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 an important new chapter of our pastoral transition. Our Interim Pastor, Rev. Paul Kirbas, continues to lead us with care and stability, while the congregation and Transition Team have spent time reflecting on who we are, where we’ve been, and where God is calling us next.
That season of listening and discernment included the completion of our Mission Study—a shared effort to name our identity, values, and hopes for the future of Peace Presbyterian Church.
With that work now complete, the congregation has elected a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). The PNC is beginning the work of shaping our Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP), which will be shared through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) system with clergy who are discerning a new call to ministry. The PNC will prayerfully review candidates, conduct interviews, and ultimately recommend a pastor to the congregation.
Throughout this entire process, we remain grounded in prayer, guided by shared leadership, and rooted in trust that God is already preparing both Peace Presbyterian Church and our future pastor for the ministry we will share together.
“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.