Senior Pastor Succession
This page provides updates on the Senior Pastor succession process at Calvary Bible Church.
Elder Board Updates
Watch this most recent update from our Elder Board regarding the Senior Pastor Succession.
After a prayerful and thorough interview process, Calvary’s Elders unanimously and joyfully nominate Thomas Milburn to be our next Senior Pastor!
Special Members Meeting
June 23, 7pm, at the Erie Campus.
Celebration for Tom & Lucy
July 31 Details TBD
Click here to see our current elder board.
FAQs:
We have had two enthusiastic open forums, and have summarized the most common questions in this FAQ:
What are the primary responsibilities of the Senior Pastor?
The Senior Pastor is the primary spiritual leader of Calvary Bible Church, guiding our congregation to grow in faith and ensuring that we live out our mission and vision together. Under the supervision of the Elder Board, the Senior Pastor serves as the chief executive of the church—providing spiritual direction, overseeing the staff and ministries, and maintaining a clear organizational structure. The Senior Pastor is the initiating leader of the Elder Board and is the only staff member who serves as a voting Elder.
Why is now the right time for succession to happen at Calvary?
As Pastor Tom said in his message, “Succession Happens,” on May 11, 2025, “Healthy succession is not primarily about when someone is ready to leave, but when the next generation is ready to lead.” We believe that moment has come.
If Thomas Milburn is elected Senior Pastor, will he continue to primarily preach at the Erie Campus?
Yes, just as Tom Shirk has served as the Senior Pastor at Calvary, while primarily preaching at the Boulder campus, Thomas Milburn would serve as the Senior Pastor of Calvary while primarily preaching in Erie.
How will Thomas’ responsibilities change if he becomes Senior Pastor?
Thomas will continue to preach and shepherd at the Erie Campus but will take on broader leadership across all campuses. His new responsibilities will include greater involvement with the Elder Board, oversight of the entire staff, and organizational leadership of Calvary as a whole. As a result, some of his campus-specific responsibilities—such as counseling, weddings, and funerals—may shift to others on the team. Some ministry meetings and leadership roles may also transition to other capable leaders, empowering a broader team to serve. Of course, like any new job, there may be unexpected modifications to Thomas’s current responsibilities as he adjusts to this new role. We encourage our congregation to continue to be faithful in prayer for Thomas and Kristen, our staff, elders, and congregation as we all adjust to this natural, healthy change in the leadership of our church.
What are the primary responsibilities of Tom’s new role as Pastor Emeritus?
Tom is excited to step into a new role on Calvary’s staff, and the elders are overjoyed that he will continue to serve with us. As Pastor Emeritus, Tom Shirk will serve as a member of the Pastoral Staff, ultimately accountable to the Senior Pastor. He will preach, advise, mentor young leaders, coach other churches, and lead ministries at Calvary as assigned by the Senior Pastor. He will no longer serve as an elder nor as a member of the Senior Pastor Leadership Team.
Will Tom continue to preach in Boulder?
Yes, following a sabbatical beginning August 1, Tom will continue to preach at the Boulder campus on a regular basis as assigned. Perry Marshall has been a regular part of Calvary’s preaching team since he joined our staff in 2018. Perry has been serving as the Boulder campus Pastor since 2024, leading the ministry staff and the Boulder campus. Along with Perry and Tom, John Boyle, Calvary’s Senior Executive Pastor, will continue to preach in Boulder and across Calvary’s campuses as well.
How long has Calvary been preparing for succession?
The Elder Board has had an emergency succession plan for many years in the event of the untimely loss of the Senior Pastor. In October of 2017, the Elder Board commissioned a long-range planning, organizational design, and succession working team and succession has been an ongoing topic of discussion and preparation ever since.
Who decides about Calvary’s Senior Pastor?
Calvary’s bylaws state that the Elder Board is responsible for determining any recruitment and hiring process for a Senior Pastor vacancy. The Senior Pastor shall be called by a two-thirds majority of the written votes cast by members in attendance at a duly called business meeting. After a prayerful and thorough interview process, Calvary’s Elders unanimously and joyfully nominate Thomas Milburn to be our next Senior Pastor. They have called a business meeting, where they will ask the members to affirm their recommendation on Monday, June 23 at 7 pm at Calvary’s Erie campus.
