Vote on TNPC pastoral candidate is September 12

After almost a year of work, our pulpit committee has found a pastoral candidate whom they strongly and unanimously recommend. Most, if not all, of TNPC's adult members have already met him. At this writing, David Rogers still officially serves at Evangelical Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Cape Coral, Florida. (Note: there is also a Presbyterian denomination called the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Mr. Rogers' present congregation, and that denomination, are NOT to be confused).

On September 12, therefore, there will be a congregational meeting immediately after the worship service. In this meeting, TNPC members will vote on whether to confirm Mr. Rogers' call to be our pastor.

Over the last three weeks, there has been a decent "courtship" of sorts between Mr. Rogers and TNPC. The most important result has been that almost - if not every - adult TNPC member has had the opportunity to meet and speak with him. A timeline of this courtship now follows:

Saturday-Sunday, August 7-8:  Four Pulpit Committee members - Tony Anthony, Michael Boling, Nancy Day, and Sandy Hotz - go to Florida to meet Mr. Rogers and his family, and to hear him preach. Additionally, they talk to certain members of the EPC Session about Mr. Rogers. The EPC Session members show concern about the circumstances Mr. Rogers would be facing at Town North.

Thursday, August 12:  The entire Rogers family arrives in Richardson. They stay at the home of Ed and Sandy Hotz.

Friday, August 13:  The Rogers family is driven around various neighborhoods in the area of TNPC by Florence Kelt. If called, Mr. Rogers hopes to live somewhere near TNPC.

In the evening, the Rogers family attends a reception for the Pulpit Committee and their families at the Hestons' home.

Saturday, August 14:  The Rogers family attends an end-of-summer youth group gathering at the home of the Anthonys.

Sunday, August 15:  The Rogers family meets the larger TNPC congregation at a brunch during what is normally the Sunday School hour.

Saturday, August 21:  Mr. Rogers, having returned to our area without his family, talks with TNPC elders, deacons, and former elders at a retreat in TNPC's Fellowship Hall.

Sunday, August 22:  Mr. Rogers preaches at TNPC for the first time.  A brief Q&A session follows.  Mr. Rogers gives his cell phone number, and states that he will be available for TNPC members to contact him during the following week.

Mr. Rogers was born in Cuba City, Wisconsin, and graduated from high school in Platteville, another city in that state.  He spent several years as a graphic designer for a Milwaukee television station. During that time, he became active in a PCA church plant in the Milwaukee area, and worked on a degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.  He finished that degree in 1996.

In 1999, Mr. Rogers graduated from Covenant Theological Seminary in Saint Louis.  While at Covenant, he participated in church revitalization work with one of his professors.  After graduating, Mr. Rogers planted Faith Community Church in LaPorte, Indiana, near Gary.  In 2006, he was called to serve under the late Oliver Claasen in Cape Coral.  Mr. Claassen was a classmate and friend of Dave Clelland at Covenant seminary.

Mr. Rogers and his wife Kelly have five children.  They are daughters Tianna, Celine, Haley, and Lily; and son Josiah. Josiah is an adoptee from Haiti.