Pastoral Search
The Process
Abundant Life Christian Fellowship is in the process of hiring a new pastor. The process and timeline detailed below were formed from our church constitution and by-laws. Click the links below to read the full ALCF Constitution and By-laws or just Article VII from the by-laws detailing the role of pastor and how to fill a vacancy:
Current Candidate - Dustin Paulson
The Board of Directors has unanimously recommended Dustin Paulson as our candidate to fill the position of pastor.
Dustin is an active member and elder in our fellowship. Dustin and his family have been attending the fellowship since 2019. He, his wife Andrea, and their three children, have been active in serving in our Rooted Ministry and participating in and hosting a Life Group. Andrea and Ethan (their son) have also served in our Food Pantry. Dustin serves on the Music Team and is in his 2nd year in his role as an elder on our church board.
Dustin graduated in 2000 from Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, after completing a 2-year program. The first year of the program was general Biblical and ministry studies. The second year was more ministry studies specialized in teen ministry.
In addition to these qualifications, Dustin has been asked to provide the Board with 6 Recommendations from several different sources.
Dustin will be preaching for four Sundays, February 8th through March 1st.
Dustin is an active member and elder in our fellowship. Dustin and his family have been attending the fellowship since 2019. He, his wife Andrea, and their three children, have been active in serving in our Rooted Ministry and participating in and hosting a Life Group. Andrea and Ethan (their son) have also served in our Food Pantry. Dustin serves on the Music Team and is in his 2nd year in his role as an elder on our church board.
Dustin graduated in 2000 from Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, after completing a 2-year program. The first year of the program was general Biblical and ministry studies. The second year was more ministry studies specialized in teen ministry.
In addition to these qualifications, Dustin has been asked to provide the Board with 6 Recommendations from several different sources.
Dustin will be preaching for four Sundays, February 8th through March 1st.
Vetting Committee
Since the Board of Directors found a candidate from within the congregation, the formal "pastoral committee" detailed in the by-laws was not needed. In its place, the Board of Directors has selected a diverse group of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship members to serve as a vetting committee. These members are from a wide demographic of age and include both men and women of our membership. They will meet to determine the questions to be asked of the candidate during the vetting process and the number of times they will be meeting with him.
Vetting Committee Leader: Justin Shackle
Vetting Committee Members: Sharon Hodgson, Corey Jurkovich, Jim Kurzen, Rick Lutes, Sarah Senften, Tom Skelley, and Ryan Slivka
On Sunday, March 8th, the vetting committee will present a report from their time interviewing Dustin and his list of recommendations. They will also conduct a live interview with Dustin in place of a sermon that Sunday, and there will be opportunity for the congregation to submit questions for Dustin to answer.
Vetting Committee Leader: Justin Shackle
Vetting Committee Members: Sharon Hodgson, Corey Jurkovich, Jim Kurzen, Rick Lutes, Sarah Senften, Tom Skelley, and Ryan Slivka
On Sunday, March 8th, the vetting committee will present a report from their time interviewing Dustin and his list of recommendations. They will also conduct a live interview with Dustin in place of a sermon that Sunday, and there will be opportunity for the congregation to submit questions for Dustin to answer.
Voting
On Sunday, March 15th, we will have an in-person vote on whether or not we will offer Dustin Paulson the position of Pastor.
Please note that this vote itself will not be the final say - the Board of Directors will use the voting results to determine if we will move forward with Dustin or continue our search for a new pastoral candidate.
In accordance with our by-laws, you can only participate in this pastoral vote if you are an Active Member of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship. Our by-laws define Membership and Active Members in Article I, Sections 1, 2, & 5:
Please note that this vote itself will not be the final say - the Board of Directors will use the voting results to determine if we will move forward with Dustin or continue our search for a new pastoral candidate.
In accordance with our by-laws, you can only participate in this pastoral vote if you are an Active Member of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship. Our by-laws define Membership and Active Members in Article I, Sections 1, 2, & 5:
Article I: Membership
Section 1 — Purpose of membership. In hopes of preventing subversive or false doctrine from being
taught and decisions from being made by those not dedicated to the purpose of this Fellowship as
stated in the Constitution, the following sections have been accepted by this Fellowship.
Section 2 — Requirements for membership. Any person may be accepted into the membership of this
Fellowship by the Board of Directors after meeting the following requirements:
a) Present evidence of his conversion into the Kingdom of God as one of His children with the
promise of eternal life. A sincere application of all the following would indicate the above:
(1) profession of faith in Jesus Christ as his/her own Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9).
(2) ability to explain how one becomes a child of God and describe to the best of his/her
knowledge how and when this took place in his/her own life. (I Peter 3:15).
