CPC Church Information Form (CIF)

7/2003: Rev. John Schmidt has been called and voted as Central's Senior Pastor.
To find out more, read the Biography and Ministry Experience of John Schmidt.

Note: This Church Information Form (CIF) was produced to aid the search for a new Senior Pastor for Central Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD. It was approved in February 2001. Central Presbyterian Church is an evangelical congregation of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA).

The mission of Central Presbyterian Church reflects a mutual understanding among us that a personal relationship with Christ is the central factor that gives meaning to our lives. Our primary purpose is to help each other and others to seek a closer relationship with Christ, moving toward the high goal expressed by Paul, the apostle, "I in Christ and Christ in me." Our Session has stated that our purpose is: "Moving people toward Christ by being a community of faith which loves, encourages, and equips them in Christ, sending them out to serve."

This mission of loving, encouraging, equipping, and sending calls simultaneously for faithful consistency and flexible creativity. With a long-standing regional reputation for evangelical consistency, we also need creativity as we work toward greater diversity in our congregation, better contact with our neighborhood, and new ways to serve our city. This calls for a new mindset, one that goes beyond thoughtful sermons, biblical teaching, friendly greeters, and good choirs in describing our church.

We are actively seeking new administrative structures, new emphasis, and new strategies, not only to create new channels for Christian service, but also to reach out beyond our walls in ways that break down the walls. We seek a pastor to collaborate with us in developing approaches to make this possible.

1. Please write a brief description of your church/organization programs or accomplishments.

Central Presbyterian Church (CPC) is an active, Christ-centered community with a heart for worship, service and ministry. CPC provides both traditional and contemporary worship opportunities each Sunday. A third service with a different worship style and targeted to the millennial generation was launched in February, 2001. Our traditional service ministers to the community through a live radio broadcast. Each worship opportunity utilizes our Music Ministry that ranges from a formal choir to a youth band. Central also provides Christian education for children through seniors. Our Children's Ministry has been growing in numbers and quality. It is one of our greatest strengths. Central has a new pre-school that ministers to CPC families, and also serves as a visible outreach to the community. The Youth Ministry boasts strong, dynamic students, but has suffered from leadership turnover. Excellent adult electives are offered each Sunday. The College and Career Ministry is growing thanks to fresh, innovative leadership. The "Central Lights", a ministry to our seniors, has been thriving in recent years.

Centralites are known for seeking to reach beyond the ministries at 7308 York Road. There is a long history in world missions and we regularly send people out to serve around the world. We are in community with our sister church in Sao Paulo, Brazil and we have "adopted" the unreached (deleted) people. Central is involved with 35 missionaries 7 seminaries and 27 agencies around the world. CPC is active with local social action ministries including Project Justice (a coalition of inner-city and suburban churches working for racial reconciliation), Habitat for Humanity, Love and Action (a ministry to AIDS victims), Our Daily Bread, Prison Fellowship, Presbyterians Pro-Life, Greater Baltimore Crisis Pregnancy Center and other ministries that are weighed against our mission statement.

Central is a giving church and has a unified budget of over $1,200,000. Over the past 10 years, Central has enjoyed sustained growth in leadership and ministry activity. In response to this growth, the congregation completed Phase I of "Beyond These Walls", a ministry-based building expansion in which we raised well over $2 million during a three year period, and continues to operate faithfully with minimal debt. As part of our commitment to world mission and outreach, the congregation dedicated 10% of the capital campaign to flow to missions projects locally and internationally.

Note: Our website (www.CentralPC.org) offers a comprehensive view of the ministries at Central.

2. Describe what gifts, skills and experiences your congregation possesses to fulfill its mission.

CPC is blessed in many ways. The congregation is full of many healthy, knowledgeable and eager believers who are individually and corporately on a journey toward wholeness in Christ. Centralites recognize themselves as wounded healers and ministers of grace and reconciliation. A passion to know God and to make Him known permeates CPC. The greatest strength lies within Central's reliance on God and prayer for all things.

The church facility and location are a great blessing. A building addition has been completed adding much needed classrooms and offices. Another building campaign is expected shortly to make CPC even more valuable to the community. CPC is centrally located in Baltimore County, yet also convenient to Baltimore City. Several colleges are nearby including Johns Hopkins, Goucher, Peabody Institute... and Towson University is within walking distance.

Along with the people and property, CPC is strengthened through experience and heritage. CPC relocated from Baltimore city to Towson in 1948. The congregation enjoyed steady growth. In 1989 a second, contemporary service was launched. It is now a thriving worship service and has proven to be a lesson on growing through change. This experience will be a valuable lesson as the congregation adds a third worship service. This service seeks to adapt to the changing culture and to be more outward focused.

3. What are the key theological issues of our church and society that are reflected in the ministry of your congregation/organization?

Central is an evangelical, theologically conservative church that values its Reformed roots. Centralites hold two theological beliefs as non-negotiable. First, Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God, through Him alone one can receive salvation. Second, the Bible is the inspired, authoritative Word of God. These foundational beliefs form the basis of our worldview which informs, inspires and encourages other theological and ministerial decisions to be openly and Scripturally evaluated. We are a church that actively seeks to be obedient to the call of God in all areas of life, faith and ministry. It is our goal to help each member of Central discover his or her spiritual gifts, and to encourage them toward a closer relationship with Christ reflected in spiritual disciplines and active ministry involvement.

