Lead Pastor + Search FAQ

Our search is guided by prayer, discernment, and a desire to follow God's leading. It moves through three phases.

1. PreparationCurrent
   We are identifying our needs and building a church profile and job description. Once those are ready, the position will be posted and shared with potential candidates through our relational networks.
2. Process
   The search team will review resumes, interview top candidates, check references, and begin discerning who may be called to serve as our next lead pastor.
3. Placement
   The elders and congregation engage with the final candidate, the church has time to give feedback, and the elders affirm the candidate God is calling to lead Chapel.

Our overseers and search consultant tell us searches like ours usually take just under six months from posting to placement. We are committed to a prayerful, thoughtful process, and we trust God's timing above all.

Our search team represents the Chapel family and brings a wide range of experience and spiritual discernment.

• Dick HardySearch Consultant
• Jamie ByrdElder
• James Howard
• Rose Michael
• Tommy Alexander
• Chris Little
• Dede Simmons
• Rachel Chapman
• Ryan Brown

We are praying for someone who has:

• A vibrant, growing relationship with Christ
• Alignment with Chapel's mission and Statement of Faith
• Proven leadership, both in the pulpit and with staff
• Strong biblical preaching and relatable teaching
• A humble, collaborative, and relational spirit
• A heart for our community and for local churches

The search team will present up to three finalists to the elders for interviews. Put simply, the search team decides who could be our next lead pastor, and the elders decide who should be.

Once the elders affirm a candidate, he will be introduced to the congregation. He will preach, and there will be opportunities to connect with him, hear his heart, and ask questions.

After that time together, the church will have one week to share feedback with the elders, as outlined in our Bylaws. The elders will then make the final decision.

The most important thing you can do is pray. Pray for clarity, unity, and discernment for the search team and the elders. And pray for the pastor God is already preparing to lead Christ Chapel into its next season.

Here is Pastor Bobby's statement to the church:

Chapel, I want to talk to you as your pastor and as your friend this morning.

Toyia and I are stepping away from Christ Chapel. I have accepted the call to serve as Lead Pastor of City Center Church in Kansas City.

I know this is hard to hear. Honestly, it's hard for us to say. We have spent months praying, seeking counsel, and talking with our family, our spiritual mentors, and our elders. I said no over and over, but the Lord kept saying yes. It was not an easy decision, but in the end it was a clear one.

Part of that clarity came through something very personal. Toyia has been dealing with a health situation. This move gives her better access to the care she needs and will need. When we saw God opening this door at the very time our family needed it, it was one of the many confirmations that His hand was in it.

We don't expect everyone to understand this. To be honest, we don't fully understand it yet either. We just know the Lord is calling us, and when God calls, we have to say yes.

Christ Chapel, you have been our family for 12 years. You've loved our kids, prayed us through hard seasons, and trusted us with your spiritual lives. We have seen God move. We have seen Him bless Chapel and use Chapel to bless the Shoals and the world. Chapel and Florence will always hold a special place in our family's hearts.

But hear me: the future of this church is bright. Not because I was here, but because Jesus is here. Chapel is a great church because it is full of great people. Our staff and leaders were called by God, and I have full confidence in them to keep serving you, leading you, and ministering to you.

Our elders have a strong plan. They've already formed a search team to find our next lead pastor, and they'll have experienced help guiding that process. Pastor Anthony will serve as interim pastor over our staff, and Pastor Eddie Turner will fill the pulpit each week to bring some of the best preaching and Bible teaching you'll find anywhere.

Our last Sunday will be October 25th. That evening at 4pm, we'll have a meet and greet so we can hug everyone's neck and say goodbye. I'll keep serving our elders through this transition and help in any way they ask. We're going to walk through this together.

So here's what I'm asking. Pray for Toyia. Pray for our family. Pray for our elders and for the next pastor God is already preparing for this church.

And please, don't make this about me. Make it about Jesus. He's the reason we're here, and He's the reason this church will keep moving forward.

We love you.

Pastor Bobby has accepted the Lead Pastor position at City Center Church in Lenexa, Kansas, in the Kansas City area. It's an incredible church full of incredible people, and they have been without a lead pastor for two years. Please join us in praying for Pastor Bobby, Toyia, their family, and City Center Church.

You can learn more about City Center Church and follow Pastor Bobby's sermons at citycenterchurch.com.

We have a strong, clear plan for the search and for ministry to keep moving in and through our church.

• Interim leadership. Pastor Anthony will serve as interim pastor, overseeing our staff and reporting to the elders.
• Preaching. Pastor Eddie Turner will fill the pulpit on a consistent basis.
• Ministry plan. We are continuing the ministry plan already in place for the coming year.

There's a lot to look forward to:

• Champions Night on November [date], celebrating all of our amazing Champions
• Christmas at Chapel, with a powerful celebration planned by our creative and worship teams
• Prophetic Presbytery, with dates already set for 2027

We are blessed to have Pastor Eddie Turner fill our pulpit weekly beginning November 22.