Taylor Mendoza Vetting Committee Update

Taylor Mendoza Vetting Committee Update

Hello Church Family,

As part of the “Restore, Rediscover, and Rebuild” process that we’re going through, I want to give you an update on the process. As we have discussed, the Northpoint Elders are recommending Taylor Mendoza be promoted from Director of Student Ministries to Pastor of Student Ministries. Our church’s constitution requires the elders submit a vetting committee, made up of selected elders and Northpoint members, for affirmation by the Northpoint membership. To that end, the elders recently announced the following for the Taylor Mendoza Vetting Committee: elders Tim East, Steve Flood, Mike Russell, and Vinoj Zachariah, and Northpoint members Karen Sherwood, Rich Simpson, and Keith Tront. Each of the congregational members was selected because they represent the general make up of our church. Karen has been on the Northpoint staff in the women’s ministry and is a parent of kids in our student ministries. Rich works at Cal Baptist University as the registrar, and for many years, was a youth pastor in Riverside. Keith is a longtime Northpoint member who is well versed in the Word, and who disciples several men here. This past Sunday, the Northpoint congregation voted overwhelmingly to affirm the vetting committee.

The intent of this committee is NOT to rubber-stamp the elders’ recommendation for Taylor’s promotion but to evaluate thoroughly his character and qualifications in light of scriptural requirements (Titus 1.5-9, 1 Timothy 3.1-7, and others).

For it says in 1 Timothy 3:2-7:

“Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

While the pastor of student ministries will not be an elder, he will be included on the Leadership Team, which is comprised of both pastors and elders. Previous student ministries pastors were on the Leadership Team, and Taylor’s presence and input there is very much needed. In fact, in many ways, Taylor is already fulfilling almost all the responsibilities of previous student ministry pastors: he leads our high school and Revolve ministries, oversees the junior high ministry associate, Jacob Williams, leads mission teams to other countries, counsels struggling teenagers, preaches occasionally in the main services, and leads communion and baptism.

Calling a man to the role of a pastor is a serious task that requires time. The answer of the vetting committee will be either yes—affirm Taylor as a pastor—or, wait—not yet. The elders’ goal a couple months ago was to be able to vet Taylor in order to present him to the congregation for affirmation as a pastor at the July congregational meeting. Due to the compressed schedule and everyone’s limited availability over the next month, we have decided the best course of action would be to hold a special meeting in the fall to allow the committee the appropriate amount of time to appraise thoroughly Taylor’s character and relationships.

We are excited to see the next chapter that God has for our body at Northpoint, and we are thankful for you as we serve alongside you. Thank you for your prayers and support. We have been extremely encouraged by you. Please continue to pray and trust that the Lord’s will be done here at Northpoint.

In Him,

Vinoj Zachariah, Elder
– On Behalf of the Elders