Following the bylaws and board-designated policies set forth for the nominating committee responsibilities, the Make and Deepen Disciples Nominating committee has discerned the following motion to present to the Covenant Executive Board:
The MDD Nominating Committee moves to pause the search process for the MDD executive minister until after the 2023 Annual Meeting, in order to allow time to discern a new staffing structure.
The MDD Nominating Committee would first like to recognize and appreciate the deep commitment Michelle Sanchez has demonstrated for discipleship and evangelism in her role as the executive minister of Make and Deepen Disciples over the last eight years. In October, she notified the Nominating Committee that she will not seek another term as executive minister and intends to complete her current term, ending August 31, 2023.
Since Michelle will remain in the executive minister role until the end of the term, the committee is not required to put forth a candidate at the 2023 Annual Meeting as the role is not vacant until after the 2023 Annual Meeting. The search committee could bring forward a candidate at the 2023 Annual Meeting; however, the anticipated organizational changes and associated bylaw modifications suggest that a delay in the candidate search is reasonable and prudent. Depending on the organizational changes that come to the 2023 Annual Meeting and the vote that occurs, it is possible that the search process could resume after the 2023 Annual Meeting, if needed. The Covenant constitution and bylaws give us leeway to determine the timeframe of the search. We understand that previous practice has preferred a “quicker is better” approach and has recommended that a search process present a candidate for the executive minister role prior to the end of the term, but the committee has judiciously evaluated all current factors, followed the requirements designated in the constitution and bylaws, and has discerned that a pause in the pursuit of an executive minister of Make and Deepen Disciples candidate is warranted for the 2023 Annual Meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan Park
Chair of the MDD Nominating Committee
The motion was approved unanimously by the Covenant Executive Board.
