The Rev. Jo Hudson
The Rev. Jo Hudson, who recently resigned as pastor of the Cathedral of Hope, responded to rumors that she and the Rev. Alejandro De La Torre — who led COH’s Hispanic ministry — are opening a new church this summer.
“My family and I gather with a few close friends about twice a month at our home for prayer, study and fellowship,” Hudson said in an email. “Rev. De La Torre is part of our gathering. I hope this clears up any confusion.”
Hudson and De La Torre resigned from their positions at Cathedral of Hope on April 21 effective May 19. At an April 29 congregational meeting, the church’s board said it hoped to have an interim pastor in place by May 19.
But finding an interim pastor to replace the Rev. Jo Hudson at Cathedral of Hope is taking longer than the board originally hoped. According to search committee member Johnny Humphrey, they are reviewing candidates and actively pursuing leads.
Although he could not put a deadline on when the interim pastor would be named, he said the committee hoped to find the right person soon.
He said Executive Minister Dawson Taylor and Executive Director Dan Dubree have have stepped up, fulfilling the needs of the congregation.
“They’ve kept us from having to make a hasty decision,” Humphrey said.
He described interim pastor as a special calling because that person deals with congregational healing in addition to other roles a senior pastor plays in a congregation’s life. Sometimes the position is filled by retired clergy but others specialize in that function and make a career of working with congregations in transition.
“We’re hoping to find the perfect candidate as soon as possible,” Humphrey said.
Once an interim is in place, a new search and call committee will be named to look for a permanent replacement. That process could take more than a year.
