Gospel Fellowship welcomes new pastor
MIDDLESEX TWP — This Sunday for the first time in 26 years a new senior pastor will take the pulpit at Gospel Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 161 McFann Road.
The Rev. Matthew Everhard will be installed in Sunday's service taking over from the Rev. Nick Protos, who preached his last sermon Sept. 29.
“I'm 70 years old, plus I've been battling cancer since December 2016. I felt like it was time I stepped down,” said Protos, adding his cancer was in remission.
But there were other signs it was time to make a change, he said. Four years ago, Protos injured himself playing softball.
“I began to see it was time. My wife, Linda, and I have things we want to do,” he said.
While his children and grandchildren are all living in the area and are all members of Gospel Fellowship's 350-member congregation, Protos said he and his wife will find a new church to attend in his retirement.
“We would want to worship here, but it's not good to have an ex-senior pastor hanging around. It's not fair to the new pastor,” said Protos.
Protos said the church has been planning for this transition since at least 2016 and hopes to make the change seamless.
Everhard comes to Gospel Fellowship following a 10-year stint as senior pastor at Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, Fla.
Everhard, who grew up in Ohio, said he and his wife, Kelly, and three children wanted to move closer to home.
Everhard said, “Presbyterian ministers aren't assigned like Methodists. It's like a job search.”
Everhard said the interview process included preaching a “test” sermon before his potential new congregation and that congregation taking a vote on hiring him.
He added Gospel Fellowship members could also see videos of his old sermons because his former church televised its services.
Asked about his approach to pastorship, Everhard said, “Pastors become famous for two reasons: they do something really embarrassing to make the news or they become a mega-famous minister.
“A pastor should just love the Lord, teach the Bible and love God's people. Be faithful in teaching God's word,” he said.
Protos said the church has seen many changes since it moved to its present 86-acre site in 1989.
He credited the church's longtime Christian Recreation Program, which this summer attracted 500 children between 5 and 14, as well as the church's volleyball and angleball leagues, with connecting the church to the community.
And the community around the church is changing, changes Everhard will have to face.
“Middlesex Township used to just have 5,000 people in it,” said Protos. “Now it's booming and the church has to reach out to new people.
“It used to just have 1 percent minorities. That's going to change,” he said.
Portos said it was fitting that his last sermon was also the last installment on the Letter to the Ephesians.
“It concerns peace, grace and faith. I'll finish the book and finish the ministry,” he said.
