Sunday evening, October 21, we will have a shortened evening service prior to the meeting of the congregation.
Immediately following the conclusion of the evening service, we will begin the congregational meeting at which we will vote on Pastor Nicoletti’s call. Members must be age 18 or older and present to vote. The meeting will be moderated by the Rev. Michael Kelly, longtime pastor of our Green Lake Presbyterian Church, and now executive director of our Northwest Church Planting Network. Our senior pastor, who would ordinarily moderate a meeting of the congregation, will not do so in this case. He will lead the shortened evening service but will then absent himself from the meeting of the congregation to ensure that everyone feels free to speak his or her mind regarding the pastorate of the church.
There is a provision in our Presbyterian Church in America’s Book of Church Order that requires a serving Assistant or Associate Pastor to receive an affirmative vote of 80% of the voting members (age 18 and older) present in order to succeed to the Senior Pastorate. The relevant paragraph can be found in Chapter 23, Paragraph 1. The PCA BCO can be accessed online here.