Who is allowed to attend the congregational meeting on June 23?
Only active members of Calvary Bible Church may attend and vote at business meetings, according to our bylaws.
May we vote by proxy if we are unable to attend the congregational meeting?
No. Proxy voting is not allowed by Calvary’s bylaws. Members must be present, in person, to vote during our congregational meeting on June 23.
If I have other questions or would like to speak with the Elders, who do I contact?
You can email the elders at elders@calvarybible.com. We would be delighted to hear from you!
Get to Know Pastor Thomas Milburn
Thomas Milburn grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and first walked through the doors of Calvary Bible Church as a child when his parents began attending in 1990. Though raised in a Christian home and surrounded by the life of the church, it wasn’t until high school that Thomas fully surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.
While attending the University of Colorado, Thomas met his wife Kristen—now married for 19 years. During his time at the University, Thomas helped launch the Dayspring Center for Christian Studies as the men’s Residential Advisor under the leadership of Dr. Rick Howe. Thomas served as an intern in Calvary’s Student Ministry, and in 2006, he stepped into full-time student ministry as Calvary launched the Erie Campus. A few years later, the Milburn family moved to California, where Thomas worked as an architectural and structural concrete foreman, building custom homes.
In 2012, the Milburns returned to Colorado, and Thomas rejoined Calvary’s staff, this time leading Local & Global Outreach and Men’s Ministry. In 2015, when a need arose for a teaching pastor in Erie, Thomas stepped in to help. Later that year, the church officially called him to serve as Campus leader. During his tenure, Thomas completed his Master’s in Bible and Theology from Denver Seminary and was ordained as a pastor in 2017. Today, he not only leads the Erie Campus but also serves on Calvary’s Senior Pastor Leadership Team, volunteers as a chaplain with the Erie Police Department, and contributes to the School Accountability Board at Erie High School.
Thomas and Kristen were married in 2006 by Pastor Tom Shirk. They are proud parents of four children: Katin (15), Aubrey (14), Matthew (10), and Jack (9). Kristen, a dedicated and beloved elementary school teacher for 20 years, has taught at Heatherwood Elementary in Boulder, Niwot Elementary and helped open Black Rock Elementary in Erie. Most recently she has taught her own children. Known for her enthusiasm for life, Kristen is the heart of the Milburn home.
Together, the Milburn family loves to enjoy Colorado’s outdoors—camping in the summer and skiing in the winter. But above all, Thomas’s greatest passion is Jesus Christ, the Church, and helping the world know the salvation God offers.
MINISTRY HISTORY
CALVARY BIBLE CHURCH
Student Ministry Intern,
Boulder Campus
2004-2006
Director of Student Ministries,
Boulder Campus
2006-2010
Director of Externally Focused Ministries,
Boulder Campus
2012-2015
Interim Erie Campus Leader
2015-2016
Erie Campus Leader
2016-2017
Erie Campus Pastor
2017-2024
Senior Teaching Pastor
2024-Present
EDUCATION
Christian Studies,
Rivendale College, Boulder
2004
B.A. Communication,
University of Colorado, Boulder
2006
Ordination Studies,
Calvary Bible Church
2016-2017
Ordained to Gospel Ministry,
Calvary Bible Church
August 23, 2017
M.A. Theology and Bible,
Denver Seminary, Denver
2023
Thank You Pastor Tom!
“Healthy succession is not primarily about when some one is ready to leave, but when the next generation is ready to lead.”
– Tom Shirk
On April 27, 2025, our Senior Pastor, Tom Shirk, announced that he will be stepping down from his position on July 31, 2025, and transition to the role of Pastor Emeritus. We are so grateful to Tom for his 33 years of faithful service at Calvary Bible Church and thrilled that he will continue to serve at Calvary in this new role!
Watch Tom’s 5/11/2025 Message on Succession
Watch Tom’s Announcement
in Boulder on 4/27/2025
Due to an audio issue we are not able to present our regular audio quality.
Watch Tom’s Announcement
to the Erie Campus
Tom’s announcement starts at 19:03.
Watch Tom’s Announcement
to the Thornton Campus
Tom’s announcement starts at 25:30.