That's why Gentry and other members of the congregation's Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) attended the "Face-to-Face Event" in room B-13 of the Richmond Convention Center during the 216th General Assembly.
One purpose of the program is to introduce clergy men and women looking for pastorates with congregations looking for pastors.
"We thought by coming to the General Assembly we would have a better chance of finding candidates, because here we're dealing with the national church," said Gentry, who joined his PNC colleagues in wearing T-shirts asking: "R-U-R New Pastor?"
"So that's why we came, and that's why we wore the shirts - to create as big a billboard as we could," he said.
The Face-to-Face service is open to ministers, other church professionals and lay educators from around the Presbyterian Church (USA) who have submitted personal information forms (PIFs) to the denomination's Web-based Church Leadership Connection.
Call-seeking clergy can sift through church information forms (CIFs) filed by congregations, governing bodies and church-related organizations and connect with representatives for on-the-spot interviews.
"We have made some incredible connections," Gentry said. "The system they have established has been incredible in helping us find a pastor."
The PC(USA)'s Churchwide Personnel Services staffs the event, which by Wednesday evening had had visits from 86 call-seeking ministers, including some Assembly commissioners. About 188 churches from across the nation had sent representatives to connect with candidates.
"We have chaplain positions. We have administrative positions in church-related schools. We also have several campus pastors - just a whole variety of positions," said Sylvia Barger, associate for Church Leadership Connection. "But the majority are various types of positions in a congregation."
Barger said this year's Face-to-Face booth has been the busiest ever, and her office is exploring ways of reproducing it next year when there won't be an Assembly. |
