From Jack Nietzel – February 18, 2010

The Bethany Bible Pastoral Search Committee has been very active.

     We have been involved for some time with a local man, up to the point of actually having a meeting with the Board of Elders.  After considerable time, prayer, and discussion, this person decided to go another direction which he feels God is leading him to.

• We also held meetings with another man who was also being considered by a church in California, and this past week he was invited to become an official candidate at that church. They were in advanced discussion with him before us.

• One man that we had some interest in has taken a position as a Chaplain in Texas.

     Rather than looking on these decisions, almost all of which were made by the men involved, as upsetting, or disappointing we believe that this represents how God is leading us and them to His will for both us and them.

     We have additional potential candidates that we are in various stages of discussion with and especially one of them is showing some good initial promise.

      We also are conversing regularly with our Consultant, Dennis Baker, and we continue to meet almost every Wednesday night.

      Pray for us and for us to be sensitive to God’s leading.  Also, praise the Lord for how He is in all of this, and for our wonderful Pastors, Lead Team and Staff.  Pray also for our numerical growth and our financial health at this time.

      God is not in a rush.  Neither should we be.  Let’s enjoy the process that He is taking us through.

Jack Nietzel

From Walt Ekstrom – January 15, 2010

     The Search Team continues to meet and pray for God’s will in the selection of a new Pastor. Now that Dave Gudgel has moved to California, we are blessed to have our Bethany Pastors and a few outside speakers providing very excellent pulpit supply during this interim period.

     As to the search, we are in the final discussion stage with a seasoned pastor who is familiar with the history of Bethany Bible and who has led a very successful and significant ministry over many years. The likelihood of his coming is still a matter of prayer and we do not know for sure yet whether he is the man God has chosen for us. We should have more to share with you in the next few weeks.

     In the meantime we continue to talk with a young man who is the Senior Pastor at a smaller church in the mid-west and who has expressed an interest in Bethany over the past several weeks. The Search team has been in contact with him since early December. He has excellent preaching and leadership abilities and is being courted by at least two others churches at this time.

     Your prayers continue to be very important to the Search Team and the overall search process. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

 Walt Ekstrom

Search Team Leader

From Walt Ekstrom – December 3, 2009

     As you may know, with the departure of Pastor Dave Gudgel, the Senior Pastor Search Team has been modified with the addition of Elders Jack Nietzel and Steve Woods, both of whom bring strength and experience to the search process. As we move into the month of December, we continue to seek the Lord’s will and direction as we seek the man God has in store for us. To assist us in the search, we have decided to retain outside help from Dennis Baker, a church consultant who helped us with our senior pastor search in 2002 after Pastor Bjork moved on to a new ministry. Dennis was largely responsible for bringing Pastor Gudgel to Bethany seven years ago.

     As to progress, we continue to review resumes and are currently looking at two applicants who have good qualifications and successful ministries at their present churches. We are in the early stages of interviewing these men and feel that even though they come from slightly smaller churches, both seem to have a great deal of potential to direct a ministry the size of Bethany Bible Church.

     The Search Team considers prayer to be a vital element in the search process. Therefore a designated prayer time has been established on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm, Room 135 of the Activities Center. Everyone is invited to attend! Please pray for the search team, but also the Elder board and staff during this transition period.

 Thank you for your continued confidence and prayerful support. It is very much appreciated.

Walt Ekstrom

Search Team Leader

From Brian Suggs – November 16, 2009

     After nearly a year of work, the Senior Pastor Search Team has come to a resting place along the trail. It seems that God has given us this time to re-focus, re-examine and make a few changes that will help the process in the future.

     Over the last 11 months, the team has looked at a number of outstanding men, from a variety of ministries, as potential candidates. We’ve reviewed dozens of resumes and questionnaires, conducted numerous phone interviews, listened to on-line sermons, made visits to other churches, and conducted in-person interviews with three men. We’ve prayed, reflected and waited on the Lord. And to this point, the Lord has closed the door with each of these men.

     With Pastor Dave likely moving on in the near future, this seemed like a good time to consider where the team has been and where we are going. As a result, we are making two changes to the team. Jack Nietzel, current vice-chairman of the Elder Board, will be taking Pastor Dave’s place on the team. And Steve Woods, also a current Elder, will be taking my place on the team. I began a new job in late June, and the time needed for it, the search team, and being chairman of the Elder Board was becoming a strain.

     Although I will miss being a team member, I will still be working with them when they have someone under serious consideration. And I know that Jack and Steve will do a great job, joining current members Walt Ekstrom (team leader), Dorothy Glueck and James Konves.

     With the approval of the Elder Board, we’ve added more “muscle” to the search process by retaining the services of Dr. Dennis Baker, who will act as a consultant to the search team. Some of you may remember him – he was involved in our last senior pastor search. Dr. Baker is a former senior pastor and has assisted more than 400 search teams in their efforts. I’m delighted he will be working with the team.

