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The Pulpit Committee

Finding, screening, and recommending candidates to the congregation in order to fill open pastoral positions.

 

Who is the Pulpit Committee?

3 pastors

5 deacons (entire Deacon Board)

1 trustee representative

From the CBC Constitution:

ARTICLE V – PASTORAL RELATIONS

The calling of a Pastor shall be done in all cases by ballot by a three fourths majority of the membership present at a business meeting; announcement of which has been given at least two weeks prior to the business meeting. Only one candidate shall be presented to the church at one time.

The Pastor(s), Deacon Board, and a representative from the Trustee Board shall act as a Pulpit Committee. They shall have authority to contact prospective Pastors for recommendation to the church.

 

The Pulpit Committee Process

In September of 2017, Pastor Kent Holcomb announced his future retirement from the position of senior pastor at Calvary Baptist Church. His retirement was set for October 2019. 

In December 2017, the members of Calvary Baptist Church called current youth pastor, Caleb Bowman, to be the next senior pastor. 

The pulpit committee was formed and began the search. The men on this committee put in many hours of research, phone calls, and emails to find potential candidates who met the qualifications. 
 
The process implemented by the pulpit committee is the process that is outlined in the church constitution. It's the same process that the Lord used to lead us to Pastor Bowman and Pastor Fuller. It's time-tested and the Lord has blessed its practice. 
 
We hope that through understanding the rigors of this process, you will gain confidence as you determine the final outcome through your vote. 

Preparation 

  • Finalized Job Description
  • Roundtable meetings with the Pulpit Committee - an opportunity for church members to discuss questions and concerns with the Pulpit Committee

 

Open Application & Initial Contacts

The application was made available online and on paper.
Contact was made with organizations and individuals who might know of potential candidates including:

  • Several Bible colleges and seminaries
  • Several church associations and fellowships
  • Individual pastors and Bible college officials

 

Many potential applicants showed interest and contacted us, or the pulpit committee reached out to them to inquire if there was interest.

Filters

The filtering process insured that the applicant was qualified for the position as well as be a good fit at CBC. Filters included the following:

  • Doctrinal/personal/ministry questionnaire
  • Contacted references
  • Conference call with pulpit committee

 

 A successful applicant will complete at least two weekend visits for interaction with CBC. These are some possible activities while he is here:

1st Face-to-face Visit - Applicant

  • Q&A session with congregation
  • Dinner with families of deacons, pastors, and office staff. 
  • Meet and Greet with members
  • Teaching an ABC group
  • Preaching in Auditorium Sunday Morning
  • Meetings with ministry leaders

Feedback from 1st visit

Feedback surveys from the congregation
Pulpit committee evaluation to proceed or terminate the process


2nd Face-to-face Visit - Official Candidate

Meet and Greet with staff and congregation
Preaching, teaching, and serving with church ministries
Pulpit Committee interview
 
Feedback from 2nd visit
 
Feedback surveys from the congregation
 
 
Recommendation

  • After the conclusion of the candidating weekends, the Pulpit Committee will evaluate and determine whether to recommend the candidate to the congregation for a vote.
  • If the candidate is not recommended for a vote, then the Pulpit Committee will proceed with other candidates. 
  • If the candidate is recommended, then a special business meeting will be called for the purpose of voting on whether or not the candidate will be called to fulfill the position. 
 
Congregational Vote
 
The final step. The congregation will vote yes or no to call the candidate to fulfill the position. 

 

Jon Durso and his family join the church. 

Sunday, October 27, 2019, Jon and Sarah Durso will join the church family of CBC! We are excited as Jon takes the position of Director of Discipleship. 

We'll have a gift card and money tree shower in the foyer for the Durso family on October 27. 


Caleb Bowman Installation Service

Sunday, November 3, 2019, will be a special emphasis on the transition from Pastor Holcomb to Caleb Bowman as our new Senior Pastor.

Pastor Holcomb, Pastor Fuller, and the deacons will be speaking in the morning and evening services.

After the evening service, join us for an all-church fellowship for both the Bowmans and the Dursos in the gym. Bring finger foods to share and stay for fun and games.