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You don’t join a pastor; you join a church.”
It has been a great blessing to be the pastor here at the Maple Hill Community Congregational Church for the past 8½ years. There is no better job in the world. And some great things have happened in my tenure here. We’ve seen the church grow – especially in youth and kids’ ministries. We’ve seen our impact expand to touch places like Greensburg, Mexico, and Kenya. In many respects we’ve become a leader in our national family of Congregational churches. We’ve have grown together in God’s grace in different times of study and learning together. Our Fellowship Hall building is larger. Some people have gone home to be with the Lord, and a few folks have left or moved away. But many others remain – and many new brethren have come into our ranks over the course of time. It has been a great blessing to see all of this happen.
And it is with some sadness that I have announced my resignation. I am very excited about my new assignment as Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Emporia. But I’m sad since I have to say goodbye to many dear people who I love as my brethren in Christ – and others in the community as well.
Sometimes the Lord opens new doors, and it means a time of transition. This can be hard for churches at times because people become attached. It’s natural, but sometimes it can become excessive. When this happens people say things such as… “I’m going to quit coming if you ever leave this church, pastor. You’re the only reason I’ve been coming here really. In fact, this church may well fall apart after you go.”
My friends, this kind of disposition is a sign of spiritual immaturity. It’s a problem when people become too attached to individual leaders (I Corinthians 3:1-4), because ultimately the only person we’re following is Jesus Christ. All other leaders are only His servants (I Corinthians 3:5). There may well be a change of leaders over the course of time – serving different ministry functions and having different ministry gifts that connect with people in different ways (I Corinthians 3:6). All of this is natural and a part of being a Christian. Ultimately, it’s not the leaders who matter, but God who gives the growth and life and effectiveness to all of the ministries (I Corinthians 3:7).
Christian leaders come and go. Some are remembered for decades, and greatly revered. Others are forgotten, but their impact still remains. I am one of dozens of men who have served as pastor of the Maple Hill Church through the years. The longest tenured pastor was W.S. Crouch, who served from 1883 to 1907 – for a total of 25 years. Others have served just a few years – but have still made significant impacts in the short time they were with this congregation.
But no matter the length of tenure or the accolades (or lack thereof, as the case may be sometimes) – none of it matters since we all share the common, non-competitive purpose of glorifying God. We’re not competing for the top legacy like KU and K-State compete for the Big 12 crown. Instead, we have a common goal in mind (I Corinthians 3:8-9).
As my tenure concludes, I leave with confidence that I am leaving the church in good hands à in God’s hands. He is the one who is in control. He has good plans and purposes ahead for the Maple Hill Church. The work of the Lord is not finishing as I leave… in fact, it’s just beginning anew.
God
bless you, |