SCHIBSTED IS NEW SENIOR PASTOR
On Sunday, March 6, the congregation of Piedmont Community Church overwhelmingly voted to call Dr. Steve Schibsted as their new Senior Pastor.
The vote came after Schibsted served 14 months as Transitional Pastor, following Dr. William McNabb, who retired September 2020 after 18 years of service.
A Pastor Nominating Committee was commissioned by the Board of Trustees in August of 2021 to conduct a search. The committee of eight church members was chaired by Eric Behrens and Zookie Todd.
Following research and deliberations, the committee unanimously recommended to the Board of Trustees that Steve Schibsted become the Senior Pastor. The Board concurred and formally nominated Schibsted. His election eliminates a source of uncertainty about the future and enables the church to build on the momentum created over the last year.
“I want to thank Piedmont Church for their confidence,” Schibsted said. “I will do the very best that I can by God’s grace. Let’s get to work!”
PNC Recommends Schibsted As Senior Pastor
Read Eric Behrens’ Report | Read Zookie Todd’s Report
On Sunday, the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) announced it has unanimously recommended to the Board of Trustees (BOT) the nomination of Dr. Steve Schibsted as Senior Pastor of Piedmont Community Church. The BOT unanimously agreed.
Church President Pat Leicher introduced the announcement and PNC Co-Chairs Eric Behrens and Zookie Todd described in depth their process behind the committee’s decision.
The announcement was well received by the congregation as applause broke out in the Sanctuary. It was also announced that church staff have unanimously accepted the recommendation.
A special Congregational Meeting to vote on the call of Dr. Steve Schibsted to serve as installed Senior Pastor will take place after the 10am worship this Sunday, March 6.
Video of the announcement is posted below, as well as links to the reports by Eric and Zookie.
STEVE SCHIBSTED NOMINATED from Piedmont Community Church on Vimeo.
Read Eric Behrens’ Report | Read Zookie Todd’s Report
Pastor Nominating Committee Update
By Eric Behrens and Zookie Todd, Co-Chairs
NOVEMBER 23, 2021 – The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) has met several times and has discussed a variety of avenues to reach potential candidates for the Senior Pastor position.
During the search for an Interim Pastor (the position Dr. Steve Schibsted currently fills), a consultant provided a list of the following six denominations whose traditions and outlook are similar to those of Piedmont Community Church: Disciples of Christ (Christian Church) (CC), United Church of Christ (UCC), Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), United Methodist (UMC) and Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA).
Among other comments about all of these denominations, our consultant stated that “these traditions take the Bible seriously but not often literally.” Most ministers in these denominations would be very comfortable with Piedmont Community Church’s Founding Creed which was created in 1910 but is still strikingly relevant.
Members of the PNC have been contacting the headquarters and some of the seminaries connected with these denominations to determine the best way to reach candidates in each of them.
The work of the PNC will begin in earnest when the Mission Study Team issues The Mission Study Report, since that document is an indispensable part of any outreach to potential Senior Pastor candidates. The PNC is fortunate that two of the members of the Mission Study Team, MC Taylor and Aaron Aubrecht, have agreed to also serve on the PNC. This firsthand knowledge of the final Mission Study Report will provide the PNC with valuable insights on how well each of the candidates will serve the needs of Piedmont Church now and in the future.
Anyone wishing to contact the PNC to provide comments on the search or to ask questions can reach us at PNC@PiedmontChurch.org
The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) includes: Eric Behrens and Zookie Todd, Co-Chairs; Aaron Aubrecht, Ann Lin, Erin Peterson, MC Taylor, Adam Thacher and Steven Thorne
Mission Study Survey A Success
By MC Taylor, Co-Chair, Mission Study Team
NOVEMBER 1, 2021 – Thank you so much to the over 200 people who took the time and effort to respond so thoughtfully and thoroughly to the Mission Study survey over the past three weeks.
We are so pleased that our respondents represent a broad group across the community. The majority of respondents are church members, but a large number are from our wider community and this combination will give us a great deal of information that will be invaluable to the Pastor Nominating Committee as well as the church as a whole as we continue our journey.
The information gathered will be analyzed and summarized and then shared with the entire church community as part of a report from the Mission Study Team. This report, which is expected to be complete toward the end of November, will present a picture of where the church is now, a vision of the church’s future, and what the church seeks in a new Senior Pastor.
Take The Mission Study Survey
The purpose of this survey is a means for our congregation to gain a better sense of how our history has shaped us, who we are now as a community of faith and service, and what we discern as God’s plan for the future of Piedmont Community Church.
The survey will help determine the priorities which will set direction for the future of the congregation and its ministry.
We believe God is with us as we assess the spiritual health of the congregation, identify ways to attract membership for church growth, and engage our broader community in pursuit of our mission and social justice.
The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. We appreciate your time!
Mission Study Town Hall Gatherings
Piedmont Community Church is pleased to welcome church members, and members of the wider community, to attend any of three Town Hall gatherings; Sunday, October 17, October 24 and October 31.
The gatherings on October 17 and 31 will be held in-person on the Piedmont Church campus at 11am, while the gathering on October 24 will be held virtually on Zoom at 7pm.
The Town Hall event is hosted by the Mission Study Team, a group of church members dedicated to helping the church navigate a time of transition, seeking new leadership and new direction.
Each Town Hall gathering will be hosted by a member of the team. Small groups will make for comfortable and confidential conversation.
All participants of the in-person gatherings must be fully vaccinated against Covid 19 and wear a face covering when indoors.
