Pastoral Transition Process

First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe is stepping out in faith as we seek a new senior pastor. For some of us, this is a familiar process, while for others, it is new. This website page will be a source of information and updates throughout the process.

As a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbytery of Santa Fe, we will follow a series of established steps that focus on prayerful discernment of the congregation’s needs and a confidential search for the candidate God is preparing for this position.

Everyone has a role to play in the search process. Our deepest needs are for prayer and continued active involvement and support as we begin a new chapter at FPC. Importantly, as faithful members of this congregation, we continue to live into our vision of Growing the Beloved Community and our mission to actively engage society, nurture lives, cherish creation, and heal the world.

Transition Timeline

NOTE: Timeframes are approximate.

Terms and Acronyms Used During a Transition

COM: Committee on Ministry: Presbytery committee that supports churches during a period of transition.

​PNC: Pastoral Nominating Committee: The team tasked with nominating our next long-term pastor.

MDP: Ministry Discernment Profile: The church’s “resume”, which prospective candidates will review to discern a call. The MDP will be created by the PNC.

CLC: Church Leadership Connection: An online matching and referral system that serves as a tool for the Call Process of the PC(USA).

PDP: Personal Discernment Profile: A Pastoral candidates’ resume. It is the PC(USA) format in which pastors describe their skills, experience, and ministry preferences.

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