Leadership Update: January 9, 2022
Hello Church,
As January gets fully in swing I wanted to take a few minutes to update our online community on Scot Pollok’s leaving, our path forward through a search and also how we are filling the pulpit near term.
What Can We Do For Scot?
The Elders and staff are committed to caring well for the Pollok family in their transition. We know that for many of you, this is your concern as well, and while we are not publicly sharing the details, we want you to know that we will continue Scot’s compensation and benefits for a significant portion of 2022 to allow for their recovery and transition. I ask that you continue to pray for the whole Pollok family and specifically for direction for Scot on what God is calling him to do next. Many of you have asked about contacting the Polloks, and we would encourage you to reach out to them during this time of transition, even if just to let them know you love them and are praying for them. We are also collecting cards for the Pollok family by Guest Services in the church foyer. If you would like to send the Polloks a word of encouragement, we have cards available in the foyer or you can drop off your own card. You’re also welcome to mail a card to the church.
Our Path Forward
The Elders and Leadership team are focused on the process of finding our next teacher. Faith Bible Church has been blessed with the longevity of both Dave Anderson and Scot Pollok in our pulpit. Thus the transition process is not one that we have done regularly and thus we want to negotiate it wisely. For those that heard Justin Hoover last week, he referenced the audible voice of God, we are praying that God will speak to us that clearly, and lead us to His choice for our teacher. We are beginning to form a search team. We are working on the job description and qualifications. We are networking with seminaries and like-minded churches to find a person who shares our values, especially the clear and free message of grace through faith. We are a church that is in a great financial position and we are situated in a desirable part of the country. We truly believe this will be a sought-after position, and our task will be to discern God’s will for His Church. That however does not necessarily indicate a fast process. Successful searches can take from 6 months to 2 years. We do not expect to take 2 years but we should expect at least 6 months.
What to Expect in the Near Term
The Elders and Leadership Team have felt a need for more consistency and stability in the pulpit. This past Sunday, John Witte shared a message on uncertainty and looking up to God as our path through uncertainty. John is an old friend of our founding pastor Dave Anderson and worked with Chad Melton in Midland. As the Elders recognized the need to provide healing and stability in this interim season, God was also speaking to Chad via John Witte about these same 2 needs. Remarkably, God was also working in John’s circumstances to put the desire and ability to play a significant part despite living in Junction, Texas. Over the rest of the first quarter of 2022, John will preach 7 additional times as part of two separate series as we mix in our own pastors on these series.
John is a graduate of Baylor University and the founder and president of Istoria Project, a counseling ministry that uses story as the template for understanding how to make your life work. Together he and his wife, Linda, lived and worked cross-culturally in Eastern and Southern Africa with their four children for 17 years. I truly hope we all hear what God has put on this man’s heart for our church.
Sincerely,
John Romain
Chairmen of the Elders
As January gets fully in swing I wanted to take a few minutes to update our online community on Scot Pollok’s leaving, our path forward through a search and also how we are filling the pulpit near term.
What Can We Do For Scot?
The Elders and staff are committed to caring well for the Pollok family in their transition. We know that for many of you, this is your concern as well, and while we are not publicly sharing the details, we want you to know that we will continue Scot’s compensation and benefits for a significant portion of 2022 to allow for their recovery and transition. I ask that you continue to pray for the whole Pollok family and specifically for direction for Scot on what God is calling him to do next. Many of you have asked about contacting the Polloks, and we would encourage you to reach out to them during this time of transition, even if just to let them know you love them and are praying for them. We are also collecting cards for the Pollok family by Guest Services in the church foyer. If you would like to send the Polloks a word of encouragement, we have cards available in the foyer or you can drop off your own card. You’re also welcome to mail a card to the church.
Our Path Forward
The Elders and Leadership team are focused on the process of finding our next teacher. Faith Bible Church has been blessed with the longevity of both Dave Anderson and Scot Pollok in our pulpit. Thus the transition process is not one that we have done regularly and thus we want to negotiate it wisely. For those that heard Justin Hoover last week, he referenced the audible voice of God, we are praying that God will speak to us that clearly, and lead us to His choice for our teacher. We are beginning to form a search team. We are working on the job description and qualifications. We are networking with seminaries and like-minded churches to find a person who shares our values, especially the clear and free message of grace through faith. We are a church that is in a great financial position and we are situated in a desirable part of the country. We truly believe this will be a sought-after position, and our task will be to discern God’s will for His Church. That however does not necessarily indicate a fast process. Successful searches can take from 6 months to 2 years. We do not expect to take 2 years but we should expect at least 6 months.
What to Expect in the Near Term
The Elders and Leadership Team have felt a need for more consistency and stability in the pulpit. This past Sunday, John Witte shared a message on uncertainty and looking up to God as our path through uncertainty. John is an old friend of our founding pastor Dave Anderson and worked with Chad Melton in Midland. As the Elders recognized the need to provide healing and stability in this interim season, God was also speaking to Chad via John Witte about these same 2 needs. Remarkably, God was also working in John’s circumstances to put the desire and ability to play a significant part despite living in Junction, Texas. Over the rest of the first quarter of 2022, John will preach 7 additional times as part of two separate series as we mix in our own pastors on these series.
John is a graduate of Baylor University and the founder and president of Istoria Project, a counseling ministry that uses story as the template for understanding how to make your life work. Together he and his wife, Linda, lived and worked cross-culturally in Eastern and Southern Africa with their four children for 17 years. I truly hope we all hear what God has put on this man’s heart for our church.
Sincerely,
John Romain
Chairmen of the Elders