The members of First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton voted overwhelmingly to approve the recommendation of our Pastor Nominating Committee to call Reverend Dr. Paul J. Kirbas as our new Pastor, Head of Staff Elect at a Congregational Meeting on Sunday, August 6, 2006. The meeting followed the preaching of his candidacy sermon during our worship services at 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. that morning.  His sermon is available online in MP3 format.

A reception in Stewart Hall followed the meeting, and photos from the worship service and reception are online.

We look forward to welcoming Dr. Kirbas and his family to our church and our community!  He will be starting here on Homecoming Sunday, September 10, 2006.  Read a letter from Dr. Paul Kirbas, and listen to his candidacy sermon.

Message from Our Nominating Committee

Dear Members,

It is with great joy and anticipation that the Pastor Nominating Committee recommends to the congregation that it elect the Reverend Dr. Paul J. Kirbas to be called as Pastor, Head of Staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton. Our recommendation culminates a nine-month search that resulted in over 125 applications. We screened applications, listened to sermons, conducted telephone interviews, called references, and visited applicants at their home churches.

Dr. Kirbas possesses all the spiritual and personal qualities that we were seeking. As he told us in his own words, “I love the calling that God has placed in my life, to make my relationship with Christ and his Church the primary activity of my life”. His gifts are an excellent match for the priority areas that our congregation identified in our Mission/Vision Study. He is an exceptional preacher and teacher, he loves to work with a creative team, he enjoys pastoring to people of all ages and in all walks of life and he embraces the roles of leadership and guidance. We anticipate that his many gifts for ministry will build on our strong foundation and lead us into an exciting future here at First Pres. Wheaton.

Throughout our meetings and activities we prayed that God would lead us to the right pastor for our church. We believe that our prayers have been answered.

Sincerely,

The Pastor Nominating Committee

Travis Maisel
Steve Van Oss
Bill Blake
Sandy Crittenden
Diane Easter
Mike Huesing
Jill Jakubowski
Rufus Robbins

Faith and Theological Perspective

Throughout his youth, Paul knew his role in life would be ministry. From a young child standing behind the pulpit after church, becoming a youth minister at his church as a high school senior, and 17 years of ordained ministry, his life has prepared him for where he is now. “Christian Ministry is not just what I do, it is truly who I am.”

Without a doubt, the Holy Spirit has been moving in and through his ministry. This ministry has blossomed though his passion for Preaching, Teaching and Leadership and Congregational Development.

“I have an ever-developing understanding of our Triune God and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I have been a lifelong student of the Bible. I feel well informed by our Reformed doctrines and our confessions, and continue to be a student of current Reformed theology.”

Paul believes that the Church has been given four central tasks. “First we have been called to make disciples through Evangelism. Second is to grow disciples through Discipleship. The third task of the church is to mobilize disciples though Mission and the fourth task is to nurture disciples through Pastoral Care.”

He describes his theology as progressive and tolerant and enjoys a church that welcomes and embraces diversity. As a pastor he is always committed to maintaining the peace and unity of a congregation, while at the same time stretching ourselves to overcome prejudices and biases.

Education

Dr. Paul J. Kirbas attended college at Mercer University, where he received a BA in Sociology and Psychology. Following college, Paul enrolled in Columbia Theological Seminary, where he received his Master of Divinity degree and later, his Doctor of Ministry degree. Paul is currently finishing a PhD dissertation in Christian Ethics for Biotechnology at the Graduate Theological Foundation and Oxford University.

Church Experience and Service to the Denomination

Paul has been an ordained Presbyterian pastor for the past 17 years, serving churches in Georgia and Florida as Pastor, Head of Staff since 1989. He is currently Senior Pastor at Church of the Palms in Sarasota, Florida. Before that he was Pastor, Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church in Bonita Springs, Florida. Both churches are blessed with congregations in excess of 1500 members.

In addition to his church service, Paul has been active in Presbytery and community ministries. He has served on numerous Presbytery committees and was a commissioner to the 216th General Assembly, PCUSA. He has also been a board member of many civic organizations including the YMCA and has participated in Rotary and Kiwanis.

Even during his college and seminary years, Paul was active in youth ministry bringing eight years of experience to his ordination.

Teaching

Paul has initiated a major teaching ministry that has had class attendance exceeding 1,000 students. His classes address the important and often controversial issues of our day, giving participants a richer knowledge of complicated issues so that each person can be more informed about the world in which we live. His recent courses have included “Islam: Should We Fear It?”; “Can Peace Prevail?: Inside the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”; “Should We Do It?: Seeking Ethical Guidance in our Biotech World”; “In the Beginning, God . . . can Creation and Evolution Peacefully Coexist?”; and “The Gnostic Revolution. . . A Christian Response to the Da Vinci Code.” These courses are widely used in churches and other organizations around the country.

Family

Paul was born into a large family on July 10, 1963. Along with six siblings, Paul was raised in three places during his childhood: Whippany, New Jersey; East Wilton, Maine; and Alpharetta, Georgia. Paul is married to Jennifer, who is a paralegal by training but has predominantly been a stay-at-home mom since their children were born. Paul and Jennifer have two sons. Jeff is 14 years old and entering 9th grade. Brad is 12 years old and going into 7th grade. Their family also includes a one-year-old Labradoodle puppy named Ginger.