Important Update from the Staff-Parish Relations Committee
Earlier this year, Pastor Michael Cloud accepted an appointment as Senior Pastor at Covenant Methodist Church in Lafayette. He shared this news with our Staff-Parish Relations Committee, and the committee started to think about what comes next for Trinity. Because of our recent affiliation with the Global Methodist Church (GMC), the process for selecting a new pastor is different from what many of us experienced under the United Methodist Church.
In the GMC, the congregation plays a much larger role in the process. Rather than being appointed by a bishop, pastors are selected—and they also have a choice in accepting a position. It’s more similar to a job search in the corporate world.
On March 25, Jason Burnham, our regional superintendent from the GMC, joined our SPRC meeting to help guide us through the proper next steps. We’ve since developed a preliminary transition plan. This plan outlines the responsibilities of the new pastor and how those will gradually increase over time, with the goal of them fully stepping into the Senior Pastor role in January 2027.
We are grateful that Pastor Doug has agreed to stay involved beyond that date. He will begin stepping back from certain responsibilities during the transition, but his ongoing presence and support will be a blessing.
We know you likely have questions—and we want to hear from you. If you missed the listening sessions please reach out to SPRC Chair, Trotter Hunt, with any questions.
Thank you for being a part of the Trinity family