Dear Friends,

I met with the Transition Team this past week, and I am excited about our work together. I have also realized that not everyone knows what the Transition Team is or what their work is. The Transition Team will go through five focus points—heritage, mission, leadership, connections, and future—to give the meeting a clear sense of what it wants in a settled pastor. (For more information on each of these focus points, see the full description of “The Work of the Transition Team” in this newsletter.) To put it another way, this process will make sure the next settled pastor is the best possible fit with New Garden.

In recent years, interim discernment has become increasingly part of transitions for churches and meetings. Some Friends have asked, why do this work? Why not just start the search for the next pastor? I understand that people want to move forward! But it is important to do some discernment first so that we can say what makes New Garden Friends Meeting the special place that it is. Why should a strong candidate be excited about applying to be the pastor of New Garden in particular?

It’s not just about finding a good pastor—it’s about finding the right pastor for New Garden Friends Meeting. What do you love about this meeting? What makes New Garden different from other Quaker meetings? The Transition Team wants to hear about that from you! In the coming months, the Transition Team will be working to hear from as many people in the meeting as possible, so that we can find a settled pastor that will be here for years to come.

Blessings, Ashley
[email protected]
336-338-1986
Office Hours on Monday from 2-4 p.m. and by appointment