Congregational Meeting This Weekend
October 3-4 | Following All Worship Hours
The Nativity Call Committee is pleased to announce that we are ready to enthusiastically and unanimously recommend a candidate for call as Associate Pastor! Nativity Council unanimously approved the committee’s recommendation at their September meeting, and this weekend the congregation will vote to call the recommended candidate. Per our constitution, voting members will cast written ballots. No proxy or absentee voting will be allowed.
Because we will watch a video of the candidate, share additional information, and leave time for Q&A before the vote, please note that this meeting will run longer than our typical congregational meetings. An email will be sent Sunday afternoon with the results of the vote. We will also update our website under “News.”
Earlier Communications and Information about the Call Process and Vote to Call:
View the Candidate Strengths insert here.
Initial Announcement of Vote to Call Letter to the Nativity Community
Dear Nativity Community,
The Nativity Call Committee is pleased to announce that we are ready to enthusiastically and unanimously recommend a candidate for call as Associate Pastor!
Over the past two months, our Call Committee worked closely with the Minneapolis Area Synod to evaluate several strong candidates. Following careful interviews and thorough reference checks, the Call Committee is confident that we have found the right candidate. We believe that not only will they bring valuable leadership to vital areas of ministry, but also that they will be a wonderful fit for our church community, contributing positively to our gospel-centered culture of authentic welcome.
Nativity’s Church Council unanimously approved the committee’s recommendation at their September meeting and has set a date for a congregational vote. The vote will be held at a special Congregational Meeting following all worship hours on October 3 & 4. Per Nativity’s constitution, voting members will cast written ballots. No proxy or absentee voting will be allowed.
Because our recommended candidate is an external candidate currently under call in a different congregation, it is important that their identity remain confidential until the weekend of the vote. I’m sure many of us, at some point, have applied for a new job while keeping the old one, and that is often the case for pastors, too. For that reason, the ELCA has a recommended, time-tested process that honors both the needs of the calling congregation and the privacy of the candidate. After several conversations with the synod, our Call Committee is committed to following that process.
At the same time, we understand that this is very different than the other call processes in Nativity’s recent memory. Both Deacon Kyle and I were internal candidates, meaning you all had full access to us long before a ballot was ever cast. And even in the case of previous Associate Pastor Ben Schori, the call he served preceding this one was a good distance away. It was also in the pre-COVID days, when almost no church livestreamed their services. This is a new day and age, and maintaining confidentiality is a challenge when digital breadcrumbs easily get left behind for curious folk to follow.
Does that mean we are asking you to vote on a complete unknown? No, of course not. In the coming weeks, the Call Committee will be sharing as much information as possible about the candidate without providing identifiers that would compromise confidentiality. The weekend of September 26-27, a written summary of the candidate’s gifts and qualifications will be made available to the congregation. And on the weekend of the vote, the congregation will hear from the candidate directly via video introduction. That same weekend, the Call Committee will again verbally outline all of the reasons that have led us to this recommendation and answer questions from the congregation. Congregational meetings at Nativity are usually pretty short and sweet, but before we vote, we are counting on you to consider the information we present, ask questions about the candidate, and raise any concerns. And it is ultimately the congregation’s decision whether or not to extend a call.
I know that sticking to the process requires a lot of trust, both in the Call Committee and in the Nativity Council. I, for one, have been deeply impressed by this Call Committee – their thoughtfulness, their intention, and their deep love for this faith community. I can assure you that this committee has done its homework to find the best possible candidate for Nativity.
In the meantime, we are happy to answer questions about our selection process and our excitement around this candidate! We look forward to sharing more with you over the coming weeks, and we continue to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in these final steps of the process.
Finally, thank you to the Nativity Call Committee members for their ongoing work: Donna Steinwand (chair), Mark Blaede, Riya Chattopadhyay, Leigh Erickson, Stephanie Johnson, Pastor Angela LaMoore, Keith Setterholm, Karen Volker, and Becca Williams.
In Faith,
Pastor Angela LaMoore