Dear West End Family,
With great excitement for the future and thankfulness for the Lord’s leading, the Pastoral Search Committee (“PSC”) has voted unanimously to recommend John Bourgeois to be the next senior pastor at West End Community Church.
The PSC’s recommendation follows a thorough process which has included multiple hours of in-depth conversations with John, the review of John’s sermons while at West End and prior, and the evaluation of written materials he submitted. The process also involved a weekly dialogue with McGowan Global Institute, our consultants who have access to a national database of potential pastoral candidates and have guided numerous churches in their searches. The committee took into consideration input from our members as well as data from our church-wide survey. The Session unanimously and wholeheartedly endorses the recommendation of John to the congregation for approval.
John came to West End just over a year ago after serving as campus minister of Reformed University Fellowship at Wake Forest University. Prior to that he served as an associate pastor at City Church of Richmond, Virginia. When West End hired John for his current role as Pastor of Teaching, we knew he was an outstanding preacher with excellent leadership abilities. Since his arrival, John has taken a significant role in leading and encouraging us in worship, teaching, and pastoring our congregation. John is a man after God’s own heart who loves people and deeply values the Word. He is gifted to set the vision, mission, and direction of West End for years to come.
Carter shares the committee’s enthusiasm: “I am absolutely delighted with the PSC’s recommendation that John be named the next senior pastor at West End. John has proven to be a very skilled preacher of God’s Word. He is a servant leader—loving and profoundly humble. I have no doubt that the Lord has called John to lead West End forward and urge all members to vote and approve the PSC’s recommendation.”
John and his wife Mary Clarke have expressed how excited and humbled they are by the PSC’s recommendation, the affirmation of the Session, and Carter’s encouragement. They would be honored to serve and be part of the West End family for many, many years to come.
The final and most important step in the pastoral search is your vote on the PSC’s recommendation. Please join us at 10 a.m. on Sunday, February 12, 2023, for a congregational meeting to vote on the PSC’s recommendation of John as our next senior pastor.
