Historic Moody Church Embraces New Senior Pastor Via Zoom
CHICAGO, June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Some might think that a historic church would be slow to adopt new technology. Not so at this 155-year-old institution in downtown Chicago. Following a five-year search process, The Moody Church congregation hired their next Senior Pastor, Philip Miller, formerly of Westwood Baptist Church in Olympia, WA, via a Zoom meeting on March 29. Pastor Philip, the 17th Senior Pastor of the oldest historic megachurch still in operation in the US, begins preaching a series on July 5 titled Mercies in the Shadows, focusing on the practice of lament in the book of Ruth and addressing the season of unrest gripping in our nation.
In 2015, the church gathered a diverse search team and developed a detailed plan to find their next Senior Pastor. Elders, deacons, deaconesses, and members of the congregation were involved at all levels of the process. As they approached the conclusion of the search this past March, the pandemic posed a significant obstacle: the church constitution required that members vote on the pastoral candidate, but the stay-at-home order precluded large gatherings. Church leadership arrived at a unique solution: the culmination of the search process would occur via a Zoom meeting where members could ask questions live and cast their votes electronically using Survey Monkey. Thanks to this technology, nearly a thousand congregants logged into the meeting to vote for and approve Pastor Philip as their new Senior Pastor. Zoom continues to be used at all levels of church ministry today.
Pastor Philip succeeds former Senior Pastor Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer—widely known for his nationally syndicated radio program, Running to Win—who served for over 36 years.
Since Dr. Lutzer transitioned to Pastor Emeritus in 2015, Dr. Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, has served faithfully as Interim Teaching Pastor.
Dr. Lutzer gave his enthusiastic approval, saying: "When we first met, I sensed that Philip was the man of God we had been waiting for. He has my complete support and blessing, and I look forward to doing all that I can to make his ministry successful."
Pastor Philip approaches the leadership transition and his new role humbly: "I look forward to getting to know our new Moody Church family and the Christian community in Chicago more in the coming months. I come to listen, learn, love, and then lead."
Pastor Philip arrives during an unusual time when all ministry at the church has moved online due to the pandemic. As many churches struggle to adapt their services to an online environment, The Moody Church is actively expanding its reach and connecting with new audiences both young and old. Weekly online streaming of its Sunday services has grown significantly since the stay-at-home orders went into effect, drawing new worshippers from Chicagoland and around the world. Worshippers can watch live on the church website and on their YouTube channel. Pastor Philip is looking forward to connecting with the local congregation, and more from across the country, through this online medium. Since all in-person gatherings are postponed until a later date, congregants will welcome their new pastor electronically and from a distance.
Speaking to this new era of church history, Berv Peterson, the Chairman of the Elders, said: "We look forward to Pastor Philip's leadership. We believe the best days are yet to come to The Moody Church."
About: The Moody Church is a non-denominational church founded in downtown Chicago in 1864 by evangelist D.L. Moody. More info at www.moodychurch.org.
SOURCE The Moody Church
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