Photos Courtesy of Pepperdine University
The University Church of Christ at Pepperdine has recently found itself in a season of transition and change.
The Pepperdine University Church of Christ has begun looking for a new minister to lead their church. Rich Little, the previous pastor at Pepperdine since 2010, has officially stepped down from his position and gave his last sermon at Pepperdine in May.
“My hope is that we find the right person that will help lead this conversation toward where we all believe it should be,” Jim Gash, professor of law, director of the global justice department and an elder of the University Church, said. “To an intergenerational group of students and resident members seeking to serve Christ together.”
The church has formed a preacher search committee, which consists of specially selected individuals to that help oversee the selection process. The preacher search committee is made up by students Jake Bigon and Gillian Chong, elders Jim Gash and Gary Selby, ministers Linda Truschke and Dusty Breeding and church members Regan Schaffer and Janet Davis.
“Right now we’ve just finalized something similar to a job description of what we’re looking for as well as a link to a google doc where we can send it out so that people can submit people that they think might be interested in the job position.” Jake Bigon, junior and student representative of the preacher search committee, said.
Since Little has left, sermons for service on Sunday morning have been led by Religion Professor John Barton with help from others who have also led sermons.
“I think the past few months without a minister have brought out the best of our community,” Breeding said. “Countless students and members have stepped up to fill in needed roles within our church community and moments like this bring out new opportunities for those gifts to be utilized.”
Thoughts on the issue vary across each church member.
“It’s just not what I’m used to,” said Jamie Le, University Church member. “We’ve had the same minister for the past six years and it’s been different since he left.”
Since Little has stepped down as minister, University Church attendance has not seen any drastic changes.
“I still go to University Church a good amount since Rich Little left,” senior Tk Adedeji said. “I think the sermons I’ve heard so far have still been good and I’m looking forward to seeing who they end up picking at the end of all of this.
The University Church of Christ hopes to narrow down their selection through the process they have made to have a new pastor selected by the beginning of 2017.
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Follow Sebastian Lopez Barba on Twitter: @SebLopezBarba
