It looks almost certain that Calvin Carr will be departing FBC Jax after many years of faithful service. I hope that no one underestimates the loss that his departure represents to our church. Losing Calvin Carr and Rodney Brooks in the same year is a tremendous blow. What is extremely troublesome is that there seems to be some at the church saying that perhaps its time for some new blood, new ideas, and that perhaps Calvin's departure is not so bad, perhaps it was time to go. Our church needs to wake up...this is absolute hogwash! Calvin Carr's record speaks for itself. While so many youth ministries in our city are lowering standards and looking and acting more like watered-down night club meetings than Christ-honoring discipleship programs, Calvin stayed the course and held the standard high for our youth. Do you want to know the loss Calvin represents to our church? Just ask other ministers and pastors around Jacksonville who will tell you what a man of God Calvin is and how he was a blessing to our city.
But what's done is done, and now we look to the future and wish Calvin the best. God is indeed sovereign. But we as a church must realize that the great loss Calvin's departure represents demands that we be absolutely committed to finding the best man we can to next fill the role of high school pastor. We need to do a search on par with the search for a new pastor. This is no small task. Hiring a summer intern won't do. Hiring a pastor's family member will not suffice. I implore all high school parents to contact the pastor's office and the personnel committee to voice your opinion that the personnel committee be very involved in the search process, that multiple candidates be interviewed, and that the selection not be driven by just the pastor's office suite and rubber-stamped by the personnel committee. My greatest fear is that the pastor will not do an all out search for the best man to serve as high school pastor but will instead appoint a family member or a best buddy to the position without looking at outside candidates.
Please high school parents...demand that we find THE best youth minister we can for our high schoolers...please, personnel committee: DO YOUR JOB AND DON'T BE A RUBBER STAMPER COMMITTEE. You are lay people who don't have to go along with whatever the pastor brings to you...if you believe that we haven't looked at enough candidates, don't approve the pastor's recommendation. The pastor's office or personnel committe should gather input from parents of middle schoolers and high schoolers on what they are looking for in a high school pastor for their children and what kind of high school youth program they want. Please, let's not leave this decision solely to Team Brunson.
4 comments:
Watchdog - speaking of getting in some "new" blood. How does the leadership explain hiring Jim Whitmire? They keep talking about being on the cutting edge of ministry, and that we should embrace change, and that we should not look to the past. Then they bring in good old Jim Whitmire.
Did the personnel committee set up a search committee to replace Rodney Brooks. Or was this another of Mac's huge mistakes? I'm sure Whitmire will really be innovative and help attract the younger generation!
This pastor will do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. There is no one either willing, or able, to stand up to him. Period. Get used to it. I don't blame him. I blame the spineless leaders of the committees who act like teen-age girls when their favorite celebrity comes by. They swoon and line up for autographs.
People need to write to the chair of the personnel committee and the chair of the deacons and the chair of the finance committee and call them out.
So far the only people willing to call out this pastor and his blindly loyal yes men have been a few bloggers. Apparently they were intimidated into silence or have left the church.
Our new slogan: "First Jax - If you don't like it, leave!"
A little harsh you are I think. Our church has operated for the past 30+ years where the pastor has made all the decisions and all committees have rubber stamped. So now we have a situation where our church needs to stop operating in this fashion. The pastor likes to talk about, and likes to have Jim Smyrl talk about change...I think someone in power at the church who has the pastor's ear needs to let the pastor know that he TOO needs to be open to change: that committees will begin serving their purpose and will not be just giving him cart blanche on whatever he or Team Brunson wants.
Church attendance seems to be increasing, so if people are leaving I don't see it!
To sheesh - I don't view Jim Whitmire as a mistake. But I do wonder how he fits in with the need to reach a newer generation. It struck me as a move by Mac to get some of the heat off his back over Rodney Brooks and Barry Edwards leaving for Atlanta.
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