Q: What is the process for selecting a new Senior Pastor?
A: According to the bylaws of Seabreeze, the responsibility for searching for and recommending a candidate for Senior Pastor lies with the Advisory Team. Upon that recommendation, the current membership of Seabreeze votes to approve the candidate and call him as Senior Pastor.
The Advisory Team has asked four other members of Seabreeze to join them in the search process (Molly Bracken, Matt Carter, Nicolette Feltman, and Charles Lowry). This Search Team will assist the Advisory Team in interviewing and evaluating the candidates, as well as discerning God’s leadership in who to recommend to the membership.
Q: Who is being considered for Senior Pastor?
A: Our search will focus exclusively on internal candidates – current pastors at Seabreeze who have expressed an interest in being considered as Bevan’s successor. We’re focusing on internal candidates because we have a deep bench of qualified men who are committed to the Mission and Vision of Seabreeze. The Advisory Team doesn’t see any reason to look elsewhere at this point.
Q: What does the candidate assessment and interview process look like?
A: We will be retaining an independent outside search firm to conduct the first round of written assessments and interviews. We believe we will benefit from their objective feedback. The firm will generate a report on each candidate, which the Advisory Team, working with the Search Team, will use for a second round of interviews with the candidates.
Q: What roles does Bevan play in succession?
A: Bevan provides pastoral input into the process for the Advisory Team, but under our bylaws, Bevan will not have any role in the selection or recommendation of a candidate.
Q: What role will Bevan have after his successor is in place?
A: Bevan plans to step back from Sunday mornings for a period of a few months. After that, he will continue to be a member of Seabreeze but will not be on staff.
Q: When will the new Senior Pastor be in place?
A: Under our current timeline, we expect Bevan’s successor to begin a period of overlap with Bevan, beginning in June of 2026. The successor will become the Senior Pastor at the end of 2026, when Bevan steps down.
Q: How might Seabreeze change in the next few years?
A: Healthy churches are always growing and changing. God may have different assignments and priorities for the next era of Seabreeze, and the new Senior Pastor will have the authority to respond to God’s leading. For example, we have been working towards becoming a church that plants other churches. Church planting will lead to changes, as some leaders who have been trained at Seabreeze go out to start new churches.
However, we do not anticipate that the core identity of Seabreeze will change. All of the candidates are committed to the Gospel, the authority of Scripture, as well as the Mission and Vision of Seabreeze.