by Cory Parker, PNC Member

When we first met as a team, I remember being excited about the search for a pastor and saying “YES” to a remarkable candidate. I still am. But someone then reminded me we would have to go through an awful lot of “NO’s” to get to that “YES.”

So far, our team has said 124 “NO’s.” Each of these “NO’s” is a pastor called by God to serve the church. While this is a special calling, these are regular people with ambitions, hopes, and hurts. It is tough saying “NO” to the remarkable, but inexperienced young pastor with a heart for missions or to the gifted leader of a large church that just doesn’t seem to fit. It’s our job to say “NO,” so the congregation can eventually say “YES.”

As we gather, we have found we are required to say “NO” to other things as well. After meeting for seven months, I have to say the Nominating Committee did a tremendous job of assembling a group of passionate Christians with a diversity of interests who represent the church as a whole. And yet, we must put aside those interests each week and let God move among us. Each of us has strong opinions about our discernment process and our future pastor.

So, at the beginning of each meeting, we have a time of silence where we let go of our worries, interests, and opinions. We wait upon the Lord. We listen for his Word. It is He who is calling our pastor. It is He who is calling our church. We say no to all that is not from God and wait for his Yes.