Official Transition Announcement
February 12, 2023
PASTOR jOE gRIDER
Slides from Succession Planning Task Force Announcement
February 12, 2023
pastoral transition
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1. Pastoral Transition kickoff. On Sunday February 12th, pastor Joe announced his retirement in July 2024 and the Succession Planning Task Force (SPTF) was also announced, with members Jennifer Colquitt, Annie Ferguson, Bill Kuh, Jack Lindsey, Shawn Mitchell, and Bob Steele. So, what’s a “SPTF” and what can we expect in the next 19 months? In short, planning for Joe’s retirement and replacement began over a year ago with the formation of an initial Transition Team. That team completed their work of planning and educating the session on the steps for pastoral transition as outlined in our Book of Church Order and with the help of a consultant who specializes in this area. The SPTF has already begun to study and research our church’s ministries, look at our vision for the future, and build the “job description” for the next pastor. Once this work is complete, perhaps in late fall 2023, a Pastoral Search Committee will begin the work of finding and calling a new pastor. If the Presbytery and our congregation agrees, this man will be Joe’s replacement in July 2024.
2. Pastoral Transition Update. The SPTF (Pastoral Transition) team began its work last month by laying out the detailed timeline of their work for the next 18 months. Included in this phase are interviews with the church membership. This is your chance to talk about the ministries of FPC, gain insight into the vision for the future of the church, and identify opportunities for growth and improvement. The SPTF will be reaching out to you, perhaps through your shepherding elder or directly from a SPTF team member. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful and prayerful support of our transition process
3. The SPTF has completed interviews and met to determine common themes, concerns, and way ahead. Based on this, they have completed a profile of FPC, which has been approved by the session and is now posted here. They have also completed a position description to be posted on the PCA’s administrative committee’s job site and distributed to other venues where prospective candidates will see it. Once the pulpit committee/search committee is selected, the position posting will go “live” and candidates will be able to apply. The team hopes to have a candidate selected by spring in order to meet Gulf Coast presbytery examination and congregational vote before pastor Joe retires in July 2024.
4. The pulpit committee has posted a call for candidates on the PCA Administrative Committee’s website. The call package is attached below. With this step, we expect to begin receiving resumes of candidates who are interested in the position. Please continue to pray that this process goes smoothly and is led by the Holy Spirit. If you have any questions, please contact a member of the pulpit committee: Jennifer Colquitt, Annie Ferguson, Bill Kuh, Jack Lindsey, Shawn Mitchell, or Bob Steele.
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Interview Guide Name:_____________________ Date:__________
- How do FPC’s mission ( A Community of Faith, Hope, and Love; Committed to Knowing Christ and Making Him Known) and vision (Be a vibrant and caring multi-generational Christian community affecting a global impact for Christ through our local, regional, and international outreach) statements resonate with you?
- Strongly resonates
- Mildly resonates
- Slightly resonates
- Does not resonate
- In 10-15 years, what do you think/hope FPC’s greatest strength will be?
- Biblically reformed preaching, teaching, and training
- Community building (within the church and community)
- Missional minded (local and abroad)
- Other_______________
- In 10-15 years do you see the congregation of FPC… (can pick more than one answer)
- Looking a lot like it does now
- Being bigger
- Being smaller
- Being more diverse (multigenerational/multicultural)
- I don’t know
- On a scale of 1-5 (1 being the least and 5 being the greatest) how would you rate the culture and core values of the church in terms of it being:
- Welcoming/hospitable
- Eager to change
- Eager to stay the same
- Energetic
- Community focused
- Concerned for children/youth ministries
- Stagnant
- Loving
- Biblically sound
- Caring for the hurting (“spiritual hospital”)
- Easy to feel “plugged in” (small groups, Bible studies…)
- Provides opportunities to serve
5. On a scale of 1-5 (1 being not at all 5 being completely), how strongly do you believe the church’s core values and
culture are tied to Joe’s ministry?6. In terms of the future pastor, what do you think are the top three strengths to have as a:
a. Preacher
1.
2.
3.
b. Shepherd
1.
2.
3.
c. Leader (equipping and training)
1.
2.
3.
7. What degree of influence should the senior pastor have over the direction of the church?
High degree
Low degreeHigh but balanced by the Session
Medium degree
No degree
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See Prayer section below
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Our team is reading books to help us guide the church during this transition. Here are some recent titles:
- Next: Pastoral Succession That Works by William Vanderbloemen and Warren Bird;
- Search by William Vanderbloemen;
- When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search by Chris Brauns.
- Finding a Pastor by Dr. Joel Hathaway
- Addressing Abuse: A Theological and Practical Guide PCA Paper on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault
Team bios
Click the person's name below to see the bio.
Bob was raised in an Episcopal church-going home in Miami, FL, but didn’t come to a saving faith until he was in college at Georgia Tech through Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship in the late 1970s. Bob then began a 27-year Air Force career where he met his wife Lynn, and together with their family traveled to multiple assignments stateside and in Germany. Bob also had remote assignments to the middle east. During these years Bob and Lynn worshiped at base chapels and mostly Baptist churches. In their last assignment, they attended a reformed Baptist church in Swansea Illinois, and began learning about the Doctrines of Grace. Following his 27-year career in the Air Force, Bob and Lynn moved back to Niceville and joined FPC. Bob worked in industry for 13 years before retiring a second time to complete publishing his first book and help with family care. Bob and Lynn have been married 33 years and have three adult children (Kimberly, Matthew and Emily (twins!)). Bob is an elder at FPC, where he’s served as a deacon and on several committees and ministries including the choir.
