Transition Updates


Interim

Session approved a transition plan of hiring an intentional Interim Pastor, with a contract for one year maximum that is renewable.

The Interim Pastor is not our next Senior Pastor.

Rather they are someone to guide us during the year or more when we are searching for the next Pastor, and they will help us do the kind of preparatory work that is always important in advance of welcoming a new leader.

This includes actively discerning as a congregation our call for the future and making room for change where it might be needed.

On September 12, 2023, Session approved hiring as our Interim Pastor the Reverend Tom Are Jr. He will be with us beginning Sunday, October 29.

Tom Are was recommended to Session by the Interim Pastor Nominating Committe (IPNC), which was made up of the following Fourth Church members:

Mark Hurley, Chair
Jared Light
Sally Scott
Gretchen Van Natta
Jessica Wang

The IPNC brought together members of the Personnel Council and representatives from Session and Trustees, and together they worked with Craig Howard, Executive Presbyter of the Chicago Presbytery.

It was this committee’s responsibility to recommend an Interim Pastor candidate to the Personnel Council. Per Presbyterian Church (USA) policy, the Interim Pastor was then hired on a temporary contract approved by Session.

The first step in our intentional interim process was for the IPNC to identify possible candidates for the Interim Pastor position.

As part of that process, the IPNC first finalized and submitted a Ministry Information Form (MIF) — the job description that provides background about Fourth Church and that details what we are seeking in an Interim Pastor. This was an important tool in searching for and having conversations with candidates for this interim role.

The MIF was approved by the Presbytery of Chicago and shared with the Presbyterian Church (USA) for posting in early summer. The IPNC then began receiving names of interested and recommended candidates to consider as they looked for someone to guide us during the year or more when we are searching for the next Pastor.

In addition to receiving names from the Presbyterian Church (USA) matching service, the committee also gathered recommendations from three additional sources: the congregation; the Executive Presbyter of the Chicago Presbytery, Craig Howard; and the committee’s networking with PCUSA leaders.

The result was an extensive list of individuals, which the committee worked through to identify possible Interim Pastor candidates. The committee then had initial discussions with some of them, eventually bringing two candidates to Chicago for a full day of in-person interviews.

The result of these conversations was a unanimous decision by the committee to recommend the Reverend Tom Are Jr. join us in ministry as our Interim Pastor. We are delighted to have Tom and his wife, Carol, with us for this interim season!

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Pastor Nominating Committee

It is during the ministry of the Interim Pastor that a PNC is elected by the congregation and begins the search for a new called Pastor.

The formation of a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) to call our next Senior Pastor will take place in the spring of 2024.

It is the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to recommend a slate of candidates for the PNC and present that to the congregation. As part of that work, the committee is requesting recommendations of individuals to serve on the PNC, and will receive those recommendations through April 7, 2024.

To learn more about the PNC process and to make recommendations, see the Pastor Nominating Committee page.

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Updates

If you do not already receive the Fourth Church weekly email newsletter, we encourage you to subscribe so that you do not miss any updates (such as the following) in this season. You can sign up at www.bit.ly/newsfromfpc or by sending us your email address.

Previous updates
Shannon’s New Call
Interim Plan Announcement
IPNC and Transition Leadership Announcement
Entering a Season of Transition
An Active Season of Transition
Announcing Our Interim Pastor!

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