Welcome!

On Saturday, November 22 and Sunday, November 23, SMPC celebrated Matt and Donna's retirement in big, meaningful ways. Click here for the full wrap-up!

Dear SMPC Members and Friends,

On behalf of the Transition Committee, I am excited to announce that Dr. Sanford (Sandy) Hull has accepted the Transitional Pastor position at South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church, effective Monday, December 1, 2025. His first Sunday preaching will be on Sunday, December 7.

We are filled with hope as we welcome Sandy to SMPC and look forward to him meeting all of you, this wonderful community of faith, as he leads us through the interim period between Dr. Matt Brown’s retirement and our next senior pastor, bringing his experience, warmth, and positivity.

Sandy brings a wealth of experience to this role. He most recently served as Transitional Pastor at Palmetto Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant, SC. Previously, he served as senior pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church, Jenkintown, PA (2007–2022); The Community Church of Smoke Rise, Kinnelon, NJ (2001–2006); and Brookdale Presbyterian Church, St. Joseph, MO (1985–2000). He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst, a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary.

Sandy also served in leadership roles in the Presbytery of Philadelphia as moderator of the Committee on Self-Development of People; as moderator of the Transitional Leadership Commission, which guided the presbytery between general presbyters; and as moderator of an administrative commission overseeing a new church development. He also moderated the Visioning Task Force of Charleston Atlantic Presbytery.

Sandy and his wife, Belinda, have four grown sons. Charlie and his wife, Kristi, live in Denver with Donnie the cat and Buck the dog. Tim is taking advantage of remote work to live wherever he wants around the world (currently El Salvador for the surfing). Kevin and his wife, Ariana, live in Charlotte with their four children. Ned and his wife, Alex, live in the Philadelphia area but don’t like the Eagles.

We hope you’ll plan to join us on Sunday, December 7, for Sandy and Belinda’s first Sunday at SMPC! We will continue to keep you updated with more details, including his contact information. In the meantime, please pray for Sandy and Belinda as they begin a new life in Charlotte; for Matt and Donna, as they say goodbye to the church they’ve loved for over two decades and say hello to a beautiful, enriching retirement; and for our congregation, as we steer this time of change together as a church family.

— Nancy Metzler
Transition Committee Chair

Please mark your calendars for Dr. Matt Brown's Retirement Celebration at SMPC, Saturday, November 22 and Sunday, November 23. Click here for more details.

If you have any questions about the celebration, please contact Adrienne Jaquith.

The Transition Committee began interviewing candidates this week.

If you have any questions about the transition process, please contact Nancy Metzler at nancymetzler@gmail.com.

The Transition Committee gave a Moment for Mission on Sunday, September 14 to update the congregation on its process for hiring an interim pastor. Watch the Moment for Mission here.

Dear SMPC Family,

We are excited to share that Rev. Melissa White has accepted a new role at SMPC as Parish Associate. In this role, Melissa will share in congregational care responsibilities and provide leadership for the Deacons. Additionally, she will continue her work with hospitality, membership, and Spiritual Formation.

Beginning September 1, Melissa’s new hours will be Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You can reach Melissa at melissa@smpchome.org.

This position is an interim position as we continue our pastoral transition process. More details about the process can be found on our website.

Please join us in congratulating Melissa on her expanded ministry at SMPC. We are deeply grateful for her compassionate heart and gentle spirit as she continues to guide and support our faith community.

Janet Morgan, Chair, Personnel Committee

SMPC has posted the Transitional Pastor position. Click here for more information.

The excitement is building as we prepare to celebrate Dr. Matt Brown’s upcoming retirement! To help honor his time and contributions to SMPC, a committee has been formed to plan a series of special events. We’d love for you to be part of the celebration!

Please fill out the Retirement Celebration Planning Interest form and share how you might like to get involved.

Contact: Kathy Graham – kathyspeech@carolina.rr.com

On Sunday, June 22, the Transition Committee met with the Session and representatives of the Presbytery of Charlotte: Jan Edmiston, General Presbyter, and John Magee, SMPC’s liaison for the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry. The Transition Committee updated the group on their next steps in filling the two interim roles (a part-time Parish Associate and a full-time Transitional Pastor), and Edmiston and Magee offered insight and support through the process.

The Committee is finalizing the interim part-time Parish Associate job description and will begin to consider candidates in the next couple of weeks. The Committee’s goal is to fill this position as quickly as possible so that all of our congregational care needs will continue to be met as we move through the transition process.

Additionally, the Committee has begun to work on the Transitional Pastor job description as well as the PC(USA)’s version of a job listing called a Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP). When these documents are completed, and after approval of the Session and Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry, they will be posted on the PC(USA)’s Church Leadership Connection (their “job board”), our own website, and the Presbytery of Charlotte’s website.

Transition Committee members include: Nancy Metzler (chair), Michael Choren, Terry Gaines, Frank Graham, Crystal Myers, Joel Winchip, Gayle Ireland (Clerk of Session), and Mary Katheryne Zagora (staff liaison).

If you have any questions about the transition process, please contact Nancy Metzler at nancymetzler@gmail.com.

The Transition Committee has begun meeting to work through the transition process outlined by The Book of Order and the Presbytery of Charlotte. The Committee is working to fill two interim roles: a part-time Parish Associate and a full-time Transitional Pastor.

SMPC’s open Associate Pastor position will remain open throughout the transition, allowing our new Senior Pastor flexibility to design their staff structure after they are called. During the transition, the part-time Parish Associate will focus on congregational care and leading our deacons and their ministry. The Committee is finalizing the part-time Parish Associate job description and will begin to consider candidates in the next couple of weeks. The Committee’s goal is to fill this position as quickly as possible so that all of our congregational care needs will continue to be met as we move through the transition process.

Additionally, the Committee has begun to work on the Transitional Pastor job description as well as the PC(USA)’s version of a job listing called a Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP). When these documents are completed, and after approval of the session and Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry, they will be posted on the PC(USA)’s Church Leadership Connection (their “job board”) site, our own website, and the Presbytery of Charlotte’s website.

Committee members include Nancy Metzler, chair, Michael Choren, Terry Gaines, Frank Graham, Crystal Myers, Joel Winchip, Gayle Ireland as Clerk of Session and Mary Katheryne Zagora as staff liaison. If you have any questions about the transition process, please contact Nancy Metzler at 704-562-3518 or nancymetzler@gmail.com.

Read Personnel Committee Chair Janet Morgan's letter to the congregation here.