April 30, 2026 — Pastor Search Committee Update

Greetings from the Pastoral Search Committee,

Greetings from the Westminster Pastoral Search Committee! We have been diligently meeting as a team on most Thursday evenings. Since our last update on March 29, we are pleased to share the progress we have made in our search for a new pastor.

Key Accomplishments

Development of the Church and Pastor Profile
We have created the “Church and Pastor Profile” document which you can read here. This is an essential communication tool designed to introduce prospective candidates to our church, its ministries, and the qualities we believe God is calling in our next pastor. You are welcome to share this link with pastors who may be interested. Additionally, we will post it on the church website.

Collection of Pastoral Candidates
Thus far, we have gathered over 35 names of pastors from across the country. These names have come to us through three channels: candidates expressing direct interest, church members recommending pastors for consideration, and our consultant reaching out to strong pastors who meet our search criteria. We are encouraged by this initial response and anticipate even more names to be added. As part of our process, some candidates may withdraw themselves, or we may decide not to move forward based on our initial assessments or interviews. This step is vital as we seek to discern the pastor God has called to serve our congregation.

Next Steps and Request for Prayer

We are now ready to begin scheduling initial interviews and conducting thorough reviews of qualified candidates. At this stage, we earnestly ask for your prayers. Please remember our committee and the candidates in your personal devotions and in your church small groups. We place our trust in Almighty God to guide our efforts and to bring together our future pastor and our church as He wills in the coming months.

Thank you for your patience as we continue this important work. We look forward to sharing future monthly updates from the pulpit and through the church email and website.

March 29, 2026 — Pastor Search Committee Update

Greetings from the Pastoral Search Committee,

We are excited to begin this important work of seeking who the Lord has chosen for the next senior pastor of our beloved church, Westminster Presbyterian. Our committee of nine has begun meeting weekly to prepare for the search process. We are developing information about our church to share with candidates, educating ourselves on ways to assess sermons and pastoral gifts our church most desires, and preparing the process and questions to be included in each step. We are grateful to have professional guidance and resources to support our work from McGowan Global Institute. Our team will conduct deep dive reviews of candidate sermons, conduct numerous team interviews, and engage our session in assisting with the selection process. Eventually, the final candidate will visit our church, preach during a Sunday service, and Lord willing successfully pass an election by the full congregation.

For context, we want you to know that the national average to replace a senior pastor averages two years. Within our denomination of the PCA, this is about 18 months. Using our consultant, we expect this to shorten that time, but fully expect that we will not install a new senior pastor until at least the beginning of next year. We recognize that God is sovereign and will lead our church to the right person, regardless of our time expectations.  We earnestly ask you to pray for our committee, pray for the candidates, and pray for wisdom and discernment to find God’s will for our next senior pastor. We look forward to providing you with monthly updates through the church’s email, website and during the Sunday morning services.

By God’s grace,
Jim Petty, Chair
Steve Heckard, Vice-chair

Results from our February 22 Congregational Meeting

Published Monday, February 23

Thank you to all who participated in our February 22 Congregational Meeting. We are grateful for your engagement and prayerful involvement in this important season. The recommended Pastor Search Committee slate was approved with 95% voting in favor. Our committee members are Audrey Bisch, Tonya Conrad, Spence Dixon, Steve Heckard, Calum Henderson, Diane Howe, Ashley Kerr, Jim Petty, and Elizabeth Robinson, with Matt Harper and Abigail Wilson serving as alternates.

Please join us in praying faithfully for this team as they begin the significant work of discerning whom God is calling to serve as our next Senior Pastor. May the Lord grant them wisdom, unity, humility, and clear direction in the months ahead.

Westminster's Pastor Search Committee

Published Friday, February 20

A congregational meeting will be held on this Sunday, February 22, following both worship services, for the purpose of voting on the recommended slate for the Pastor Search Committee. The Session will present a full slate of nine members and two alternates, prayerfully selected from the nominations received. The congregational vote will be to confirm the entire slate, rather than voting on individual nominees.

Please read a letter from our Clerk of Session, Bill McKinnon, for the names of those recommended and details about the meeting. Brief biographical information for each nominee is also available to help you prepare to vote.

Discerning Our Next Senior Pastor: Search Committee Process

Published Sunday, February 8

Nominations for the Pastor Search Committee (PSC) will be open from Sunday, February 8 through February 15. We invite you to prayerfully consider who God may be calling to serve in this important role. More information about our pastor search process is available below.

An Important Update from Pastor Mike & the Session

Published Sunday, January 18

During his sermon on Sunday, January 18, Pastor Mike Honeycutt shared personally about the Lord’s leading for him and Judy in the season ahead. After extended prayer, discernment, and conversation with the Session, Pastor Mike has decided to begin a transition from his role as Senior Pastor, with the intention of retiring in the summer of 2026. Over the next six months, he will continue to serve fully, while also helping prepare the way for a smooth, Spirit-led transition.

You can hear more from Mike directly about his decision to retire in the video above or his letter below. You can also learn more about what comes next in the Session video above or the FAQs we have prepared below.