Background

In accordance with Section 9.1.4.6 of PAWI's Constitution, an Autonomous Church shall elect its own Senior Pastor. This petition represents the voice of the congregation, requesting that Rev. Dr. Andy Philip be included as a candidate for Senior Pastor of RTA.

The purpose of this petition is to express the congregation's disagreement with the South District Executives' selective application of the PAWI Constitution. There were too many missteps, resulting in the perceived intentional non-selection of Rev. Dr. Andy Philip to advance to the second interview conducted by RTA's Board of Directors.

Given that the Church's Board is established to look after the affairs of the church and its membership, this matter has the grave potential to cause a significant decline in church membership. The majority of congregation members have expressed their dissatisfaction with how the South District Executives have handled this process.

Call to Action

1.  We request the District Bishop to allow the Church Board of Directors to operate in their role as representatives of the congregation.

2.   We ask the acting Senior Pastor and Bishop to call an assembly meeting to discuss this matter openly and with the transparency that was lacking from the start of the process.

3.  We urge the District Bishop and the Executives to include Dr. Rev. Andy Philip as a candidate to be interviewed by the Church’s Board, allowing the Board to determine the candidates to present to the church.

Benefits of Action

1.  If both the PAWI District Executives and the congregation have heard from God, let's honor God's call by placing the three candidates before the church and allowing the membership to decide.

2.  The process of filling this vacancy has been prolonged. Allowing the church congregation's voice and their right to choose will ensure adherence to PAWI's Constitution, facilitating a quicker and less frustrating process.

3.  Allowing the church to choose will demonstrate that rumors of favoritism and personal bias in this process are unfounded and untrue.

4.  This will restore the respect and integrity of the church’s governing body, PAWI, in the eyes of the body of Christ.

Support and Participation

Supporting and participating in this petition allows your voice to be counted as a member of the church. Together with the Board, you will make a difference in holding PAWI and its executives accountable to God and its people by adhering to fair and just practices.

Conclusion

Addressing this issue is vital to ensure that the rights of an autonomous church in the selection of its Senior Pastor are not dismissed or manipulated. The church has the right to have one of its members considered as a candidate for Senior Pastor.

By uniting in this cause, we are taking meaningful steps to bring about positive change and ensure that our voices have an impact when fundamental decisions are made for our church. Signing this petition indicates that you, as a member, want to be counted in requesting that Rev. Dr. Andy Philip be selected to progress to the second round of the interview process.