SUCCESSION

This announcement brings to fruition a several year succession process that Tim has led, alongside the Board of our church. This transition began over a year ago with intentional coaching and mentoring that will continue through the hand-off of leadership in the fall of 2018.

In September of 1988, with encouragement from Calvary Church Santa Ana, Tim launched out to begin a brand new church plant in the city of Costa Mesa, with his wife, Sue, and a small group of people. From that time until today, Tim has diligently and passionately grown The Crossing. From the humble beginnings of the small A-frame church building on 23rd and Orange, to our present location on Newport Boulevard, the heartbeat of the church has remained the same: “To help people who are saying no to God, say yes to Him through Jesus.”

Much has changed through the years, yet the one constant has been our belief in a very BIG God and His miraculous handiwork in and through our church. We have seen thousands of lives supernaturally changed forever. We know this Lead Pastor change has been God-inspired and God-led. Tim strongly felt many years ago that it would be important to position The Crossing for continued impact for generations to come through a well-planned leadership transition.

For more than five years, Tim and the Board of The Crossing have read, watched, listened, and sought out best practice wisdom regarding the succession of a long-tenured leader. Over two years ago, Tim and the Board initiated a nationwide search process to select the person who would join Tim in a two-year intentional leadership changeover, and Andrew Brownback was selected from numerous candidates. “Right from the beginning, a bond was forged between Andrew and I,” Tim remembers.

Tim and the Board were praying and searching for someone who would understand and embrace the mission, vision, and values of The Crossing. “Because of Andrew’s response to Jesus in his early twenties,” says Tim, “and the focus of his ministry and training in his previous church, I knew we found the right person for The Crossing.”

“Many people, myself included, have noticed how people respond to his speaking,” Tim observed. “I very much enjoy that his style is different from mine. I have been impacted as a result of his insights from the Scriptures.”

Andrew, Melissa, and their two boys, Evan (4) and Keller (2), have settled into Costa Mesa from Chicago, quickly falling in love with both the climate and the people of our community. “They, like Sue and I, are from the Midwest. I have watched them immediately adapt to life in Southern California,” Tim states. “What has been so readily apparent is how the leaders and people in our Group Ministry have connected with Andrew and Melissa. They are a great fit for our church.”

Finding a pastor who was a cultural fit for The Crossing was crucial for Tim and the Board, as was finding someone with broad experience. Andrew grew his ministry experience in a church much larger than The Crossing, and he also had the opportunity to hold various staff positions there. “Yes, the role of Lead Pastor is new for Andrew,” says Tim, “but it is easy to see God has been preparing him for a role such as this. I respect Andrew a ton. He is both a strong and humble leader. From the outset, he desired to come into a situation where he could be coached for a period of time before assuming the primary leadership role. The match is wonderful and God’s hand has been evident.”

In October 2018, The Crossing’s 30th anniversary, Tim will step down from his position as Senior Pastor. At that time, he will take a brief break from The Crossing; however, he will continue to be engaged in an ongoing coaching relationship with Andrew, and will periodically speak on weekends as a part of The Crossing’s teaching team.

“I love The Crossing. Sue and I look forward to remaining a vital part of The Crossing’s church family. I have been praying about this transition for nearly 10 years now. For 30 years, I and many others have had a front row seat to the marvelous and mighty hand of a big God. What’s awesome is that we are seeing yet another movement of God in our church through this succession journey”