Now is when it really gets interesting ... !
If you missed the congregational meeting on May 20, then you missed an historic event. Redeemer Presbyterian Church is no more. Instead, there are three new churches: Redeemer East Side, Redeemer West Side, and Redeemer Downtown (and of course a new congregation, Redeemer Lincoln Square, the first of many to follow.)
At the event, attended by well over 600 congregants, the church members voted to disband Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and to constitute three new churches, each with their own senior pastor: Abe Cho at East Side; David Bisgrove at West Side; and John Lin at Downtown.
Dismissed with thanks was Senior Pastor and founder, Timothy Keller, who now bears the honorific Senior Pastor Emeritus. Not that he has retired (as he keeps telling everyone!) but he will move to the Redeemer City to City side of things to teach at Reformed Theological Seminary NYC (a partnership between Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) and Redeemer City to City). Dr. Keller’s new role is to prepare new church planters to fuel the growth of new churches city wide, as well as globally.
Brian Stanton gave his usual clear and understandable financial update, and Drew Field admirably walked everyone though the thicket of simultaneous motions that would change bylaws, create new churches, continue the Corporation of Redeemer Presbyterian Church to administer shared goals and services (i.e. mortgage(s), Central Services), assigning members and pastors, as well as elders, deacons, and deaconesses, to each of the three new churches and electing new trustees.
Although all members have been requested to identify with the church of their choice, if they want to move from one of the new churches to another anytime in the remainder of 2017, it will be treated as a simple administrative item. Starting in 2018, changing churches will be like leaving/joining any new church.
It was a joyous occasion, with more excitement and energy than the typical congregational meeting. Glen Kleinknecht reminisced about the earliest days of Redeemer’s creation, and prayed for the Kellers, then all sang There is a Redeemer. And then everyone celebrated at the reception which followed.
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