PASTOR SEARCH

CHURCH PROFILE

Our Church Profile provides a comprehensive look at who we are—our history, mission, leadership, ministries, and the community we serve. It’s a resource for anyone seeking to understand our church and how God is moving in and through our ‘ohana.

The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and recommending a candidate for the pastoral position in the congregation. This committee serves as the bridge between the congregation's needs and the pastoral candidate who will serve those needs. Here are the FPC covenant partners serving on our PNC.

  • ADELE CHONG: I came to Hawaii in July 1989 for my job. I rented a condo near Ala Moana Shopping Center and found out I could ride the bus from there to First Presbyterian Church on Ke'eaumoku Street. I became a member in December 1989. Over the years, I've been involved in several ministries. I've been a member of the same small group since 2002. I've been retired for 8 years. My recent ministry involvement has been as a welcome team leader and an elder.

  • Leona Larkin

    LEONA LARKIN: I have been a covenant partner of FPC since 2020. I currently serve as the Elder of Care Ministries, am a Stephen Minister, help facilitate DivorceCare, and am in training to become a Commissioned Lay Pastor. I also serve in the prayer ministry and sing in the choir. Previously, I served as a deacon and assisted with Alpha and Rooted.

  • JEREMY LIM: I was born and raised in Kailua and continue to live there with my wife, Megan, and our three sons (Danner-18, Tyler-15, and Dustin-12). We have been attending First Prez since 2012. I have been active in Men's Ministry, Life Groups, and just finished a six-year term as an elder. During the week, I split my time doing hospice physical therapy and working on construction projects while trying to keep up with his growing boys. I am passionate about how Jesus restores and heals what sin has broken in the world, and I couldn't be more excited about the steps First Prez is taking to follow Jesus in this mission!

  • SUSAN MURRAY: I retired after 30 years as a hospital leader in Hawaii and on the Mainland. I joined FPC in 1990 and have served on the Finance Team, Long Range Planning Team, Personnel Team, and Transition Team. I am currently serving as an elder and a member of Personnel Team.

  • NATE NASTASE (Co-chair): I have been an FPC covenant partner since 2019 but have been attending First Prez since 2007. I am on my second year as an elder and served for a year prior to that as a deacon. I have also served for several years as a member of the Men’s Ministry Leadership Team and recently assumed the role of elder for the Men’s Ministry. For several years I was blessed to be a part of the Band of Brothers and lead a small group. I also serve as an FPC Welcome Team leader and a volunteer counselor at Hope Center Ministries. I am currently a teacher, supporting the Marine Corps University College of Distance Education by providing Officer Professional Military Education at Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base. Prior to this job, I was a United States Marine for 30 years. I am married to Dr. Susan Nastase, PsyD, and have 23-year-old twins—Alexander and Grace.

  • JOY YOSHIDA: I was born and raised in Kāne‘ohe and have been attending First Prez since 2009. I currently work at the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders as the Head of Community Engagement and a Student Leadership Facilitator, a role that allows me to invest in the next generation of leaders. At First Prez, I’ve been blessed to serve in various ministries, including Youth Ministry, Worship Ministry, Alpha, and as an elder. I am both honored and excited to serve on the Pastor Nominating Committee, trusting God’s guidance in this important season for our church.

  • PAUL ZUKUNFT (Co-chair): I have been a covenant partner of FPC Honolulu since 2000 and am currently serving in my 6th year as an elder. In my capacity as an elder, I serve on the Impact Ministry and have served on the tiger teams that crafted our church values, as well as the 19-page church profile that serves as our resumé in seeking out the next senior pastor.  I am semi-retired and serve on a number of profit and non-profit advisory boards after 45 years of service in the United States Coast Guard. And I am happily married to my social media-savvy wife, Fran DeNinno, who supports the social media platforms for FPC Honolulu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don’t we just hire Pastor Tim Fearer permanently instead of searching for another senior pastor?

We agree Pastor Fearer is doing a great job at leading our congregation. However, Pastor Fearer’s calling is as a Certified Transitional Pastor. He serves in churches who are seeking a new senior pastor, with the understanding he will not be a candidate for the position. He also trains other pastors who want to become transitional pastors.

Why didn’t Associate Pastor Tim Shaw get the senior pastor position?

When Pastor Dan Chun informed the Session of his planned retirement, Pastor Tim Shaw shared with Session that he continues to feel called to serve as an Associate Pastor and not as Senior.

The PNC should offer the position to a pastor I know who would be a great fit. There’s no need to do a search.

We appreciate your suggestion. The PNC will be guided by God’s will and not allow our internal biases to intervene as we seek, find and ultimately present to our covenant partners the one God has called to serve as our next senior pastor.

Fortunately, ECO has a very deliberate process and policy that we, the PNC must and will follow to the letter. It would be very detrimental to this process if our covenant partners were to embark upon a campaign that is led by personal preferences without the discernment of God’s will in selecting our next senior pastor. Please encourage this pastor to submit an application.

Please know that your PNC has placed God’s hand on the tiller as we navigate our way through this process. We will be providing regular, in-person updates.

To enhance our spiritual tool kit, the PNC is reading Ruth Haley Barton’s book, “Pursuing God’s Will Together - A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups.”  You might find that insightful to see where our hearts reside in fulfilling our responsibilities as your PNC.

Where can I read the job posting? How long will the posting be open?

The church profile is posted at Job Board | ECO and we may post it on other sites suggested by ECO. The ECO will leave the posting for 120 days unless being informed earlier the position has been filled.

How long will it take for the PNC to nominate a senior pastor?

We understand it can take from a few months to a year, depending on the applications received. 

What are Pastor Fearer and Pastor Shaw’s roles with PNC?

They are not PNC members and do not attend PNC meetings. They will be available to PNC when we are considering second-round interviews, to suggest questions we might ask if they know the candidate(s). They do not have input into the PNC’s recommendation.

Who or what is the MPT?  

The MPT is the Ministry Partnership Team at Bluewater Presbytery that oversees roughly 20 Presbyterian church within their ECO constellation. The MPT will work closely with the PNC in posting our church profile on their job board and forwarding interested candidates to the PNC for follow-on vetting and interviews.  ECO provides a comprehensive Pastoral Search and Transition Guide that can be found on the ECO website that lays out the various steps required to ultimately install a new senior pastor.

Will the PNC be sharing the names of candidates under consideration?  

No. There will be two rounds of interviews, and when the PNC enters into the second round of interviews, we will be able to share the qualities of those candidates, but not their names.

How and when will the PNC be providing updates on the selection process?  

The PNC will provide in-person updates before the congregation when it receives the first wave of candidates; upon completing the first round of interviews and down-selecting from that initial wave of candidates; and upon completing the second round of interviews at which point we are coming down the home stretch to present a candidate to our covenant partners for a vote.  

What if the selected candidate declines to accept this position?  

The PNC will have a prioritized list of alternates to select from. Such was the case when Pastor Dan Chun was selected as our previous senior pastor. He was our first alternate, and it would be a gross understatement to say that he served us well.

How can we, the covenant partners, help in this process?  

First, by trusting God in this discernment process. The PNC will similarly apply a deep faith-based approach as we discern who God has called to be our next senior pastor. Second, if you have contacts within your LinkedIn network who might be a potential senior pastor candidate, you can point them to the ECO job board that is openly accessible and contains our job posting.