In our last update, we had announced that the search committee had committed to a parallel search, where we considered both internal and external candidates. After reaching out to trusted pastors, we did not receive any external candidate recommendations by the June 30 deadline. Our goal in asking pastors and church leaders outside of SCC was to receive recommendations for candidates who were not only aligned with our church’s values but also had a track record of proven character, already known and affirmed by those leaders. Through prayer and input from experienced church leaders, we believed the window and method we used to seek outside recommendations was appropriate and wise. With that in mind, the committee is now moving forward in the search process with Patrick Cho as the primary candidate.

Here’s what the next steps will look like:

1. Initial Interview: Patrick will be interviewed by the elders to determine readiness for the next phase.
2. Search Committee Interviews: The full committee will conduct an in-person interview with Patrick as well as a spousal interview with Grace.
3. Committee Vote: The committee will then vote on whether to move forward with the post-interview phase.

(More details can be found in Section 3: “The Interview Phase” of the pastoral search document above)

If the committee votes to proceed, the Post-Interview Phase will include:

• A meal with the elders and Patrick centered around his candidacy.
• A church-wide Q&A session.
• After this, the elders will decide whether to recommend Patrick to the congregation for affirmation as the next lead pastor.

This process may take approximately 2-4 months as it depends on aligning schedules for the interviews/meetings as well as for time for the committee to pray and deliberate.

If at any point Patrick is not moved forward in the process, we will resume the search. In doing so, we plan to broaden the scope of external recommendations, including those who may not be directly known to us but are trusted by someone we trust, to expand the network while still maintaining care and discernment. We will also remain open to evaluating other sources for candidates as needs arise and as the Lord leads.

Please continue to pray for wisdom for the search team and unity for our entire church family as we walk through this important season together.

After much prayer and consideration, the Pastoral Search Committee has decided to conduct a parallel search for our next lead pastor. In addition to considering Patrick Cho, our current interim pastor and internal candidate, we will include external candidates in the process.

As part of this next step, we are now reaching out to trusted pastors and church leaders outside of SCC for candidate recommendations, specifically individuals who align with Savior Community Church’s values, congregational profile, and the qualities we’ve outlined in our ideal pastor profile.

What's next:

• We are actively soliciting names and profiles of potential candidates from outside SCC through June 30.
• The top external candidate, along with Patrick Cho, will participate in initial interviews.
• From there, the committee will prayerfully discern one candidate to move forward with as the primary candidate.

Please continue to pray for wisdom, unity, and humility for the search team, for the candidates, and for our entire church family as we walk through this process together by faith in our faithful God.