BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- Church of the Highlands has announced it is undergoing a transition in leadership.
During church services Sunday, founding Pastor Chris Hodges announced that Mark Pettus while step into the role of lead pastor while Hodges shifts his focus to leadership development and the Highlands College.
“Mark is my spiritual son and a product of Highlands,” Hodges said in a statement. “I’m excited about where we’re going. I’m not retiring or burned out because I have more energy and vision than I’ve ever had. The transition of roles we’re announcing allows me to work even harder to grow Highlands College and empower others for ministry.”
According to a statement released by Church of the Highlands, Hodges will continue working across different platforms to raise up church leaders, and he will continue to guide Highlands College as its ambassador and chancellor. He will also provide guidance to Pettus and deliver messages during some Sunday services.
Pettus joined the Church of the Highlands staff in 2006 as a youth pastor. In 2009, he started the MOTION Conference, a Christian gathering for high school and college students. Pettus has served as president of Highlands College since it was founded in 2011, leading it to become an accredited institution for students pursuing ministry.
“Highlands is our home, and the core of our passion is the work of God taking place here,” Pettus said in a statement. “It’s so humbling to follow in the footsteps of my mentor and my pastor. Pastor Chris instilled values and a vision into Highlands, and I can’t wait to see how his impact will multiply as he pours into more and more leaders at Highlands and around the world. Because God is always good, we know the best is yet come.”