Council Calls For A Special Session Of The Region

The ABCNJ Executive Minister search committee has been diligently at work for over a year now, overseeing a national search to discern God’s choice for the next Executive Minister who will serve and lead our region into the future. In consultation with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Woods, ABCUSA Associate General Secretary for Regional Ministries, the search committee conducted listening sessions across the 8 Associations of our region. The feedback from those listening sessions helped shape the final job description that was used in the national search.

The search committee received 14 applications from across the country. This group was then narrowed down to 7 applicants who underwent rigorous submissions of written answers to core questions and thorough reference checks. The 7 applicants were then narrowed down further to 3 finalists who were called in for personal interviews with the search committee. After those interviews and prayerful deliberation, the search committee chose the candidate to be presented to the region.

At a regularly scheduled meeting today, August 25, 2018, the ABCNJ Council unanimously voted to receive the recommendation of the Executive Minister search committee. Pursuant to the ABCNJ Constitution and By-Laws, Article V, Section 5.02e, the Council now calls for a special session of the region as provided in the ABCNJ Rules of Procedure, Article II, Section 2.02, on Saturday, October 27, 2018, from 10 AM to Noon when the candidate will be introduced. The region will then have the opportunity to have an in-depth dialogue with the candidate before the vote. This announcement addresses the required 60 days notice as provided in the Rules of Procedure. To maintain as much confidentiality as possible during this notice period, the name of the candidate will be released to the region immediately after the Annual Session. This specially called session of the region will be hosted by the First Baptist Church of Hightstown, located on 125 S. Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520, where the Rev. Bruce Wood is senior pastor.

God is the Lord of the Journey, and God oversees our paths and our days with abiding love. I am calling on our entire regional family beginning today to offer up in special prayer this most auspicious moment in our journey, to allow the Holy Spirit to tend to our hearts and minds in these days, and lead us into all that glorifies Jesus Christ. God is on the move!