Church in Transition

Church in Transition

HFBC is in transition and God is at work in our church. We’ve created this page to keep you updated on the latest happenings and to provide a way for you to pray and give input as we move forward.  God is in control!

Phase I – Prayer and Listening

The most important work we’ll do during this transition is pray! So we ask you to continue to pray for our church, its current pastoral leadership, and for all the staff, deacons, and volunteers who are intimately involved in conducting the day-to-day ministries.
As importantly, we ask that you pray daily for our pastor search committee. They are facing an enormous task and need the saints to come alongside them with petitions to the Lord.
Those committee members are:
John Newland, Jim Bryan, John Kloke, Nancy Evans, Robin Fricke, and Kathy Noblett.  Alternates are Erik Dalton and Nancy Brown.
We also want to be sure every member is heard!  If you have a suggestion or comment that you would like to provide during this transition time, just fill in the helpful form at the bottom of the page.

Phase II – Pastor Search

UPDATES

Update May 8, 2020
Thanks to God’s direction, your prayers, the blessing of technology and the dedicated work of our entire committee, we are moving forward with the pastor search. We have conducted several virtual interviews and become acquainted with a number of wonderful, godly men.  We are at a point of checking references and looking more deeply into the ministering philosophy and experience of a candidate the Lord has led us to. 
We covet your prayers for each other, our current staff and the committee while we continue to seek God’s next and future steps for HFBC.  Join us as we vow to only look to our Lord’s clear direction and not to our opinions or expectations.  The Bible tells us repeatedly that, when it is a good work of God, He replaces whom He removes.  We believe that, by the power of the Word and His great grace, ours is a good work of God!

Update March 24, 2020
In this time when many things in our church have been altered due to world events, the Pastor Search Committee is continuing to move forward in our efforts to find God’s man to fill our senior pastor vacancy. 
Numerous resumes have been received and reviewed by the committee members.  We have contacted several possible candidates and are progressing with background checks after which we will conduct initial interviews. 
We joyfully press onward, with prayerful patience, knowing God is preparing the way in this search.  We thank you church family for your continued daily prayer.

HFBC Senior Pastor Search Committee

Update February 13, 2020
In the coming month, the pastor search committee will begin receiving and evaluating applications from candidates.    
Please pray that the committee would hear God’s voice with clarity and feel peace as they discern who they should interview.  Pray that as they begin the process of reading applications, listening to sermon samples, and talking with candidates, they place the church’s needs and desires before their own.  Pray that ALL members of the pastor search will know immediately and unequivocally the man God has for our church. 

Update January 26, 2020
The Church Congregational Surveys have been completed.  Those results will contribute to the Senior Pastor Profile and Job Description, which will be placed on the church website within the next few weeks.  Continual prayer is urged and appreciated for the committee, the church staff, all our members, as well as the man God is preparing to bring to HFBC.

Prayer Reminder
The committee has adopted a theme thus far: Prayerful Patience
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
-Romans 12:12

Prayer is a gift from God ~ when we have been faithful in prayer, we can rejoice in hope and be patient in all things. Pray we all love more deeply, serve humbly, faithfully pray, and share Truth in unity for His glory.

Our Interim Pastor
Dr. Mark Coppenger, began serving in our church on December 1st. Here’s his bio: 

Dr. Coppenger is recently retired from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he served as Professor of Christian Philosophy and Ethics. In addition to teaching at Southern Seminary, Coppenger served as managing editor of the online Kairos Journal. Before attending seminary, he taught at Wheaton and Vanderbilt, where he directed a project for the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books.  His articles and reviews have appeared in Teaching Philosophy, Touchstone, American Spectator, Criswell Review, Reformation and Revival, USA Today, and Christian Scholar’s Review. Coppenger has served as pastor of First Baptist Church, El Dorado, Arkansas; executive director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana; chairman of the SBC Resolutions Committee; president of Midwestern Seminary; and short-term mission volunteer to Brazil, Russia, Romania, Belgium, Egypt, and Sudan. He is also a retired infantry officer.

Dr. Coppenger resides in Nashville with his wife Sharon.  They have two adult sons (both are involved in full-time ministry) and one adult daughter.

Our Interim Worship Leader
David Hayashi began as our interim worship leader on January 26th.

David comes to serve Henderson FBC with over ten years of music ministry experience. Currently he is finishing up a Master’s Degree in Church Music at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. Before coming to Henderson FBC as Interim Worship Leader David served churches in Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky.

Along with his musical ventures, David has traveled to over 14 countries to serve as a short-term missionary. It was on one of these trips that David met his beautiful wife Sharon. The two have been married since 2013 and they have two puppies, Lola and Zöey.
Besides books and attending concerts, David loves a good cup of coffee and cooking up good food for family and friends to enjoy, especially BBQ! 

David’s favorite scripture passage is Psalm 34 which says:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

Share Your Suggestion

Your voice matters! The deacons and staff would like to hear from the congregation so if you have suggestions, you can submit them here and they will be shared with the staff and our deacon body.