Lead Pastor Transition
Current Update
May 13, 2026:
To date, we have had around 50 viable candidates apply for the position. Out of those, our search team has interviewed 8 candidates, which is a strong response and a high success rate compared to what is typical nationally in pastoral searches.
Of those 8 candidates, several remain in the process and are now moving into the next phase of group interviews with members of our search team. We are encouraged by the quality of the conversations so far and are continuing to move carefully, prayerfully, and intentionally.
Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support throughout this process. Please continue praying for wisdom, unity, and discernment as we seek the Lord’s next leader for Catalyst.
We remain hopeful and confident that God is leading this process, and we will continue to keep you updated as things move forward.
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March 23, 2026:
Church family,
I want to give you a quick update on where we are in our pastoral search.
Over the past couple of months, we’ve had the opportunity to review a few dozen applications and spend meaningful time praying through and discussing many qualified candidates. From that larger group, we narrowed our focus to about half a dozen individuals who we felt could be a strong fit for our church.
For a variety of reasons, we have not been able to move any of those candidates to the final leg of our process. Therefore, we are starting with another round of searching.
While that may feel discouraging at first, we want to be clear: this is not a setback, but rather a part of the process of faithfully seeking the right leader God has for our church. We are not looking to simply fill a role; we are trusting God to provide the right shepherd in His timing.
This is where we want to invite you in.
Please continue to pray with us:
• Pray for wisdom and unity for our search team
• Pray for the man God is calling here, that He would prepare and guide him
• Pray for our church, that we would remain patient, hopeful, and expectant
We truly believe God is at work, even in the waiting. And we’re committed to moving forward with faith, not urgency.
Thank you for your continued trust, prayers, and support.
Pastor Matt on behalf of the Pastoral Search Team
February 24, 2026:
The lead pastor role has been posted to church hiring platforms.
February 11th, 2026:
Network email has been sent out to about 50 of our ministry partners.
January 26th, 2026:
The final tweaks are being made to our hiring documents and word will go out to our personal network later this week to officially open the position.
Video Message from Pastor Matt
January 18th, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
We couldn't find an Associate Pastor - how do we think we're going to find a Lead Pastor? ---- It's true that the Associate search was difficult, but these are very different roles. Few pastors aspire to be a community life associate; many do aspire to be a lead pastor. The candidate pool, calling, and discernment processes are fundamentally different. While we take this time to pause the previous Associate Search, we do not anticipate the same level of challenge in finding a Lead Pastor.
What will Pastor Matt's role be after the transition? ---- In short, he and his family will relate to Catalyst like anyone else - finding their place to worship and serve within our church. There is no plan for him to assume any formal or informal leadership role within Catalyst moving forward at this time.
Are more staff members leaving? ---- No additional departures are planned. The focus for the board and the staff right now is stability, clarity, and faithful leadership through the transition.
Is the church in trouble financially or in decline? ---- Not at all - quite the opposite. Catalyst is financially stable and currently as large as it has ever been. We are currently seeing many of the metrics often associated with health as true within our community. Of course, Catalyst faces challenges and difficulties like any other community, but we are far from unstable.
What if the next Lead Pastor is very different? ---- That is both expected and often healthy. We are trusting God to provide the right leader for the next season, not a replica of the previous one. The search team is committed to finding someone who shares our core values and culture while bringing their own leadership gifts and style.
How long is this going to take? ---- There is no fixed timeline, but we anticipate the process taking place within the coming year. We are choosing health over hurry. The search team is following a clear, phased process developed alongside experienced pastors and consultants who have walked many churches through successful transitions.
How can I be involved or help during this season? ---- Pray consistently, stay engaged in community, continue serving, and trust God's work among us. Seasons like this are when the church grows not just numerically, but spiritually.
What will the church do without Pastor Matt? ---- It will be a challenge, for sure, but one we will trust God through. Matt has been a significant gift to this church, but the church has always been about more than one person. This season is an opportunity to do what should always be our primary purpose: lean on Jesus and walk forward together in faith.
Are we still looking for an Associate Pastor? ---- We are pausing the search for an associate to focus on the search for our next Lead Pastor. We want to make sure that person has input on their associate so they can hire based on their own strengths and weaknesses.
Our Search Team
If you have a question, comment, care, or concern that isn’t addressed by Pastor Matt’s video message on Jan 18th or the listed FAQ above, please feel free to email the search team at Change@CatalystWoodland.com.