Prominent US pastor and author Chuck Swindoll will soon step down as senior pastor of his church.
Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas has announced that the 89-year-old will transition into the role of founding pastor on 1st May. Dr Jonathan Murphy will be his replacement.
In his new capacity, Swindoll will continue to deliver sermons and preach on Sundays. Meanwhile, Dr Murphy will oversee the day-to-day ministries of the church and step in at the pulpit as needed.
This transition also includes a mentorship aspect, with Swindoll, who’s been pastor since 1998, providing guidance and advice to his successor. Looking ahead, Dr Murphy is expected to eventually take on primary pulpit duties.
The elders of the church said in a statement: “We believe the Lord has gone before us in this decision from the beginning. Two years ago, as some of us elders gathered to pray, we talked about considering Jonathan as a candidate for the future role of Senior Pastor.
“When we approached Pastor Chuck with the idea at that time, we were happy to find out that he had already been mentoring Jonathan for the past several years, and he excitedly agreed that Jonathan would be a great fit for the position.
“We then extended a letter of intent to Jonathan, and he gladly set his expectations to become our Senior Pastor in the future. In March of 2024, after prayerful consideration, Pastor Chuck and the entire elder team unanimously decided that now is the time for Jonathan to step into his new role.”
