Forty years on from when they first founded the global C3 Church movement on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Pastor Phil Pringle and his wife Christine have announced they are passing the baton of leadership of C3 SYD (Sydney).
C3 SYD currently spans eight locations, including Parramatta and Manly. Now, after four decades of personally overseeing the harbour city’s C3 churches, the Pringles will hand over the reins in November 2021 to Alex and Jessen Lee, pastors at C3 Silverwater, Sydney.
“We wanted to let you know with plenty of time, so that over the next year it will be like a transition of us to them, of passing that baton, of mentoring,” explained Phil Pringle, with Chris, in an Instagram video to the C3 community.
Originally hailing from New Zealand – like fellow contemporary Pentecostal pioneers Brian and Bobbie Houston – the Pringles have overseen C3’s expansion beyond Sydney to other parts of Australia and beyond. C3 Church Global now includes more than 500 churches in 64 countries (Kazakhstan to Sweden and Brazil).
Chris Pringle revealed what happened after the Lees spent a week deliberating on the offer to lead C3 SYD.
“It was the most wonderful Holy Spirit when we came back after prayer … to feel that ‘Yes’ of the Holy Spirit,” said Chris. “We are so excited because Alex and Jessen, particularly Alex, has been ministering for over ten years.
“They have led youth and young adults and, of course, brought Silverwater into a stage of great growth and accomplishment.”
The Lees have served at Silverwater for two years as location pastors (senior pastors).
Alex and Jessen Lee will lead C3 SYD from November 21. C3 SYD
“But we’re not going anywhere, we’re going to be in and out,” Chris added. “So don’t be thinking we’re just going to sail off into the horizon.”
Phil and Chris Pringle will remain the leaders of C3 Church Global. In the Instagram video, they also explained they will have the new titles of Pastor Emeritus. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ’emeritus’ as “a person retired from professional life but permitted to retain as an honorary title the rank of the last office held.”
What being Pastor Emeritus will mean for the Pringles is “we will be preaching [at C3 Oxford Falls] at various times throughout the year. We will be lecturing at the Bible College and looking after that.”