Jennifer Colquitt is a native of Birmingham, AL. She grew up in a Christian home, and she thanks for the Lord for his mercy in saving her when she was a child. Through a high school ministry of a PCA church, she began really growing in her faith by being discipled and discipling others. This continued through her college experience at Auburn University (B.A. English 1991/ M.Ed. Secondary English Education 1992) where she was the chaplain of her sorority and a student-leader in the Navigators College Ministry. She met her husband Brad through the Navigator Ministry at Auburn, and they married in 1995. They were stationed at Air Force bases in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas before their final assignment to Hurlburt Field in 2012. Over the years, the Lord has continued to bring women into Jennifer’s life to share Jesus with and lead in small group Bible studies. Most recently she has enjoyed co-leading an evening women’s Bible study at FPC and leading a college athlete girls’ study at Northwest Florida State College. As a member of FPC since 2012, she has also volunteered in children, youth, and women’s ministries and served on the strategic planning committee. She has a certificate from The School of Biblical Counseling and is working towards her second one. She and Brad have 4 grown children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson due in August.
Bill Kuh is a native of Montgomery, Alabama. Bill has been a member of the PCA for over 40 years and concluded his professional career as president of the PCA Retirement & Benefits, Inc.. He has served as a Deacon in Pensacola, an Elder in Atlanta, an Elder in Niceville, and as a Moderator of The Gulf Coast Presbytery. Bill has over 30 years of human resources management and executive experience in the electric energy industry, transportation and logistics industry, and corporate consultancy. His experience and expertise include compensation, benefits, organization development, labor relations, corporate communications, legal and claims. Bill has an undergraduate BS Degree in Business from Troy University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Woodrow Wilson College of Law. Bill has an adult son and daughter living in Atlanta from his late wife, Connie. He has three grandsons in Atlanta. Bill has been married to his wife Julie for eight years.
Annie Ferguson was born in Milton, FL. while her dad was in pilot training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Annie grew up in a loving and supportive Christian home. The Navy was a big part of Annie’s family and childhood, experiencing 10 moves and 6 major deployments. Her parents began attending a PCA church in San Diego when she was 9 years old. In the Lord’s kindness, he called Annie to a saving faith in Jesus when she was in junior high school. Annie met her husband, Iain, while she was attending the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs and he was attending the Air Force Academy. They have been married for 25 years. They spent 21 years as an Air Force family and have 4 children, Abigayle (23), William (21), Mollie (19), and EmmaLee (17). They have been stationed in Arkansas, Germany, Ohio, Nevada, California, and Florida. The Ferguson family moved to Niceville and became members of First Presbyterian Church in 2015. Annie has served in various ministries at FPC including children, youth, and women’s ministries. Currently, she and her husband host a weekly Bible study for young adults. In the community, she enjoys teaching at a homeschool co-op and volunteering as a Guardian ad Litem. She plans to graduate with a master’s in Clinical Mental Health in the fall of 2024 and hopes to practice as a professional counselor.
I am from Defuniak Springs, Florida. My parents moved to Birmingham, AL for my dad to go to law school (when I was 1-4 years old). My parents became Christians through Frank Barker at Briarwood PCA before returning to DeFuniak.
Growing up in a Christian home, I “thought” I was a Christian. But I was sweetly surprised by the “life change” I felt when I actually surrendered my life to Christ in college . I continued to grow spiritually while in engineering school at the University of South Alabama. I was discipled by a dear brother who worked for “Campus Outreach” (CO) under Briarwood. My plan was to get an MBA and climb the corporate ladder in hopes to own or run a business one day. I worked about 8 years in business while spending my spare time in campus ministry. At the end of 1999, I changed my career for my hobby and my hobby for my career. In other words, I left my engineering career and went into full-time missions -launching with a team under Briarwood.
During my time in missions, I started seeing Misty who was a missionary overseas. We married (in 2003 in Kentucky) and continued working in missions until 2006. After our second child, Hudson, was born we took an assignment in Puerto Rico to help plant a PCA church until 2014.
God used this time overseas to really give us a heart for other nations. I would often complain, “I was frustrated with God for making me learn 2 languages and multiple cultures”. Interestingly, we moved back to the US to find the “same cultures”. We blindly moved into a rental in Jacksonville, Florida. God, in his sovereignty, placed us with a foreign speaking family immediately to the left and another immediately to the right. We’ve been able to minister to them along with many more.
We came on staff with The Navigators newly formed “Nations Within” ministry in 2015. And so - our hearts are soft towards the many cultures that have moved to the USA. We hope to help others see the opportunity to reach “the nations” right here.
In 2021 we moved to First Presbyterian Niceville to be near my parents who are in their late 70s.
Shawn was born in North Carolina and moved to Okaloosa County in 1963. He attended Okaloosa County schools until graduating from Northwest Florida College. He then spent five years at the University of Florida in Gainesville where he was awarded a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD). Shawn was the president of the student body in his senior year of Dental School. He moved back to Okaloosa and was in private dental practice in Valparaiso from 1978-2016.
Shawn became an Elder at First Presbyterian Church of Niceville (FPC) in 2017 and is currently a member of the FPC Governance Commission.
Shawn is serving on both the Overture Committee and the Examination Committee (3 years) for the PCA Gulf Coast Presbytery. In his service on the Examination Committee, Shawn has had the opportunity to interview numerous pastoral candidates seeking licensure/ordination in the Gulf Coast Presbytery. His duties include making sure the candidates meet all the theological and character requirements for the office they are seeking.
Shawn was recently nominated to be on the Succession Team at FPC.
Shawn enjoys Biblical study and research, teaching, hunting, fishing, and travel. He is married to Ann and has 4 children and 10 grandchildren.
