Lead Pastor Search Committee Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the search committee is to continue the mission of Spout Springs Church by finding a new lead pastor who will complement our congregation and culture – including continuing to champion helping the least and the lost and becoming all God created us to be.
We are committed to frequent, clear communication with our church throughout the search process and ask the congregation of Spout Springs Church to walk alongside us during this endeavor.
Know of someone who would like to apply?
Search Committee Updates
Pastor Steve has announced his departure from the church. The search team will be posting the job announcement and begin accepting applications within the next two weeks.
About The Lead Pastor Role
Spout Springs Church is looking for a candidate who is a gifted preacher, able to make sermons both meaningful and interesting, and is comfortable discussing his own experiences on his walk with God. We seek a candidate who is comfortable with the uncomfortable, be it theological ambiguity, politically charged issues, or differences in worship or leadership styles. Additionally, we seek a pastor with strong relational skills who prioritizes expression of non-judgmental attitude towards others and enjoys interacting with the congregation on a regular basis. The Lead Pastor will join one full time executive pastor as well as a small team of close-knit staff who are not only integral to the day-to-day operations of the church but also provide input on the future direction for the church.
Pastor Search FAQs
Answering your questions is essential. To begin, we've provided some answers to some frequently asked questions.
This change is being driven by Pastor Steve. There is no underlying conflict or issue prompting this transition. He believes that God is leading him to another type of ministry–serving the church instead of a church–and the time is right for the transition. The core of the church is healthy: we continue to provide vital services to the community and the world, the staff is strong, and the elders are united. Given this, Pastor Steve believes the time is right to discover what is next for him and allow the church to find the person who will lead us into what promises to be a strong next chapter.
The elders have been thoughtfully and prayerfully preparing for Spout Springs Church’s transition to a new Lead Pastor since August 2024. In the past few months, the staff has been brought on board, and the elders and staff selected representative members of the church to form a search team. The team began meeting weekly in January 2025 and has carefully and prayerfully researched best practices for this kind of endeavor. They have outlined the required and ideal traits of our future lead pastor and are now ready to begin the search.
The selection of members for the Pastoral Search Team was conducted with the goal of reflecting a cross-section of our church in age, ethnicity, and progress in their faith walk. They are all committed to finding the person who best fits the core culture values of Spout Springs Church and can lead us into the next chapter.
The following individuals serve on the Pastoral Search Team
Kathleen Curtiss, Team Chair, Staff Member
Dania De Jesus, Staff Member
Joshua Durham
Tricia Hooker
Nelta Jean-Pierre
Barry Jones, Pastor
Tammy Luikart
Shanna Shrader
Kevin Sweatt, Elder
The names of the members of the search team are included here for transparency purposes; however, please be mindful that the team members have committed to maintaining confidentiality of potential candidates and may not be able to discuss specific details with you.
Although Pastor Steve has been the key leader since our church’s inception, he has chosen to remove himself from the day to day activities of the Pastoral Search Team based on the wisdom of mentors, other churches, and consulting companies that were interviewed.
Instead, Pastor Steve intends to serve in a supportive role to the Pastoral Search Team. He will provide thoughts and insights through the search and evaluation of Lead Pastor candidates.
As Pastor Aaron announced during the March 10th service, his contract as paid church staff comes to an end in May 2025. While he will no longer be considered church staff, he remains a friend of the church and will be available to provide his wisdom. With any organizational leadership change it is not uncommon to see staff members make a transition; however, no other staff changes are anticipated at this time.
The first step of this process was prayer and admission of complete dependence on God to lead. The elders, staff, and Search Team pray daily for God’s guidance through this process, and we humbly ask that the entire body, partners, and the broader community pray for Spout Springs Church and for the person God will call to us.
Beyond that, here is the hiring process we envision:
- Qualified candidates will submit materials for the Pastoral Search Team to review and evaluate based on criteria specifically outlined by this Search Team as being desirable for the person who fills our Lead Pastor role.
- Anyone meeting this criteria will be scheduled for an initial phone interview.
- If there continues to be interest, the next step will be a face to face interview along with introduction to the candidate’s spouse.
- Candidates who move forward from these interviews will undergo formal background and reference checks. The candidate may also be visited at their current church for purposes of observing the candidate’s preaching style.
- Candidates who continue to be viable for the position will then be asked to spend time with the staff and other key leaders, including potentially preaching a sermon at our church, and beginning to interact with groups within the church.
- If a candidate appears to be a good match for the church, the Pastoral Search Team will hold a vote to determine if he can be offered the position. If approved, the elders will notify the church of the proposal and put the vote to the church congregation for approval during Sunday service, per the church by-laws.
We anticipate Pastor Steve’s final Sunday as Lead Pastor at Spout Springs Church will be July 27.
The Spout Springs Church staff generally run the day-to-day operations of the church with the elders providing visionary leadership. Other than a different sermon delivery on Sundays, the congregation should not notice a significant change in church operations.
While we hope to have a candidate in place before Steve departs, there are no guarantees, and it is quite possible that the entire process will extend beyond July 27. In the event of a short-term need, Pastor Steve is creating a list of area speakers who could rotate during the interim period. If it appears the transition could take longer, the leadership will investigate bringing in an interim pastor-teacher to provide consistency in sermon delivery for the remainder of the search period.
Pastor Steve hopes to be able to spend the next year or so focusing on finishing his PhD and completing a writing project. He may also do some speaking but does not believe God is leading him into any other full-time pastoral work.
In order for the church to transition from Pastor Steve’s leadership, it is best practice for the departing pastor to refrain from attending the church for a period of time. Pastor Steve considers Spout Springs Church to be his home church and has every intention of returning as a member at some point in the future.
Yes, a farewell party is scheduled for August 2, 2025 from 6-8pm. More information to follow.
We have not identified any internal candidates as of the writing of this document, and we want to ensure that every candidate undergoes the same assessment, interview, and discernment process. If you or someone you know is qualified and interested, we invite you to apply for the Lead Pastor role using this website.
Please pray for the Pastoral Search Team, Pastor Steve and Kim, the church, the community, and the person whom God is preparing to lead us going forward.
Additionally, your help is needed to allow our church to continue to be a place where everyone is welcome, where we are all becoming the person God created us to be, and where we continuously do things that matter. This is an excellent time to volunteer, as our staff will be carrying additional responsibilities for a period of time.
Please follow this Search Team page for the most recent updates. This page will contain periodic updates of the search team’s progress and new FAQs or details as we walk through this process. We also anticipate using our Church Center app and the announcements portion of church services to provide updates as needed.
Certainly, as we approach the final stages of the process, we will communicate in person on Sunday about any specific candidates and when they will be visiting the church.
You may click the button below to submit any questions to the Pastoral Search Team. We will do our best to have the appropriate person respond in a timely manner.
Prior to submitting your question, please re-review these FAQs, as we will update these periodically with new questions.
Have a question about the Pastor Search process?
Contact our Search Team today!