Brockport's Christ Community Church
announces new senior pastor

Christ Community Church as installed Rev. Bruce Plummer as its new senior pastor. At the same time, the Rev. John Benedetti, senior pastor for the last 25 years, is remaining with the church, but will move full-time into his developing international ministry. The installation service will be held Saturday, April 20 at 6 p.m. at the church. The church, with a membership of approximately 450, is located at 36 Coleman Creek Road in Brockport.

Overseeing the service will be Rev. Benedetti and Rev. Gary Kivelowitz, the head of Antioch Churches and Ministries (AMC), the fellowship of churches that Christ Community has been affiliated with for several years.

According to Rev. Benedetti, the role of senior pastor might be unlike the head pastoral position in other churches. "In our form of church government," said Rev. Benedetti, "the senior pastor is the one with the final authority for all decisions. Decision-making is done in relationship with all others involved, but the senior pastor ultimately has the final say." Aside from pastoral duties, the role of senior pastor includes oversight of the Church Board, the Missions Board, and the church's nineteen-year-old K-8 day school.

Selection of Rev. Plummer, which has been anticipated for years, was done by the collective leadership of the church, including the pastoral ministry and the church's elders and deacons.

Rev. Benedetti's ministry with other churches and church leaders, beginning more than two decades ago with churches in New York state, has taken a decidedly international turn in recent years. He now has ministry connections in Romania, Cameroon, Italy, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Mexico. He will have just returned from a few weeks in Spain before the installation service, and he will be traveling to France a few weeks later. It was clear by the late 1990s that if this new emphasis in his ministry were to grow at the same rate, there would soon need to be a new senior pastor at the church.

"I think it's been clear to most of the church that Bruce was being prepared for the role," said Rev. Benedetti. Rev. Plummer has been a member since the church's beginnings; he was an elder early on, and then 16 years ago came on the ministry staff as a full-time pastor. He has also overseen the church during Rev. Benedetti's ministry trips abroad. "Bruce has been faithful and committed, he understands the church vision, and he has certainly demonstrated his love for God and for the people of this church," said Benedetti. "I also believe in his family qualifications; he's a good husband and father. His well-rounded life represents his commitment to Christ."

"Obviously, I'm grateful for this opportunity," said Rev. Plummer. "After 16 years of training, I feel well-prepared to take on my new duties." Rev. Benedetti is just as eager to go fulltime into his new role. "I'm very excited," he admitted. "For me, it's like going into a new territory. It's similar to when I came to Brockport 26 years ago.

Everything is new and different. And to know that my church family is supporting me in prayer is a great thing.When Rev. Benedetti is in town, however, Rev. Plummer has plans for some of his time, including occasional preaching, teaching both the church and the school, and working with other pastors and ministries in the region.

For several years, the church's pastoral staff has grown to its present size of four fulltime pastors. With the school and the church's heavy emphasis on teaching, counseling, and the church's youth, all four are kept busy. "For us," said Rev. Benedetti, "church is not just a Sunday-morning thing." The church's other two pastors, Pastor Mark DuPré and Youth Pastor Jamey Hinman, will continue in their current duties.

While this may seem like a big change after 25 years of the same senior pastor, Rev. Plummer wants to emphasize how little things will change. "Continuity is the key word here," he said. "This move has been prepared for behind the scenes for a long time. We may be using some new methods in the future, but we're still working with the same vision."