it is important that we add another pastor with a full-time focus on the church. We are looking for a candidate with a strong gift of shepherding, the vision to develop a long-term strategy for discipleship and formation, and someone to help further train and raise up other staff and volunteers. We also hope to make more space for Pastor Rich to lean into his apostolic and evangelistic giftings.
When do we expect to make the hire?
We have an ambitious goal of bringing on the new associate pastor at the start of 2021, but recognize that depending on how the search process goes, this target may or may not be achieved. While we are approaching this hire with an urgency, we also want to make sure that we find the right candidate that is an excellent long-term fit for the church. If the committee does not feel confident about making a hire when 2021 rolls around, it will press on with the search and continue searching for the candidate that God has prepared for us
Can we afford to bring on an Associate Pastor?
God has been generous to Sanctuary Columbus in all sorts of ways, and one of the ways he has blessed us is in the area of finances. Despite being in the middle of a pandemic and coming off of a significant transition into the new building, we are in far better fiscal shape than anticipated. The Elder Board identified that an Associate Pastor was an upcoming need and prepared to budget for it, but thanks to God’s faithfulness and the church’s steadfast giving, we are able to plan for this additional hire with confidence in our stable financial position.
What is the selection process?
The Elder Board has appointed Pam Laing and Jason Chang to lead the hiring committee, as well as given recommendations for additional members of the hiring committee. Pam and Jason will be reaching out to selected individuals to fill out the committee and with the collective expertise, develop a screening and interview process for each candidate. Outstanding candidates will then proceed through a more rigorous interview process. Based on the feedback provided by everyone involved in the process, the hiring committee will make a final recommendation for hire and then it will be brought before the church’s Covenant Partners for a vote.
I know someone who would be a great Associate Pastor!
If you are personally interested in applying for the Associate Pastor position, please respond to the job posting on the website as specified. If you would like to recommend an individual for the position, please contact Pam Laing, Jason Chang, or send an email to hiring.sanctuarycolumbus@gmail.com. We recognize that considering internal candidates can be a sensitive matter and encourage anyone interested to go through the process as laid out in the job posting. We also ask that you allow the hiring committee to work through its discernment process and avoid discussing applications with others.