What does the unification with Puget Sound Foursquare mean regarding the structure of governance and leadership within Trinity Church?
The approval vote to hire Lance Powers as the new Lead Pastor leads Trinity one step closer to becoming part of the Foursquare Denomination. As Trinity Church assimilates into Puget Sound Foursquare, it will use Puget Sound Foursquare’s statement of faith and policies as its governing documents. Puget Sound Foursquare’s governance operates differently from Trinity Church. On a local level within the Foursquare Church, there exists a Church Council and a Church Staff. The Church Council exists as a covering and advisory board to the Lead Pastor. In essence, the Church Pastoral Staff submits proposals and ideas to the Lead and Executive Pastors to receive approval. Once approved, they are given to the Church Council, and they begin to plan how to provide the necessary funding and support. As Trinity unites with Sound Foursquare, the Trinity Board of Elders will continue to remain intricately involved in decision-making. However, the Board of Elders will begin to sit in an advisory role, rather than sole decision-makers, to Pastor Lance Powers. Further, the Executive Pastor of Puget Sound Foursquare, Heather Wait, will begin to oversee Trinity Church's operations, strategic planning, administration, finances, and staffing (including pastoral and support staff).
What’s next for Trinity + Puget Sound Foursquare?
As we near the time we will meet as one body with Puget Sound Foursquare, several things are beginning to happen:
- A Building Team consisting of the Trinity Elder Team and the Puget Sound Foursquare Council will meet to conduct an assessment of both buildings and determine the next steps regarding building usage.
- Ministry leads are meeting and formulating plans to unite and move forward.
- Pastoral and support staffing decisions are being made.
- Trinity missionaries have been made aware of the unification (rest assured, the pledges made during Trinity’s October Missions Month will be honored and continued).
- There will be a secondary vote to finalize the unification of Trinity with Puget Sound Foursquare. This vote will authorize the legal unification of Trinity with Puget Sound Foursquare. Once this vote is complete, systems will be integrated and moved over to Puget Sound Foursquare platforms. These systems include Planning Center, emails, website, giving, etc. Additionally, Trinity's corporation (including the property and assets) will be legally transferred to Puget Sound Foursquare.
How will monies be handled going forward?
We will continue to handle money separately as two churches until the secondary vote (see #5 above). Everything related to Trinity will continue to be paid out of the Trinity general fund, everything related to Sound Foursquare, paid out of Sound Foursquare’s general fund. Missions funding pledged during Trinity’s October Missions Month will continue to be given to Trinity’s missionaries. The funding may need to be adjusted based on current incoming missions-giving. Missionaries have been notified that we will re-evaluate their monthly support amounts by June 1, 2021.
Where do I tithe?
For now, continue giving to your current church. When the giving platforms begin to be integrated, we will keep you informed every step of the way.