Pastoral Transition at Peace Presbyterian Church
In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), pastoral transitions are navigated with care, prayer, and collaboration between the congregation and the Presbytery. At Peace Presbyterian Church, we are walking through this process as we seek our next Pastor/Head of Staff — a leader who will join us in serving God and our community with faith, hope, and love.
In our denomination, we don’t simply receive an assigned pastor. Instead, we follow a mutual call process — one grounded in discernment and guided by the Holy Spirit. This process allows both the church and the pastor to listen for God’s direction and to ensure that the match between the congregation’s needs and the pastor’s gifts is a healthy and Spirit-led one.
A Season of Listening and Trust
This process takes time and prayer, but it is designed to nurture faith, patience, and openness to the Spirit’s leading. We trust that God is already preparing both Peace Presbyterian and our future pastor for the ministry we will share together.
“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord… to give you a future with hope.”
— Jeremiah 29:11
How the Process Works
We are currently in the Interim at Work phase. Our Interim Pastor, Rev. Paul Kirbas, is leading us with care and stability while our Transition Team helps the congregation reflect on who we are, where we’ve been, and where God is calling us next.
This work includes completing a Mission Study—a time for listening, sharing, and dreaming together about the future of Peace. Once that pieaces are in place, the congregation will elect a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) to begin the national search for our next installed pastor.
Throughout this process, we are grounded in prayer and guided by trust that God is already preparing both Peace Presbyterian and our future pastor for the ministry we will share.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6.