Central offers many opportunities for participation in ministry, locally, nationally and abroad. Recognizing changing demographics and emergent cultures within our community, Central has sought and continues to seek new ways to bring the love of Christ to others. For example, Central offers both traditional and contemporary worship settings that are relevant to our social context, yet are true to the essential elements of Christian worship. We offer outreach-oriented ministries for children and youth, a diverse adult education program, and a focus on small group ministries for spiritual development. In the community, we enjoy partnerships with urban churches to address social justice and racial reconciliation issues. Centralites minister to AIDS patients, work with prison ministries, have a strong commitment to Habitat for Humanity, serve on short and long term missions projects, provide services to hurting people through our Paraclete ministry and offer many other opportunities to serve. In addition, Central devotes approximately 1/3 of its budget to world mission and is very active in support of those ministries. Central recognizes that our social context continues to change, and that we must be creative to continue our outreach within the community.

A. Major Responsibilities: For what specific tasks, assignments, program areas will this person have responsibility?

The new pastor will be asked to:

• Provide spiritual leadership: Implementing our mission will require a combination of imagination and orderliness, to create new ideas, to plan their implementation, and to motivate members toward participation.

• Plan and lead worship services: Three weekly services, each with a different style and different focus groups will require a flexible preaching approach and collaboration with worship teams.

• Develop and train lay leadership for a growing congregation: Reorganization and streamlining of the Session and Standing Committee structure awaits the next pastor. Our leaders and leader candidates will benefit from effective training.

• Serve as Head of Staff: Provide direction and training for a professional staff of approximately six and an office staff of three. Assume the leadership role in co-laboring with one (or, in time, two) associate pastor(s).

• Provide for pastoral care and congregational counseling: Develop and lead a team of trained, dedicated people who are wise counselors and compassionate ministers.

• Develop specific strategies for specific opportunities: We are located in a stable neighborhood with increasing ethnic diversity and are close to several colleges and universities. This calls for a substantial effort to find ways to reach college age people, to respond to ethnic diversity and to impact the community. We want to develop ways to be a neighborhood church as well as a regional church.

B. Description of characteristics and qualifications needed in a person who would fill this position:

First and foremost, a candidate must have a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and display evidence of the Holy Spirit through desires, goals, attitudes and past accomplishments. This is an ordained individual with a strong biblical foundation and knowledge, who possesses a passion for preaching the Word of God. This candidate will possess the gift of leadership. This leader will help Session to refine a progressing vision for Central Presbyterian Church, be an effective communicator of the vision, and have the ability to motivate others to achieve the vision. A proven background in equipping others according to their giftedness and resulting in laity driven ministries is vital. This candidate will be concerned with social issues and be intentionally outward focused, possessing the heart of an evangelist. Other qualities desired include compassion, authenticity, humility, yet courageous and confident. For a candidate to fulfill all desired, prayer must be strongly valued and practiced, and flexibility will be essential.

Primary Skill Choices

Select 4 Required Skills and up to 6 Desired Skills from the list below:

Use the left-hand box to choose the 4 that are required for this position. (R)
Use the right-hand box to choose up to 6 that are desired for this position. (D)

Compensation And Housing

Please note, the request is for Cash Salary only. Do not include any other allowances. A range is needed for matching purposes. The maximum cash salary is not published anywhere.

Minimum Cash Salary   $ 56,930
Maximum Cash Salary  $ _________

Housing Type

__ Manse
__ Housing Allowance $1
__ Open To Either
__ N/A (For diversified positions only)

Geographic Choices

Unlimited

Equal Employment Opportunity

"The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) shall give full expression to the rich diversity within its membership and shall provide means which will assure a greater inclusiveness leading to wholeness in its emerging life. Persons of all racial ethnic groups, different ages, both sexes, various disabilities, diverse geographical areas, different theological positions consistent with the Reformed tradition, as well as different marital conditions (married, single, widowed, or divorced) shall be guaranteed full participation and access to representation in the decision making of the church." (G-4.0403)

"(The Committee on Ministry) shall provide for the implementation of equal opportunity employment for ministers and candidates without regard to race, ethnic origin, sex, age, marital status, or disability. In the case of each call, it shall report to the presbytery the steps in this implementation taken by the calling-group." (G-11.0502g)

"...Care must be taken(by the Pastor Nominating Committee) to consider candidates without regard to race, ethnic origin, sex, or marital status, age, or disabilities." (G-14.0502b)

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.)

See Also: Form of Government G-10.0102n, G-11.0502d, G-13.0201b

For Clergy Positions

Every Presbytery Committee on Ministry is to inform each Pastor Nominating Committee of its constitutional obligations and how it might assure fairness in the calling process.

Has the presbytery's Committee on Ministry thus counseled with the Pastor Nominating Committee regarding Equal Employment Opportunity?

X Yes     __ No

Each Pastor Nominating Committee is expected to undertake its search for a minister in a manner consistent with the good news that in the Church "...as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Has the Pastor Nominating Committee affirmed to the Presbytery Committee on Ministry its intention to follow the Form of Government in this regard?

X Yes     __ No

Pastor Nominating Committee Or Search Committee Chairperson Details