Key to our district plan are the roles of regional and area pastors. We see these roles as the delivery system for the span of leadership and care to the districts, and they are essential to the vibrant life that marks Foursquare.
Regional pastors are an extension of the supervisory team, helping to carry shared vision and culture. They have their eye on the broader district’s context while tapped into a focused area or domain of expertise. Regional pastor roles are strategic, catalytic, highly empowered roles helping to shoulder and shape our missional objectives and their implementation within the district’s geography.
Regional pastors are expansionists concentrated on Church Multiplication, Leadership Development, Leader + Church Health, Multiethnic, NextGen and Women in Ministry Leadership. They will participate in annual collaborative training and equipping across the U.S. Foursquare Church and continue to fulfill their role as outlined in Bylaw 8.3. These leaders will serve area pastors, who are in closer geographic proximity to you, our local leaders.
“Area pastors are essential community builders among our pastors and emerging leaders,” notes Mark Slomka, associate supervisor of the Western District. “They will pastor, disciple, mentor and resource our lead pastors and emerging leaders, as part of the larger district team, endeavoring to multiply God’s kingdom presence in the area they serve.”
Area pastors are relationally focused on care and prayer for our leaders within a geographic proximity. This layer of leadership is the closest in physical, geographic proximity, but also a primary touchpoint to our leaders. Area pastors are proactive in prayer, care, encouragement and connection. We see these layers of leadership building upon one another, and enlarging the scope and reach of the district to each local leader.
“Even you, a leader, need someone to care about you and your needs, and to encourage your continued development and growth.” —Wendy Nolasco
In addition to these roles is the addition of our regional NextGen pastors. The NextGen regional pastors will leverage their leadership to provide spiritual, personal and organizational care to our districts. They are representatives of the district, serving alongside our team, and are responsible for helping produce more and growing leaders together on mission through leader care and development.
Throughout this fall, supervisors are working through their districts to consider the appointments of regional, area and regional NextGen pastors. We will continue to align with our target of “more and growing leaders together on mission.” Come January, the supervisory teams will be hosting our first collaborative training for Foursquare’s regional pastors across the U.S. Foursquare Church.
With the continued demands on local leaders, many of whom are serving faithfully through bi-vocational roles, these relational ecosystems can be a resource agency and relational environments for mutual encouragement and growth.
Many have had questions about how we will offer care systems in light of the changes in the past year. Durant Kreider, a part of the district council who is providing interim support for pastoral care and transitions in the Atlantic District, shares that “the area pastors assured them that we will continue to move at the speed of relationship here in Virginia, and that even though the Atlantic District team would have new faces, the care at the local level would continue as it has been.”
On the heels of this concern, there was practical dissemination and application during a real-life crisis and, Durant notes, “even in the most desperate of times, the Foursquare family is still alive and well, and is still caring for each other at the grassroots level. I believe this is a wonderful example of how we illustrate the body of Christ.”
These stories are when Foursquare shines brightest, when we lean in, continue to contend for unity in our essentials and liberty in the non-essentials. We are at our best when we contend for one another, practicing love, patience and grace.
