Staffing Updates

Pam Davis: Ministry Support Associate

Our newest staff member, Pam Davis, joins us as Ministry Support Associate. Her primary support responsibilities are with Music, Spiritual Formation, and Congregational Life.

Her regular schedule is 9 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday, and she will be located in the main office between Alisa Windsor and Larry Putnam. Pam will also spend time on the third floor near the music offices. Pam has a background as a music educator, church musician, and administrative assistant, as well as being a minister’s wife who loves the local church. She says that she has enjoyed the opportunity to be involved in a variety of ministry support roles for both church and academic settings across the years. She and her husband have recently relocated to the Triad area to be closer to family. Please welcome Pam to our staff!

Rev. Patrick Cardwell: New Homebound Minister

At the recommendation of the Personnel Committee and Deacons, Rev. Patrick Cardwell was affirmed as a new Homebound Minister at our Church Conference on July 21.

Patrick just began his role as part-time Pastor of Lindley Park Baptist Church, a sister CBF church in Greensboro. As Homebound Minister, he will work 12 hours/week in exchange for housing in the Adams Street Resident House.

Patrick was ordained by our congregation in November 2015, and served as a ministerial intern at First Baptist from 2014-2016. He has served previously as the Associate Pastor of Edenton Baptist Church in Edenton, NC, and as a Chaplain Resident with UNC Health Systems. During Patrick’s 2014-2015 internship with First Baptist, his primary focus was Homebound Ministry.

As Homebound Minister, Patrick will increase our rate of visits to our members who are homebound, while also coordinating Homebound ministry in collaboration with staff and laity. We are excited to welcome Patrick to this role, and for the opportunity to enhance a valued ministry while partnering with an early career pastor, as our church has many times before. Patrick formally began his work with us at the end of July.

Administrative Staffing Updates

In June, the Deacons approved three modified job descriptions on our Administrative Team: a Communications Director who also provides primary support to the Senior Pastor; a part-time Ministry Support Associate focusing primarily on Children, Youth and Missions; and a full-time Ministry Support Associate focusing primarily on Music & Worship and Congregational Life. Interviews for the full-time Ministry Support Associate position are in process.

Ashley Chandler

has been hired as a part-time Ministry Support Associate, after review of 40 applicants and interviews with several candidates. Ashley has a degree in accounting and a background in office administration and customer service, currently working as a Team Manager with Amazon.com. Ashley has always been involved in church, and says she is excited to work in ministry and to help our church function efficiently and effectively.

Personnel Planning

The Personnel Committee is actively and prayerfully working on plans for our next phase of pastoral staffing, in the wake of Dr. Sumerel’s retirement. In our Congregational Conversations, both on campus and in area retirement homes, prominent themes have included: the importance of homebound ministry; the valued connection between older adults and our congregation; the desire for greater collaboration in pastoral ministry among staff and lay people; the importance of supporting Sunday School; and the need to clearly communicate staff roles and responsibilities, as well as many other insights.

We continue to consider what we have heard from the congregation, and what we’ve learned from our planning process so far, and expect to present some plans for our next phase in the early fall. Please let us know if you have any questions or additional insights that might impact this process.

—The Personnel Committee
Sandra Canipe, Andrew Donovan, Laura Lomax, Jennifer Hall (Chair), Marietta Noel, Alan Tutterow