Pastor Search
LETTER FROM OUR LEAD PASTOR SEARCH TEAM
We as a church are so grateful for the leadership of our Pastor, Poly Rouse, over his long tenure. As he has announced his coming retirement, the Lead Pastor Search Team has been given the task of searching for, interviewing, and recommending the next Lead Pastor of Hermitage Hills Baptist Church. We will be providing frequent updates in the Connection Guide, Hermitage Hills E-Newsletter, and in worship services. Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we walk through this next phase. The task is great, so we are trusting God to guide us and to reveal His plan in His timing. Please be praying that God would lead us throughout this search.
Scott McConnell, Randy Pitman, Monique Hunter, Kristen Landers, Mateo Custodio, Anita Vallett, Dan Arterburn, Peggy Lewis, and Jim Solava
Hermitage Hills Baptist Church
OUR PAST
In the course of our more than sixty-five years, only four men have served as pastor over Hermitage Hills Baptist Church, and after 22 years of dedicated service to the people of this community, Pastor Poly Rouse will be retiring in August 2023. The church understands this transition and is excited for Pastor Poly and his wife, Julie, to enter into this well-deserved, more relaxed chapter of life.
This congregation has experienced a number of challenges both internally and externally over the past several years. Devastating tornadoes, flooding and then the challenges of the pandemic have all tested this congregation, but further embedded them into the local community as a source of practical assistance and a visible picture of the love of Jesus. Hermitage Hills has proven its resilience. Through all the external challenges and a facility expansion to create space for youth programming, the people who call Hermitage Hills their church home continue to love one another and remain committed to advancing the mission of new LIFE in Jesus to those who need it. Pastor Poly’s leadership has been the constant amidst the changes and challenges. His engaging, biblically-based preaching and enthusiastic desire to see the church embrace younger people has been central to his leadership and continues to draw in new families.
OUR PRESENT
Hermitage Hills is a vibrant church that loves one another well and sincerely desires to reach new people and welcome them into the life of the church. The missional impulse is strong here, and people of all ages and stages of life want to impact the surrounding neighborhoods with the Gospel. Ministries like Radical Heart, Room in the Inn and Grow U (the church preschool) inspire congregants with ways the church can engage, serve and meet the real needs of families in the area. The facility is a tremendous resource and provides abundant space to house ministry initiatives and community focused events. The most recent addition to the church is a beautiful Next Gen Building. Our desire is to attract families with children and students to the church and to see this space buzzing with young people. The heartbeat to use the building for Kingdom purposes is strong.
OUR PEOPLE
Generosity: We are a regional congregation that supports its pastor and the ministries of the church in a tangible way. Through capital campaigns, Hermitage Hills was able to build a beautiful worship center and educational facilities. We are a group of people that consistently and willingly contributes to local and global ministries both financially as well as with personal investments of our time and talents.
Missional: Hermitage Hills longs to be relevant to its people and the community surrounding the church today. Radical Heart, Room in the Inn, Grow U, local school partnerships and international missions partnerships are all examples of our desire in this congregation to reach the community with the gospel of Jesus and to serve others in His name. These ministries draw people into the church and provide practical opportunities for congregants to put their faith into action and serve alongside one another.
Multi- generational: Hermitage Hills congregation covers the wide-ranging spectrum of all ages. We have many new young families who desire to get involved in LIFEgroups, as well as worship together with people of other ages. Our active adults bring an abundance of wisdom and unique abilities and experiences. There are also many established families who have children engaged in the middle school and high school aged ministries. There is a good balance of all ages that attend Hermitage Hills which offers a unique and refreshing experience when we meet together to worship.
OUR FUTURE
It is our desire to continue to love our community, impact our city, fortify our nation, and embrace the world through missional living. We know God has already selected the man who will lead this church going forward. We pray daily for this new pastor and hope he is revealed to us soon!