We had a great turnout for our Bi-Annual Meeting this past Sunday, June 2, 2024. Thank you to all who participated! We all saw in full color the solid finances of our community and passed a budget for the coming year. We installed new members of the Congregational Leadership Team and - really exciting - were told that the Call Committee has found a married pastoral couple who seem just perfect for Messiah. Announcements about when and how you'll be able to meet these pastoral candidates and when and how we will be voting will be included in upcoming issues of the Northern Highlights.
It has been a privilege and a joy to serve with you over the past 20 months. It took us longer to get to this point than we had originally anticipated, but the journey has been grand and it looks like our new beginning is near. To be clear, here is where we are at:
1. Our Call Committee has worked long and hard to find pastors that meet our needs and desires. The Committee has now made their recommendation of "Candidates of Choice" to the CLT. Their job is done.
2. The CLT has voted to accept the Call Committee's recommendation and they - the CLT - are responsible for the process from here on out.
3. The CLT is working on a salary and benefit package for your approval - what we will offer these pastors should you, the congregation, vote to call them - and scheduling next steps. Those next steps will be an onsite, face to face, opportunity to meet our pastoral candidates, and the scheduling of a Congregational Meeting to vote on whether we wish to extend them a call.
As stated above, you will be kept fully informed about these coming opportunities in the Northern Highlights and Sunday morning announcements.
As for me personally I shared at our meeting Sunday that I would be finishing up my work with you as of the end of June. Sunday, June 30, will be my last day. Pr. Tom has graciously offered to up his hours and serve as your "Bridge Pastor" into the summer - so everything will keep rolling along in grand style! However, it feels right to me to step back at this point. The remainder of June will go fast, I'm sure, and my goals are to see that my work is all buttoned up and everything I can do to make future transitions smooth are done. So, more to come. Right now our main focus is rightly on your potential new pastors. I'm excited!!
Pr. Dave Brauer-Rieke
