Overview
- Andy Stanley announced the transition on Oct. 18 and will leave his role as senior pastor of North Point Ministries on Jan. 1, 2027 and as lead pastor of North Point Community Church on June 1, 2027.
- The Board of Elders has nominated Joel Thomas, North Point’s executive director and a long-time staff member, to succeed Stanley pending congregational approval.
- Roughly 50,000 eligible congregants will receive online ballots under specified participation rules and can vote through Oct. 30 with results scheduled for Nov. 1.
- Stanley said the choice is personal and organizational, that he wants more time with his grandchildren, and that he will remain an elder and continue to preach occasionally.
- The vote will test North Point’s elder-led governance at one of America’s largest multisite churches and will affect continuity for about 37,000 weekly attenders as the network moves to new leadership.