20 Questions for Pastor Ron

1) How did you come to this decision?
The simple answer is that I had so much confirmation (see "Life Lessons" in this week's bulletin) it was impossible to deny. Over the course of a number of weeks, it became the obvious thing to do.

2) Will John be leaving?
No. John has committed to stay and continue to serve EBF as the Worship Pastor.

3) Will there be large changes on the staff once the new pastor comes?
I am confident in saying no; that is a very unlikely scenario.

4) What is the Lord calling you to do?
I will be a full-time Supervisor of roughly 175 Senior Pastors and churches, covering a territory that extends essentially from Bakersfield to the Oregon border in California, all of Nevada (with the exception of Las Vegas), and all of Utah.

5) Will Susan continue her recent leadership of EBF Women's Ministry?
Unfortunately, no. Our new responsibilities will require her to travel extensively with me. Plus, we do not want to interfere in any way with the new Pastoral leadership God brings.

6) Will you and Susan continue to attend church here at EBF?
That is definitely the plan, although we will probably take a hiatus for a few months to let the new leader settle in. After that, our hope is to attend every 4-6 weeks.

7) Will you be back to speak periodically?
That would be my hope. Again, I would probably not do so for at least a few months in order to give the new leader plenty of space to lead.

8) How will the next pastor be chosen?
There will be three entities involved in the process: Robby Booth (my Supervisor), myself, and the Church Council. Ultimately, the decision rests with Glenn Burris, Pastor Jack Hayford, and the Board of Directors of our movement, but it is highly unlikely that they would not accept our recommendation.

9) Is there a possibility that a current pastor on the staff could be chosen?
I would not eliminate that as a possibility at this point, but it is not the most likely scenario. Generally, pastors of churches this size are found from the pastoral pool of other large or influential churches.

10) What will happen if the time comes for you to leave and we do not have our new Pastor?
In any case, my plan is to appoint Rick Trimble as the Interim Pastor probably as early as February, at which time he will run the day-to-day operations of the church while I will probably continue to speak on most weekends.

11) What happened to the commitment you made to re-sign for another 12 years as pastor 2 years ago?
If you remember, I did not say that God told me to re-sign for 12 years. That was my response to him saying, "This church needs a new pastor, but it can be you." What I said at the time was that I did not expect to be the Senior Pastor all that time. Obviously, as it turns out, I will be even further removed than I expected.

12) Will you be taking anyone from the staff with you to work at the new District?
I honestly do not have the answer at this point because I have not been given clear parameters yet in terms of what I will be able to pay them.

13) Are you and John going to create the song you promised at the last Team EBF before your new assignment?
Yes, we will work on it and have it ready for the next meeting.

14) What will Susan's role be with the new District?
We're not sure yet. But the good news for us is we will be traveling together on most of my trips to local churches. So, we will probably have more time together than we have in 30 years.

15) Will the vision and mission of this church change?
I expect there will be small changes along the way, but this church is pretty well established in its direction. So, my anticipation is the next pastor will continue on this course with some minor adjustments.

16) How can we best prepare for the next season as individuals?
First of all, pray. Nothing can replace or substitute for your personal prayers. And God will answer them. Second, keep your conversations positive and encouraging. Remember, attitude is everything.

17) When will your last sermon be as the Senior Pastor of EBF?
The answer could change based on how soon we find a new Pastor. The earliest would likely be around the first of March. But the more likely scenario would be Easter Sunday.

18) Will the church schedule of events change?
We have intentionally kept the schedule to a minimum in order to not burden the new pastor with too much to adapt to. However, I think it is safe to say that most events and programs on the calendar will stay there.

19) What if I don't like the new Pastor? Am I just supposed to live with it?
I honestly think that is a very unlikely problem. We will be choosing a mature, loving leader who will be a great follow-up to the current pastor. However, if your first reaction is troubling, make sure you take the time to pray sincerely for the pastor and for your own attitude. Make sure you NEVER leave a church as a consumer looking for a better deal but as someone led by God to where He wants you. Again, I think this will be very unlikely.

20) Is there a web site that explains what Foursquare churches are about?
Yes, it is www.foursquare.org

January 2, 2009
Dear Friend,

It is my sincere hope that the New Year finds you well and centered in God's love.   As I have spoken to you many times over the last three years, our vision at EBF is to release people to their God-given destiny. I want to take a few moments to tell you how our vision is impacting my life, our church, and you.

At our church planning meeting in 2005, we started with this verse from Jeremiah 29:11:  "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord…"  The Lord is now calling me to take a leadership position to help mentor pastors in most of California, Nevada, and Utah.  I have prayed earnestly over this decision and in my heart I know that God is asking me to take this responsibility.  I now respectfully ask you to participate with me in our vision and release me to do God's will.  Effective in early 2009, I'm resigning as the Sr. Pastor of East Bay Fellowship in order to accept this change of assignment. 

Over the next few weeks at our services and through other forms of communication, I will detail the timing and process for this change.  This weekend (January 3 & 4) at the conclusion of each of our services, I will hold a short Q&A session to help us process this together, and next weekend I will provide a FAQ insert in the bulletin.

In 1993 in and around the Foursquare District Conference, there was a "flurry" of prophecies stating that I would be involved in helping other pastors and ministries.  I believed these to be true and waited with anticipation for them to be fulfilled in God's timing. Susan and I both felt that my appointment as the Bay Area District Supervisor was a partial fulfillment of these prophecies.  But, as God often does, it was only the first step in His longer plan for our lives.

As I look ahead to my season in ministry, I want to commit full time to working with a larger body of pastors and their staffs, to mentor them, to pray with them, and to assist them in any way possible in continuing the Lord's work.  I believe this is the next stage of the fulfillment of those 1993 prophecies for my life's work.

EBF has had three Sr. Pastors since it was founded.  I, like you, now wait with anticipation as to whose God-given destiny it is to pastor you in the coming years.  Someone said to me this week, "Over the last thirty years, God has given us three great pastors. So, we can be confident that the next one will be great as well." As these changes unfold, I ask that you pray for guidance in the selection of my replacement.

It is important to me that you understand how Foursquare replaces a senior pastor.  The Bylaws of the Foursquare church state that "...the district supervisor shall appoint a pastor after the district supervisor or his or her representative consults with the divisional superintendent and meets with the church council. Appointments shall be confirmed by the president and shall continue upon the recommendation of the district supervisor and the approval of the board."  I will be an integral part of this selection team and will keep you informed of our progress throughout the selection process.  Your role during this period is to pray for our church, the selection team, and for our new senior pastor and his or her family while continuing to participate within your church family with all your heart.

In closing, I want you to know that EBF will continue to be Susan's and my home church.  My change of assignment does not require us to move from the Bay Area; however, it will require that I travel extensively. So, in the first few months, you will likely not see me very often. But be assured that in the months following those initial few months, you will periodically see both Susan and me in services worshiping and praying with you.

I want to thank each and every one of you for the opportunity to serve God and you at EBF for what will be 14 years and 11 months (the exact same time Susan and I served in our previous pastorate).  It has been a privilege to be your pastor and it will forever be a joy to be your brother and friend.

Let me close with this prayer:  May the Lord watch over EBF and you always, in every season of life, for good.  May you always be close to Him.  And may He help us find the best leader to take us into the next season of our life together…

In Jesus' name and for His Kingdom's sake,

-Ron