After 18 years of faithful leadership at Covenant, Senior Pastor Bob Henderson will retire in mid-September 2026. As we prepare for this important transition, Covenant has begun the thoughtful and intentional process that will lead to calling our next Senior Pastor.

 Session has appointed a Transition Team to help guide the congregation through the months ahead, including identifying an Interim Senior Pastor and leading the Mission Study that will help Covenant reflect on who we are, where God is calling us, and what we hope for in our future. That work will ultimately prepare the way for the election of a Pastor Nominating Committee and the search for Covenant’s next Senior Pastor.

Throughout the transition, we will share updates on this webpage and in our weekly Windows on Covenant email and provide opportunities for the congregation to ask questions, offer input, and participate in shaping Covenant’s future together.

John McAlister 

Mark Folk

John Arwood

Amy Ford

Deana Cooper

Stephen Moore

Mary Delk

Kim Spivey

The Transition Team is officially underway and making meaningful progress as we prepare for the next chapter in the life of Covenant following Bob Henderson’s retirement in September. Led by John McAlister, the team includes John Arwood, Deana Cooper, Mary Delk, Mark Folk, Amy Ford, and Stephen Moore.

Kim Spivey, Assistant Clerk of Session, serves as the team’s liaison to Session, helping foster communication and coordination as the team carries out its important work. We are grateful for the time, wisdom, and commitment each member is bringing to the transition process.

If you have questions or would like to share any concerns or thoughts with the transition team, please reach out to the team at transition.team@covenantpresby.org

Yes. Congregational participation is an important part of the process. The congregation will elect the PNC and approve the call of the new Senior Pastor. The congregation also provides recommendations of members to serve on the PNC. Members of the congregation will participate in the Mission Study and have opportunities to share their input. The Transition Team also welcomes questions, ideas, hopes, and concerns throughout the transition.

A mission study is a comprehensive self-assessment that helps a church to discern its identity, future goals, and the needs of the surrounding community. Through various methods and instruments, similar to Covenant’s Envisioning process a few years ago, the church considers important questions: Who are we? Where are we? What is God calling us to do? And how will we move forward? At Covenant, the mission study process will be led by the Transition Committee and the Planning and Evaluation Committee. Once completed, the mission study report is presented to the Presbytery of Charlotte’s Committee on Ministry for approval. 

A Pastor Nominating Committee, or PNC, is a group of Covenant members elected by the congregation to conduct the search for our next Senior Pastor. Using the Mission Study and Ministry Discernment Profile as a foundation, the PNC will prayerfully identify and consider candidates and ultimately recommend one candidate to the congregation. The congregation then votes on whether to call that person as Covenant’s next Senior Pastor.

The goal of this position is to cultivate an atmosphere in which staff, members, and friends of Covenant Presbyterian Church continue to pursue and embrace our vision. The Interim Senior Pastor will provide pastoral leadership, spiritual care, and administrative oversight while helping the church maintain stability and momentum. This will be accomplished primarily through leadership with staff, Session, and the congregation at large.