(3) desire to live a Christ like life and do the will of God (Matthew 7:21; John 14:15,21,23).
b) Be in agreement with the Fellowship’s Constitution and By-Laws.
c) Make known his/her request for membership to the Pastor or any other elder or deacon. The
Board of Directors shall review and act upon the request at its next regular meeting.
Section 5 — Active Members. New Members and Inactive Members who have been faithful in attending 75% of the Sunday morning services or 75% of the Sunday evening services during the past six months shall be considered for Active Membership by the Board of Directors. Rev. 6/84
Section 1 — Purpose of membership. In hopes of preventing subversive or false doctrine from being
taught and decisions from being made by those not dedicated to the purpose of this Fellowship as
stated in the Constitution, the following sections have been accepted by this Fellowship.
Section 2 — Requirements for membership. Any person may be accepted into the membership of this
Fellowship by the Board of Directors after meeting the following requirements:
a) Present evidence of his conversion into the Kingdom of God as one of His children with the
promise of eternal life. A sincere application of all the following would indicate the above:
(1) profession of faith in Jesus Christ as his/her own Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9).
(2) ability to explain how one becomes a child of God and describe to the best of his/her
knowledge how and when this took place in his/her own life. (I Peter 3:15).
(3) desire to live a Christ like life and do the will of God (Matthew 7:21; John 14:15,21,23).
b) Be in agreement with the Fellowship’s Constitution and By-Laws.
c) Make known his/her request for membership to the Pastor or any other elder or deacon. The
Board of Directors shall review and act upon the request at its next regular meeting.
Section 5 — Active Members. New Members and Inactive Members who have been faithful in attending 75% of the Sunday morning services or 75% of the Sunday evening services during the past six months shall be considered for Active Membership by the Board of Directors. Rev. 6/84
We have the list of current Active Members posted in the conference room. Please verify that you are on this list if you wish to vote on March 15th. If you are not on the list and would like to become an Active Member before the vote, we are offering a special membership class on Sunday, February 22nd from 7-9am.
Please contact Dustin Paulson before February 22nd to receive the membership packet with our church's statement of faith, constitution, and by-laws that you agree to when becoming a member. You must also write a "grace story" to demonstrate your conversion of faith in Jesus Christ and basic understanding of the Gospel.
PLEASE NOTE: In order to maintain an anonymous vote while also ensuring only Active Members cast a vote, you will only be able to vote in person on Sunday, March 15th. We will have paper ballots in the conference room where a board member will verify your status as an Active Member before you cast your vote. If you absolutely cannot attend this vote, contact Jim Kurzen for additional in-person voting options.
We highly encourage you to not only read the by-laws pertaining to pastor and the voting process, but to also prayerfully study the scriptures mentioned in those by-laws before you cast your vote on March 15th. Above all, we pray God's Will be done in and through Abundant Life, and we ask you to seek His wisdom and guidance with us during this time of change.
Please contact Dustin Paulson before February 22nd to receive the membership packet with our church's statement of faith, constitution, and by-laws that you agree to when becoming a member. You must also write a "grace story" to demonstrate your conversion of faith in Jesus Christ and basic understanding of the Gospel.
PLEASE NOTE: In order to maintain an anonymous vote while also ensuring only Active Members cast a vote, you will only be able to vote in person on Sunday, March 15th. We will have paper ballots in the conference room where a board member will verify your status as an Active Member before you cast your vote. If you absolutely cannot attend this vote, contact Jim Kurzen for additional in-person voting options.
We highly encourage you to not only read the by-laws pertaining to pastor and the voting process, but to also prayerfully study the scriptures mentioned in those by-laws before you cast your vote on March 15th. Above all, we pray God's Will be done in and through Abundant Life, and we ask you to seek His wisdom and guidance with us during this time of change.
Timeline:
January
February
March
- Assemble the vetting committee
- Determine the vetting questions to be asked
- Begin the vetting process at the end of the month
February
- Continue the vetting process
- Dustin begins preaching Feb 8th
- Vetting Committee calls the list of Dustin's recommendations
- The Board puts together a financial package for our next pastor
- Sunday, Feb 22nd, 7-9 AM: Membership Class
March
- Sunday, March 8th: The vetting committee presents a report and interviews Dustin during Sunday morning service
- If Dustin desires to continue seeking the pastoral position and the vetting committee recommends him for the position, the Active Members
- Sunday, March 15th: In-person voting following Sunday morning service
- The Board of Directors will determine from the vote whether or not to offer Dustin Paulson the position of Pastor with a finalized financial package
- If the Board of Directors does not offer the position to Dustin, a pastoral committee will be formed to find a new candidate