Sign up at piedmontchurch.org/mst
Pastor Nominating Committee Formed
August 24, 2021
By Eric Behrens and Zookie Todd
Co-Chairs, Pastor Nominating Committee
The mission of the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) is to nominate a candidate for Senior Pastor to be approved by the Board of Trustees of Piedmont Community Church. In our selection of the members of the PNC, we have received considerable help from the Board of Trustees and Transitional Pastor Dr. Steve Schibsted, along with prayers for God’s guidance.
Our goal for the composition of this committee, which is of paramount importance for the future of our church, was to select PNC members who are representative of the congregation and who have a depth of experience both with the church and professionally. With the selection of the following members of the PNC, we believe we have met this goal.
The team that we will co-chair consists of the following 6 church members: Aaron Aubrecht, Ann Lin, Erin Peterson, MC Taylor, Adam Thacher and Steven Thorne.
Critical to the search for a new Senior Pastor is the preparation of a Piedmont Community Church Mission Statement, which will be sent to various denominations and Christian publications for recruiting potential candidates.
The Mission Study Team is already hard at work and hopes to complete its assignment later this year. We are fortunate that two of the members of the Mission Study Team, Co-Chair MC Taylor and member Aaron Aubrecht, have also agreed to serve on the PNC, which will provide continuity and assist us in defining the new Senior Pastor qualifications.
Following completion of the Mission Statement, the work of the PNC will begin in earnest.
We ask for your prayers for each of us and for the entire committee as we embark on this important journey together.
Mission Study Team Formed
August 17, 2021
By MC Taylor
Co-Chair, Mission Study Team
The Mission Study Team consists of a small group of Piedmont Community Church members whose purpose is to gather information from the church community regarding our church’s mission, vision for the future and qualities needed in a new Senior Pastor.
The team was commissioned by the Board of Trustees as part of our transition plan following Dr. William McNabb’s retirement last year.
The team will organize the information gathered and will create a document for use by the Pastoral Nominating Committee in their search. All input will be welcomed.
The team includes both long-standing members and new members representing a variety of life stages. Some grew up in our church while others joined our church more recently.
Members of the Mission Study Team are Katherine Campbell, Margaret Hiller, Bob Cheatham, Aaron Aubrecht, Ryan McCorvie, and Transitional Pastor Dr. Steve Schibsted.
The team is co-chaired by Cathy Nancarrow and MC Taylor.
We will cast a wide net in order to gather as much information from the church community as possible. To that end, we will use multiple avenues for the community to make their voices heard. We will have a survey, town hall meetings, a website and direct outreach to those who are not as connected to these other approaches.
All input is important to the team and none is too trivial. We will be publicizing the many ways you can take part in these resources.
Please look for the team’s upcoming announcements. We look forward to hearing from you.
2020 Articles
Church President Michael Osborn takes questions from congregants attending the first Transition Coffee Talk.
On Sunday, February 9, 2020 Piedmont Community Church President Michael Osborne and members of the Board of Trustees met with congregants after worship in Guild Hall to discuss our upcoming Senior Minister Transition. Information regarding the process, as outlined in church bylaws, was discussed. A Transition timeline, along with key definitions, was distributed. That information follows:
March 2020
Board of Trustees Initiate Transitional Minister Search
In March, our Board of Trustees will recruit and establish a small committee of church members to plan and recruit a Transitional Minister for our Church. We anticipate the Transitional Minister to be installed early January 2021.
September 30, 2020
Dr. William McNabb Retires
Our Senior Minister will retire on September 30, after 19 years of outstanding service to Piedmont Community Church. We will be organizing a proper retirement party and celebration of Bill’s service in late summer.
October 1- January 2021
Church Staff Provides Continuity and Interim Leadership
From October 1, to the time we can recruit a Transitional Minister, our current staff, led by Associate Minister Dr. Don Ashburn with the support of Rev. Scott Kail, Dr. Stephen Main, Rev. Dottie Hutch and lay leadership, will lead us through 2020.
January 2021
Transitional Minister Starts
Our Transitional Minister will be the leader of our church staff and minister during his or her service. They will also provide guidance to the Board of Trustees and a specific Mission Study team to create the blueprint for a Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC) that will lay out the priorities and criteria the congregation unites upon in finding the ideal minister to lead us for another era. The Mission Study will begin in 2021 and continue until complete, after which the PNC will embark on their service.
Church member Eric Behrens asks a question about the Transition time frame.
Key Definitions
Transitional Minister
A Transitional Minister, often called an intentional interim pastor, is called when a church determines there are sufficient grounds for a trained specialist. It is appropriate where there is recent light or moderate conflict, a pastorate of 10-15 years, or shifts in congregational demographics and/or shifts in the context of ministry.
The transitional pastor will have specialized training appropriate to the needs of the congregation. The
minister will be considered full time and will be committed to addressing issues as agreed in the contractual terms as a significant part of intentionality. This minister is most likely recruited from the region and the term of service is usually 1 to 3 years.
Mission Study
Our interest is the health and vitality of your congregation. Often times there are many different points of reflection to consider in order to move forward in as healthy a way as possible. For this reason, the mission study process may take some time–usually 6 to 8 months. Please do not be daunted by this time frame. While we recognize that being in transition is never easy, many congregations have found the time of reflection and discernment during the mission study period to be invaluable for the success and health of their future ministry.
We believe God is with us in this process.
The Mission Study will undergo a comprehensive reflection upon the history, review the current status and set direction for the future of the congregation in the areas of:
• Spiritual Health
• Pastoral Leadership
• Membership and Church Growth
• Finances and Stewardship
• Mission and Social Justice
• Its Role and Relationship to the Community
Photo at Right: Trustee Joan Chow addresses the transitional meeting on February 9.
See Transitional Minister Job Posting
Transitional Pastor Nominating Committee is: