WHO WILL BE LEADING THE CHURCH IN THE MEANTIME?

Great question! Pastor Jacy Burnett has been appointed the Interim Pastor. Pastor Jacy has been a longtime member of Grace Church and serves in the Foursquare Northwest District as the head Administrator. Additionally, his wife, Amber, serves on our Church Council.

Pastor Jacy will be serving alongside our existing church staff and leadership team to lead Grace Church during the pastoral transition.

HOW WILL GRACE SELECT A NEW PASTOR?

Pastoral transitions can happen in many ways, so it is natural to wonder how it will be handled. We are part of the Foursquare denomination and have a set process to follow for our next steps. 

First, it is important to know that pastors in Foursquare are appointed by the District Supervisor, who is currently assisted by two Associate District Supervisor (fun fact: this is the job Omar is taking on, but he will not be overseeing our transition for obvious reasons). The search has already started, as an Associate District Supervisor created a profile of a future pastor with the church council and staff. The profile was based on our community, church congregation, and spiritual attributes that our leadership sees as essential in a future pastor. 

Next, the District leadership will pray and ask God for the chosen person of God to be revealed. When they believe that they have discerned who that is, the candidate will go through a thorough vetting process concerning their character and competency. Should that go well, the church council and the candidate will meet for an interview. After two days of prayer and fasting, the council will give feedback to the District about whether or not they agree that this leader is the right pastor for Grace Church. When a pastor is ultimately appointed by Foursquare and confirmed by the church council, they will be installed. 

Hear David Eddy explain the process in more detail:

So what does this mean practically? There are a few frequently asked questions that we can answer from the information above:

1. We will not have a “preach-off” on Sunday mornings for the next pastor, where pastoral candidates come in and the church votes. This is a spiritually discerned process involving multiple layers of leadership and prayer. 

2. Our amazing Interim, Jacy, is not secretly in training for the pastoral role. Though he is great, a Foursquare Interim is not considered a future candidate for pastoral leadership.

3. Most importantly, we need you to pray with us that God would make the next leader incredibly apparent to those in charge of leading this transition. 

WHY DID PASTORS OMAR & MISTY LEAVE? WHAT IS NEXT FOR THEM?

Pastor Omar accepted a new job with the Foursquare Northwest District as the Associate District Supervisor. This means that Omar and Misty will be pastoring pastors, continuing the work of the Kingdom of God in the Northwest region. We are thrilled to continue to follow their leadership in a new way, as they continue to be part of the family of God.