Perimeter Church’s Randy Pope delivers last sermon as senior pastor on Sunday

Randy and Carol Pope and Rachel and Jeff Norris at congregational meeting to recommend and affirm new leader . CONTRIBUTED

Randy and Carol Pope and Rachel and Jeff Norris at congregational meeting to recommend and affirm new leader . CONTRIBUTED

After more than four decades as senior pastor of Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, the Rev. Randy Pope is stepping aside and taking on another role.

Pope, 68,  will deliver his final sermon as lead pastor at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Sunday at the church, which is located at 9500 Medlock Bridge Rd.

Pope had previously announced that he would leave that position and would become the assistant pastor of the church and president and CEO of Perimeter’s Life on Life discipleship ministry.

He will be succeeded by the Rev. Jeff Norris, 40, currently assistant directional leader . Norris was confirmed by the church at a special congregational meeting in March.

Pope founded Perimeter Church in 1977 with 20 members in a Buford Highway strip mall and has served as senior pastor since that time.

The church now has 4,500 members.

“My wife, Carol, and I could not have imagined how much God would accomplish in and through this church over the past 42 years,” Pope said in a release.

Pope has written several books and is known in the Atlanta faith community as one of the leaders in the church planting movement. Perimeter is part of the Presbyterian Church in America.