Our church bylaws establish the process to select a new Senior Pastor. A Search Committee consisting of elders and church members will interview candidates and present their final choice to the Board of Elders. The elders vote to approve and then the candidate will come to the church members for a final vote. The church will have a chance to hear him preach and learn more about him before they are asked to vote. To help with the search process, Northwest has partnered with Slingshot Group, a respected pastor search firm with a nationwide pool of candidates. Slingshot estimates it will take at least 9-12 months for the entire process, but we are ultimately going to trust the Lord and his timing for this important decision.

Pastor Neil is committed to a smooth, healthy transition. He has not set a specific exit date so he will continue as Senior Pastor until the next person is hired. The elders are planning for he and the next Senior Pastor to have several months of overlap where Neil increasingly hands off responsibilities, and the new person gradually assumes more of the role. At that point, Neil will step away from Northwest completely for at least a few months which will provide the Senior Pastor an opportunity to become established in the role.

Part of Pastor Neil and Vela’s process of discerning God’s will to make this decision was gaining a clearer picture of what Neil would do next after he stepped down from his Senior Pastor role. While he will no longer be an elder or have an office at the church, they would love to remain a part of the Northwest body and be involved as church members. They have lots of dreams for the future and for what ministry can look like when he no longer carries the responsibilities and demands of Senior Pastor. With more time in his schedule, Neil hopes to increase the work he already does locally working with refugees and internationally with pastors in places like Cuba and India. And, of course, he will continue riding his bike and having conversations about Jesus wherever he goes!

Like any good organization, Northwest has been planning for the future, and the elders have been discussing this scenario for a number of years. However, in the last 12-18 months it was Pastor Neil who began to have a clearer sense of his own timeline and how long the Lord would have him remain as Senior Pastor. During that time, the elders sought the Lord together as they determined how to best lead the church through this transition whenever Neil was ready to move forward with his timeline. This was a voluntary decision that Neil and Vela have made about the future. There is no dispute, scandal, health issue or other undisclosed reason for why this change is happening. We are so thankful for the unity that has existed with Neil and the elders throughout this process.

We are grateful for the prayers of our church and the broader community. A senior pastor transition is a crucial time in the life of any church, and we know only the Lord can sustain us through this season. We have provided a way to participate in a season of prayer together and receive a weekly prayer prompt via text.

Join the prayer text group by texting “Join TransitionPrayer” to 469-313-6944.

Beyond that, we are asking our church to pray for some specific things: 1) God’s providence and wisdom to lead us to the next Senior Pastor, 2) for the Holy Spirit to lead our body to pursue unity during a time of change and uncertainty and 3) for our elders to continue leading with discernment, humility and courage into this new future God has prepared for Northwest.

Yes and no. Northwest has a clear set of beliefs and values that have shaped us for 75 years. For example, our commitment to the authority of scripture and the priority of missions is central to who we are and will not change. Our elders are committed to preserving the essential doctrinal beliefs and core identity of Northwest Bible Church. Even so, a new Senior Pastor brings new vision and new ideas. People change, methods change and the surrounding culture changes and we are prepared to navigate those changes to continue the mission God has given us to live out together.