Briarwood Pulpit Committee

For God’s glory and through God’s leading, we are committed to search for, identify, and recommend the next Senior Pastor to lead Briarwood in equipping Christians to worship God and reach Birmingham to reach the world for Christ.

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting the Pulpit Committee webpage! The Pulpit Committee will update this page with new information as the search process progresses. Our desire is to communicate well. As our mission statement says, we are committed to search for, identify and recommend the next Senior Pastor. In order to fulfill our mission, we need your help. We need you to pray! Therefore, we will be providing prayer requests on this site and in other communications. The Lord already knows who our next Senior Pastor is and we are excited to discover who He has chosen!

We want to hear from you!

To make this easier an email address has been established for you to communicate with us. If you have a question, a suggestion or if you want to provide us a name to consider please let us know. The best way to do this is by emailing us at: pulpitcommittee@briarwood.org.

Background:

On May 18, 2023, our Senior Pastor Dr. Harry Reeder was unexpectedly called home by the Lord through a car accident. Dr. Reeder served Briarwood Presbyterian Church for 24 years as our second Senior Pastor. Prior to Dr. Reeder, Dr. Frank Barker, Jr served as Briarwood’s founding Pastor for 40 years.

In June 2023 the Briarwood Session appointed a committee to investigate the idea of calling an Interim Senior Pastor to Briarwood for a season. At the July 2023 Session Meeting, this committee made their recommendation to call an Intentional Interim Senior Pastor to lead us during this transition period. The Session agreed and formed a committee to search for an Intentional Interim Senior Pastor. In November 2023 the Briarwood Session called Dr. Dan Doriani to serve as the Intentional Interim Senior Pastor beginning December 1, 2023.

In July 2024 the Briarwood Session established a process to create a Pulpit Committee to select and recommend a new Senior Pastor for Briarwood. The Congregation provided several hundred nominations for the Pulpit Committee over a two-week period. On August 25, 2024, a Congregational Meeting was held and the Pulpit Committee was elected. The Pulpit Committee consists of 12 members and 2 alternates.

Stephanie Adcock
Billy Ball
Caroline Carlisle
Jim Carlson
Larkin Delk
Jeff Flannery, Jr
Meredith Hamblen
John Livingston
Nathan Sasse
Sharon Slay
Ethan Tidmore
Bryan Word

Alternates:

Glenn Draper
Kellie Stewart

Dr. Doriani is continuing to serve as our Intentional Interim Senior Pastor during the Senior Pastor search process and will be assisting the Pulpit Committee.

The Pulpit Committee selected Billy Ball to serve as Chairman and Bryan Word to serve as Vice Chairman.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Pray for the Pulpit Committee

Prayer Request Update: November 17

Please pray for the Pulpit Search Committee as they use information from the congregation to create a profile for our next Senior Pastor. Praise the Lord for a unified team that seeks diligently to honor God with the work ahead of them. May God alone be glorified.

Psalm 43:3–4
Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

Psalm 84:10–11
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Prayer Request Update: November 10

The Pulpit Search Committee continues to gather input for Phase 1 this month. As they receive information from the congregation in various ways, please pray for them to have wisdom and discernment in creating a profile for our next Senior Pastor.

Isaiah 55:8–9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Psalm 25:8–10
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Romans 11:33–36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Prayer Request Update: November 3

Please continue praying for the Pulpit Search Committee as they gather input from various congregational sources this month. As information is gleaned, may God grant them the ability to honor Him through their ongoing efforts.

Psalm 103:11–13
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Meet the Pulpit Committee Members

Stephanie Adcock

Spouse: Jon Adcock
Member of Briarwood since 2000
Sunday School Community: Covenant Keepers

Billy Ball
Chairman of the Pulpit Committee

Spouse: Cindy Ball
Adult children: William (Gina), Jordan, Andrew (Sarah), and Brandon
Member of Briarwood since 2002
Occupation: Utility Industry consultant and Retired Southern Company Executive Vice President
Sunday School Community: Covenant Keepers
Briarwood Elder

Caroline Carlisle

Briarwood Member since 2005
Occupation: Auditor
Sunday School Community: Graduates & Career

Jim Carlson

Member of Briarwood since 1979
Occupation: Retired attorney
Sunday School Community: Discovery
Briarwood Elder

Larkin Delk

Spouse: Hannah Delk
Member of Briarwood since 2018
Occupation: Partner with Harrison Robinson Construction
Sunday School Community: The Oaks
Briarwood Deacon

Jeff Flannery, Jr.

Spouse: Ellen Flannery
Children: Caroline, Harris, Hannah, Kate, Matthew, and Helen
Member of Briarwood since 1991
Occupation: Pediatric Dentist
Sunday School Community: Growing in Grace
Briarwood Elder

Meredith Hamblen

Spouse: Clay Hamblen
Children: Julia, Caroline, and Mary Clayton
Member of Briarwood since 1990
Occupation: Homemaker
Sunday School Community: Sojourners

John Livingston

Spouse: Connie Livingston
Children: Mary Lee and Millie
Briarwood Member since 1967
Occupation: Retired; formerly in-house counsel for Liberty National Life Insurance Company (now Globe Life) for 40 years.
Sunday School Community: REAL Matters
Briarwood Deacon

Nathan Sasse

Spouse: Julie Sasse
Children: Joshua and Samantha
Briarwood Member since 2012
Occupation: Commercial Real Estate Banker
Sunday School Community: Encounter
Briarwood Elder

Sharon Slay

Children: Parker and Patrick
Member of Briarwood since 2007
Occupation: Homemaker
Sunday School Community: Growing Together

Ethan Tidmore

Spouse: Emily Tidmore
Children: Christian and Caroline
Briarwood Member since 2018
Occupation: Attorney
Sunday School Community: Sojourners
Briarwood Deacon

Bryan Word
Vice Chairman of the Pulpit Committee

Spouse: Holly Word
Children: Davis, Kaitlyn, and Harrison
Member of Briarwood since 2004
Occupation: Owner, Blackjack Horticulture
Sunday School Community: Sojourners
Briarwood Elder

Glenn Draper

Spouse: Ashley Draper
Briarwood Member since 2015
Occupation: Financial Advisor
Sunday School Community: Discovery
Briarwood Elder

Kellie Stewart

Spouse: Scott Stewart
Children: Conner, Ann Allen, SJ, and Evie
Briarwood Member since 1988
Occupation: Homemaker
Sunday School Community: Sojourners