     Thanks to everyone who prays for the search team, and please keep those prayers coming! The desire of the search team and the Elder Board is to be led by the Lord to the man (and family) of His choosing. We’re confident that will happen as we continue to trust in Him.

Brian

From Dorothy Glueck – October 1, 2009

     The Search Team would like to bring you up to date on where we are with the process of identifying our next Senior Pastor.   We are encouraged by a recent telephone interview that revealed an applicant with whom we will want to continue the process. 

     The applicant has been impressed with what he has experienced on our website and by visits to our campus, on his behalf, by friends living in the Metro Phoenix area.   We were impressed with what we learned about his current church ministry; especially, the desire of his heart to reach out to surrounding community and connecting the lost to Christ.

     As the Search Team continues screening applicants, we ask that you continue to pray for God’s wisdom to reveal the person to lead the dynamic ministry here at Bethany Bible Church.

From Brian Suggs – September 10, 2009

     Our search for a new senior pastor will extend well into the Fall.
We recently hosted a potential candidate and his wife for a weekend that included meetings with the Elder Board, pastoral staff and the Search Team. The visitors also attended a Sanctuary service and a Chapel service, and also spent some time observing a Spanish-language service.
     The couple was very impressed with the people they met and the potential for significant ministry at Bethany. However, they did not come away from the trip with the feeling that God was calling them to come to Phoenix as our next senior pastor. So, they have withdrawn from the selection process.
     Although we are disappointed that they will not be part of Bethany’s future, we are thankful to the Lord for his direction in this process. We have two more potential candidates that we contacted early this year who said they would not be available to consider a move until later in the year. Both these pastors have recently told us they would like to participate in our search process.
     Please continue in prayer that the Lord would make His will and calling evident to the pastor (and family) of his choosing, the Search Team and the Elder Board. Our desire is to find the man of God’s choosing, because we know that God will have prepared him just for us, and the ministry here will prosper as a result.

From Pastor Dave – August 13, 2009

     This is an exciting time in our Senior Pastor search. Sometime between now and the end of the month a candidate and his wife will visit us over a weekend. While he is here he will be meeting with the Search Team, the Elder Board, and our staff Pastors and Directors. He will also be attending our Sunday morning ministries. This will be very important in determining what the next steps will be in our process. If after his visit a decision is made to take the next step, it would most likely be to invite him back to officially candidate for the Senior Pastor position. The idea of a “candidate” still sounds strange to me—but we all know what it means. He would come to preach and attend a bunch of meetings where everyone will get the chance to meet him and pray together for God’s will to be done.

     Bernice and I continue to seek God’s will for our next step too. This weekend we are actually moving out of our home because we close escrow on the 21st. In the same way God has miraculously blessed us with a buyer for our home, we believe He will open the next door of ministry for us in His perfect time too. Until then, we continue to be excited about, and grateful for, the ministry we are having here at Bethany.

     This is a very special time at Bethany Bible Church. As we wrap-up our summer ministries and look to the future we have much to be grateful for.

From James Konves – July 9, 2009

     The search committee has been continuing to meet, pray, and discuss the exciting developments with regard to the pastor search.  The search team has had continuing discussion with the out-of-town pastor we have been focused on.  As of this week, a trip has been set for the potential candidate along with his wife to come and attend both the blended and chapel worship services, meet with the Elder Board, and be able to spend a little time experiencing Phoenix (a nice, warm, summer experience!)

     We are also seeking the Lord’s will as we continue to receive and review resumes.  It is our ongoing request for the congregation that you would continue to offer your input and pray for this process as we patiently pursue the individual whom the Lord will ultimately guide to Bethany Bible Church.

James

From Brian Suggs – June 11, 2009

     Members of the search team, including my wife and me, visited the pastor we are focused on last weekend. We had a great time attending his church services and meeting with him and his wife for lunch afterwards. God granted His journey mercies for the trip, including our catching our return flight with just minutes to spare!

     As a result, the Elders and the search team are agreed that we should continue the process with this pastor. We anticipate that he and his wife will soon be visiting us over a weekend to sit in our services and meet with the search team and the Elder Board, along with getting to see more of the city.

     Please continue to pray that the Lord will make His will known to us and this out-of-town pastor and family. We all want to be sure that we are responsive to the Lord’s leading as the search process continues.

Brian

From Brian Suggs – May 21, 2009

     “We’re continuing our work as the temperatures rise and the summer months approach. Right now, we’re focused on one person. He made a brief visit to Phoenix last week to meet with the Search Team and the LEAD Team. Things went well on all sides, and we’re working to arrange a visit by Search Team members to the church he is pastoring, and a return visit by this prospective candidate and his wife in the near future. They would observe our Sunday services, meet with the Search Team, Elder Board and staff, and see some of the city.

     Please be praying that the Lord will make His will clear to everyone involved as we go through this process. We want His best both for Bethany and for this out-of-state pastor!” 

Brian