Why did City Church call a new senior pastor?
Healthy succession is critical for any founder-led institution. Fred Harrell has served as our founding pastor for 25 years, and has led us faithfully through many years of growth and change. Fred has been open with the board about succession for a long time, and the board and Fred have prayerfully considered what this might look like and when would be the right time. About a year ago, both Fred and the Elder board decided it was the right time to call our next senior pastor.

When will Emily start?
Emily will be starting in August of 2022 as she moves her family from Chicago to San Francisco. Her first Sunday preaching at the Russian Center will be Sunday, September 11.

What’s Next For Fred?
As Emily steps into the Senior Pastor role this fall, Fred will transition to the role of Founding Pastor.  After 25 years in ministry, Fred has embraced this shift, and he is excited to see Emily take leadership of City Church. Fred loves City Church and is committed to helping with a smooth transition to our next chapter.

Who decided?
In our denomination (the Reformed Church of America, or RCA), the board of elders is responsible for calling a new Senior Pastor. The elders selected a search committee based on nominations from the congregation. The search committee handled the interview process and ultimately recommended Emily to the board. The board prayerfully considered the recommendation and decided to call Emily.

Why didn’t I get to vote?
There are three major forms of church governance: congregational, episcopal, and elder-led. As a part of the RCA denomination, we are elder-led, which means elders are responsible for calling a new senior pastor. (In a congregational church, the members would vote, and in an episcopal church, the bishop would decide.)

At City Church, the job of the elders is to faithfully represent the congregation. As part of this process, the elders spent dozens of hours interviewing congregants to understand what the congregation feels we need in our next senior pastor. The board then created a search committee that was broadly representative of the congregation to lead the process and represent the congregation well.

Was there consensus, or was this a contentious decision?
The elders voted unanimously to call Emily to be our next Senior Pastor. We are excited to say that the entire board is genuinely enthusiastic about Emily.

Who should I talk to if I have questions?
We are having a member meeting on June 5: please be sure to attend! Otherwise, please reach out to the elders, either individually or by emailing elders@citychurchsf.org. You can also reach out to members of the search committee.