What

Pastor Scott and the elders have developed a plan for pastoral succession. Our desire is to transition to a new Senior Pastor at East White Oak within the next two years.

Why

We need to develop the next generation of leaders for our church. We believe this will be best accomplished by a pastor who is a peer in terms of age. Our church is in an outstanding position to seek its next Senior Pastor. There is much that the church can gain from having fresh leadership that brings new vision to our church. With four pastors that are over 60 years of age, we need first to bring the next Senior Pastor who then will have the freedom to participate in the selection of the next generation of associate pastors when that time comes.

When

We have allowed a time of approximately two years until Pastor Scott’s retirement. The time could be shorter or it could be longer. Pastor Scott is willing to work with the elders if the time frame is lengthened or shortened.

How

During this season, our goal is to move Faithfully Forward  in ministry. We will continue to press full speed ahead! There should be no expression of hesitancy. There should be no thought of “Let’s wait for the new guy to come.” As a church, we will focus on being grateful, prayerful, and expectant.

Grateful: We are grateful to God for the past 15 years of ministry that we have shared, and thankful for this upcoming season where we can celebrate and enjoy one another.

Prayerful: We now call the congregation to pray with us as we search for a new Senior Pastor.  Let us ask the Lord for a new pastor in His good time.

Expectant: We look forward to seeing what God has planned for the next season and whom He will bring to shepherd this church.

On September 28, 2025, Pastor Scott shared about the transition in our worship service. You can read his full remarks here: