What’s happening?

Our founding pastor, Reyn Cabinte, is stepping down in July 2027 after 19 years of pastoral service.

After nearly two decades of planting and shepherding Uptown, Reyn has discerned that this is the right time—for both him and for the church—to step aside and make room for the next season of leadership. His decision reflects long-term prayer and wisdom and, as leaders, we fully affirm and support it.

To continue advancing our mission, Uptown requires energetic, innovative, and culturally agile pastoral leadership.  This transition honors Reyn’s desire in this season of life, while also serving as a faithful bridge to Uptown’s future.

Pulpit Nominating Committee (PNC)

PNC MEMBERS: William Garcia, George Sarkissian, Andrew Fagerheim, Teo Madera, Val Herron, Christanna Pepingco, Ana de Jesus, Mara Torres, Zuliana Harrington

PNC PROJECT MANAGER: Erin Brasher (not pictured)

The PNC typically meets bi-weekly on Sundays after service.

About the PNC

THE PNC WANTS YOU TO KNOW

Updates from the Pulpit Nominating Committee

October 28, 2026

  • We meet bi-weekly, usually on Sundays after church. We have spent our first couple of meetings establishing norms and learning the process.

  • We have divided into committees to start developing a church profile, which will describe who we are and who we’re looking for. 

  • Our timeline to launch the search publicly is early December.

  • Please be on the lookout for a survey later this week. We would like as many Uptowners as possible (members & attendees) to share their perspectives.

Transition PHASES

  • Oct 2025 - Apr 2026

    Research, prayer and planning, resulting in a detailed plan.

  • Dec 2025 - Mar 2026

    Evaluation of hard and soft costs associated with the transition.

  • Apr 2026 - Sep 2026

    Communicate the change to Uptowners in a thoughtful and phased way.

  • Starting Fall 2026

    Pulpit Nominating Committee conducts the search

  • Jun 2027 - Sep 2027

    Celebrate Pastor Reyn and the Cabinte family with grief and joy.

    Receive the new pastor with trust in Jesus and hope.

FAQs

  • After nearly two decades of faithfully planting and shepherding this church, Reyn has discerned that this is the right time—for both him and Uptown—to step aside and make room for the next season of leadership. His decision reflects long-term prayer and wisdom, and as leaders we fully affirm and support it.

    This transition honors Reyn’s desire in this season of life, while also serving as a faithful bridge to Uptown’s future in its current stage of growth.

  • Nope. There’s no scandal or dramatic event that is leading to Reyn’s departure. He remains committed to helping with a smooth transition process.

  • No. This transition has been thoughtfully considered and prayerfully discussed. Our leadership has been working together to ensure clarity, unity, and care in how we communicate and move forward.

    • Peace and unity in the congregation

    • Wisdom for church leadership

    • Blessing and clarity for our pastor and their family

    • Discernment regarding future leadership

    • Our relationship with our current pastor: from “pastor” to spiritual father, brother, mentor, neighbor and friend.

    • Our future pastor: We will have a new lead pastor who guides Uptown in vision, mission, preaching, teaching, and discipleship.

    • Our current leadership team: We will ask Uptowners who have already been leading faithfully in smaller (and perhaps unseen) ways to take on some responsibilities during the transition period.

    • Uptown’s mission and values

    • Our call to one another and the community

    • Availability of elders and pulpit nominating committee members as they prioritize the pastoral transition, out of love for our church.

    • Possibly…Uptowners. Sometimes congregants choose to leave during a pastoral transition.

  • Yes. While adjustments may be made where necessary, our mission and commitment to serving God and one another remain unchanged. Note: VBS and the Fall Retreat will not happen in 2026 (which was already under consideration for other reasons).

  • There may be a period of time where Uptown may be without a lead pastor as we search for a new leader. Interim leadership plans will be communicated. Our elders and ministry leaders are committed to maintaining stability, pastoral care, and continued ministry momentum.

  • Our transition team has been researching positive (and negative) examples of pastoral transitions and has been working to avoid missteps for more than a year. That said, we recognize our limitations and will do our best to engage wise counselors (including professional consultants) to guide us in this process, while ensuring alignment with Uptown’s unique DNA and values.

  • Of utmost importance is to find a pastor who aligns with Uptown’s values and will properly steward the mission given to our congregation. This will require us to surrender our personal preferences and commit to prioritizing the needs of the collective church.

    We encourage you to nominate Pulpit Nominating Committee members who are wise, discerning, mature in faith, and embody Uptown’s core DNA.

    • Pray for them

    • Offer encouragement and gratitude

    • Respect appropriate boundaries

    • Speak with grace and unity

    • Commit to prayer

    • Guard against speculation or gossip

    • Maintain generous tithing practices

    • Participate in open meetings and communication opportunities

    • Encourage one another

    • Trust the leadership process

  • We are planning for late June, 2027. We will take time to celebrate, express gratitude, and pray together before that day.

  • Yes. We will host town halls called “Churchwide Conversations” where the official message will be reiterated and questions can be addressed thoughtfully and respectfully. We encourage attending those gatherings.

  • You may reach out directly to an elder. We want to maintain a culture of openness, trust, and pastoral care.

    George Sarkissian: george@uptowncommunitychurch.com

    Joe Spix: joe@uptowncommunitychurch.com