Dear Covenant Partners and Regular Attenders,

It is our distinct honor and privilege to introduce you to Charles Teixeira, the PNC’s nominee for the next lead pastor of Community West Church. Our process began earlier this year after Nelson announced his intent to retire, and the covenant partners unanimously approved the PNC for this task. We had 24 applicants for the position. Through prayer, discernment, and a thorough process designed to assess the qualifications and gifting required for this position, we first narrowed the pool through sermon reviews and a series of written questions. We then began interviews with a small number of candidates and continued with prayerful discernment through multiple interviews, and finally an in-person visit with the candidate at his current church (First Presbyterian Church - Albert Lea, Minnesota).

Over the past months, it became clear to the PNC that Charles is the candidate uniquely gifted and called to shepherd this congregation into the future as Nelson retires. Charles has a deep desire that all should know Christ. He believes in community and hospitality as vehicles for discipleship, spiritual growth, and evangelism. Charles preaches and teaches from a heart that lives out of the love of Christ he experiences, and longs for others to know. He is a gentle and compassionate shepherd who loves walking with others through the ups and downs of their lives.

The PNC unanimously, enthusiastically, and with great thanks to our good God, invites you to read the attached letter from Charles to learn more about him. We have also included a link to a recent sermon from a series on Jonah – the one Charles preached on September 21st when members of the PNC visited him in Minnesota.

During the congregational meeting on November 16th, the PNC will provide a more detailed review of their process and additional information about Charles. There will also be an opportunity for the PNC to answer questions Covenant Partners may have about the process or the candidate before the paper ballot vote to approve the PNC’s nominee for the next Lead Pastor of Community West Church. You may also submit questions in advance via email to pnc@communitywestchurch.org

This is both an exciting and challenging time for our congregation as we prepare to celebrate Nelson’s retirement and years of service to God and this church, while also preparing to welcome our new pastor. The PNC and church leadership are aware that many in our community have mixed feelings about these upcoming transitions and will be here to lead and walk alongside each of you in the months ahead. We look forward to meeting together on November 16th to further discuss our nominee and vote on our next Lead Pastor.

In Christ,

The PNC

Community West,

I’m eager to get to know you all in person soon, but in the meanwhile, let me share a bit about myself!

I grew up in southern Massachusetts, about an hour south of Boston (go Sox!). My family and most of my friends were not followers of Jesus, but I had one good friend who persistently shared his faith with me during my high school years. Honestly, I had high walls against organized religion and particularly Christianity. But, as my friend faithfully witnessed to me about God’s love for me, I began to wrestle with the God I wasn’t even sure existed. Finally, at a small Christian camp in New Hampshire, I placed my trust in Christ as my Lord and Savior. Then, the summer before shipping off to college, I was baptized in the cold water of a nearby lake, wearing a baptismal robe and all.

My college years began at the University of Connecticut. Having only read a handful of passages in the Bible, I knew I wanted to find Christian friends on campus and quickly joined Campus Crusade (now “Cru”). Before long, I was going door-to-door with their staff, sharing the Gospel with my dormmates and being asked to disciple them. I knew in that season what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I transferred to Gordon College (Wenham, MA) to pursue a degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. I was able to grow not just in my knowledge of Christ, but my intimacy with Him. It was also during college that I met my future bride, Elizabeth, who has only ever spurred me on to follow Jesus. After graduating in 2010, I began to serve my community at a local group home serving teenagers who had been displaced from their homes. I began to study addiction therapy (University of Massachusetts) and work with men experiencing sexual addictions through the parachurch ministry XXXChurch (Las Vegas, NV). The Holy Spirit gave me a hunger to see Him do miraculous things in, through, and around me.

In 2011, Elizabeth and I were married at St. Giles Presbyterian (Richmond), her home church and where her parents still attend. With a love for others rooted in her Christian faith, Elizabeth became a social worker with a passion to see those along the margins treated with dignity and worth. In her career, she has worked in community action programs, domestic violence prevention, homelessness diversion, and psychiatric social work. I married up, for sure.

Realizing a deep affinity for God’s work through the local church, I began virtually attending Bethel Seminary (St. Paul, MN) in 2014. In order to afford seminary, we moved from greater Boston to Richmond to live closer to Elizabeth’s family, as we began our own. We settled into Third Church and before long I was asked to serve as a Pastoral Intern under their pastor, Corey Widmer. I am so, so grateful for the wisdom I gained from Corey, Third’s elders, the staff, and laity. In 2018, I graduated with a Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in Missional Church Leadership and was ordained into ECO that October.

My journey as a pastor has taken us to places we never thought we would land. In 2018, God called me to serve in west Texas as the Associate Pastor of Congregational Care at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas (ECO). I won’t say I was a huge fan of those Texas summers, but God did some amazing things in those years as I cared for that beautiful church family in a foreign land. Three years later, worn down by the pandemic and my primary role of congregational care during those unprecedented times, we decided to take a new role as Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Albert Lea, Minnesota. Since beginning there in 2021, I’ve seen God do “things too wonderful for me to know” (Job 42:3) - conversions, baptisms, reconciliation, healing, recovery, forgiveness, and folks restoring their trust in God and the Church. I know with all confidence that Jesus loves my brothers and sisters here (in Albert Lea) and will continue to do wonders among them.

Together, Elizabeth and I have three sons: AJ (12), Isaac (10), and Simon (2). AJ loves playing soccer, running track, learning the viola, engaging in thoughtful conversations, and great chess matches. Isaac enjoys listening to Christian rap music, painting, drawing cartoons, and baking alongside The Great British Bake Off. Simon spends his time reading books (especially books with buttons), making art, playing tug-of-war with our dog, and singing “Baby Shark” at the top of his lungs. They’ve taught me a lot about faith, watching their own faith journeys begin to blossom. Together, our family enjoys hosting friends for meals, exploring the outdoors, having kitchen dance parties, and playing with our dog, Juneau, and cat, Ginny.

Community West, I am thrilled and humbled by the chance to partner with you in the West End and beyond. My passion is to see those who feel far from God, for whatever reason, brought near to Him by faith in Christ. I can hear that same heartbeat in Community West, and I cannot wait to see what God has planned for us in the years to come.

In Christ,

Charles

Note from the PNC: If you would like to listen to one of Charles’ sermons, go here and watch the September 21 sermon entitled “The Message that Conquered a City.” This is the message Charles preached the weekend members of the PNC visited his church in Albert Lea.