Back on September 15, 2017 Hebron’s Say Yes initiative was launched. One critical element of that initiative was to hire a Co-Pastor to serve alongside Doug Rehberg until the Fall of 2021, when the Co-Pastor would assume the role of Senior Pastor. The first step in that process was to form a Pulpit Nominating Committee (PNC).
On February 25, 2018 the congregation elected the PNC which includes: 3 active elders - Rod Herrmann, Clerk of Session, Geoff Gehring, Personnel Chair, Janie Mason, Mobilization Chair; past elder– Dan Brown; and Discipleship Team member, Laura Ivanov. Bill Martin, retired Old Testament professor and Dominical Grove Leader acted as a non-voting member. Dolly Patterson, Mobilization Team member, was elected as an alternate.
The initial meeting of the PNC took place shortly thereafter. Our first step was to develop the MIF (Ministry Initiative Form) that details not only the life and ministry of Hebron, but also what we are looking for in a Co-Pastor. In response to the MIF we received 34 Personal Information Forms (PIFs) from around the country. Since that time we have spent hours on correspondence, reviewing PIFs, conducting interviews, prayer and discernment.
On September 24, 2018, it was our privilege and honor to recommend Rev. Dr. Henry Knapp, unanimously and whole-heartedly, to the Session of Hebron as our candidate of choice.
After presenting him to Session, the elders had a full and open discussion and were led of God to unanimously and enthusiastically endorse Henry Knapp as the candidate to be presented for a congregational vote on Sunday, October 28, 2018 at an 11:15 am Congregational Meeting. This meeting will follow the second of two worship services that morning—8:15 in the Barclay; 10:00 am in the Sanctuary. A full luncheon will be held following the meeting in the Barclay Building.
If the congregation votes to call Henry, the next and final step in the process will be to present Henry to the Pittsburgh Presbytery for approval on December 6, 2018. He would begin serving at Hebron in January, 2019.
In addition to the following article, more information on Henry’s background will be coming in the mail soon. Speaking on behalf of the PNC, I wish to thank you for your prayers and devotion to our work over the past six months. We are thrilled to have had you join us in discerning God’s will for Hebron. Your chance to ratify our choice will occur on October 28.
It’s exciting to see what God will do at Hebron in the coming years.
