“Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” — Jeremiah 3:15

Dear Resurrection Family,

Greetings from your Pastoral Search Committee! First, we thank you for putting your faith and trust in us to seek and discern who will lead Resurrection MCC into its next chapter. We greatly appreciate your patience and prayers as we navigated this process.

This committee is not the first; others paved the way for us to complete this journey, and we thank them for their service. It began with advertising on various online platforms as well as the main denominational website.

Our current committee reviewed the applicants and their qualifications. Promising applicants were interviewed, and the best candidates were selected for a second round of interviews. We delved deeper into their experience, watched and listened to their previous sermons, and contacted their references.

Using your Listening Sessions feedback, we chose the person who most closely aligned with your expressed priorities. That person is Reverend George E. Oliver, MDiv.

Reverend Oliver is an accomplished pastoral leader, a creative artist, and a community developer with an extensive background in church administration, multicultural ministry, and social justice advocacy. He holds a Master of Divinity and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre. He is an ordained American Baptist and Alliance of Baptists minister, having been licensed by the Union Baptist Church of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and ordained by the University Baptist Church of Austin, Texas.

Throughout his ministry, Reverend Oliver has demonstrated a strong commitment to congregational revitalization, diversity, and community engagement. As a Minister of Worship and Arts, he has integrated fine arts and music into worship, directing choirs, expanding ensemble participation, and fostering inclusive, vibrant services.

He successfully led a development process resulting in a multi-million-dollar facility contract and planned student housing initiative while growing a multicultural membership representative of diverse backgrounds and young adults.

Reverend Oliver has a deep record of social justice and civic involvement, having served as a campaign lead organizer for the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, an LGBTQ Chaplaincy Fellow Organizer at Hebrew SeniorLife, and a consultant on real estate and community development for the American Baptist Churches of the South.

In addition to his pastoral service, Reverend Oliver is an accomplished writer, playwright, and educator who has leveraged the performing arts as a medium for community dialogue, historical reflection, and ministry.

Reverend Oliver will preach August 9th and August 16th, meeting with various teams/groups throughout the week. You are invited to an open Special Congregational Forum on Friday, August 14th, 6:30-8:30 PM in the Sanctuary to meet Reverend Oliver in person and have a brief question-and-answer session. The forum will also be accessible by Zoom. The forum is open to all who would like to attend.

We will hold a Congregational Meeting on August 16th at 12:30 PM, immediately following worship, when members in good standing will vote on whether to hire Reverend Oliver. Members who wish to vote virtually will need to register, and a Zoom link will be sent. The Zoom meeting and voting will be open ONLY to members on August 16th. Should there be two members in one household who want to vote virtually, each will need to register and join the Zoom meeting on different devices. If you are unsure of your membership status, please contact Georgette Monaghan no later than August 9th at 5:00 PM, georgette@resurrectionmcc.org

The Forum and the Congregational Meeting will be held in a hybrid format, both virtually and in person. Friends of the church are welcome to attend the virtual Forum; however, only Members of Resurrection will be allowed to attend the virtual Congregational Meeting. Come ready to learn about Reverend Oliver before voting on his confirmation.

We are thrilled to welcome Reverend Oliver as our candidate and look forward to this new and exciting chapter in the growth and evolution of Resurrection MCC!

In Christ’s love,

Your Pastoral Search Committee

Jules Czarnik (Chair), Sharri McGlauthing, Bill Russell, Georgette Monaghan,

and Lilly Chu

Read full newsletter HERE: https://conta.cc/4hJrZ5o