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“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” - St. Paul in I Corinthians 3:6
I want to thank everyone for the many kind gestures and words of appreciation you have given me since I announced my resignation. The people of the Maple Hill Church and community are really special to me. I was thinking last week à I’ve been in Maple Hill longer than I was in college and seminary combined. It’s hard to believe it’s been 8 ½ years. Time really flies.
Obviously I have a strong personal interest in seeing good ministry continue at the Maple Hill Church beyond my tenure. But just as Paul recognized that there was a time and a place in ministry for him to pass the wand on to someone else, so it is for me right now. Every pastor needs an opportunity to move out of their predecessor’s shadow and have a fresh start. And therefore every outgoing pastor needs to step aside and make way for the new one.
For these reasons outgoing pastors will commonly sign a covenant of departure. Based on feedback I’ve received from our denomination and others, I’m covenanting with Maple Hill Church leadership around the following principles… 1. I will continue to support the Maple Hill Church with prayers after I leave. 2. Starting in August I will need to make a break from church life. The only exception will be the annual meeting of the Mid-America Congregational Fellowship, which was already scheduled before I knew I was leaving. It will be on Saturday, October 11th. I can’t back out of it because I’m the Moderator of the Mid-America Congregational Fellowship. But with all other things, I will need to step back. This doesn’t mean I need to hide from my Maple Hill friends if I run into them in public, but that I need to keep my hands out of the church. 3. I won’t be a party to gossip or complaints about the church, the pastor, or anything related. On the other hand, I am always glad to hear good news about church life. 4. I won’t be returning to officiate the funerals or weddings of Maple Hill Church folks. That will be the responsibility of future pastors. Pastors form bonds with people on these occasions, which can empower their ministry, so it’s important that I step back from these. (The only exception to this one will be the wedding of Thaddeus Swann and MaryJo Mott… which I agreed to do before I knew I was going to Emporia.) One thing to note though, is that if my schedule permits I am always free to come back and attend the funerals and weddings of parishioners and others in the community. 5. I won’t be meddling with the pastoral search committee. Who they recommend is between them and the Lord. 6. I won’t be participating in any planning for church activity in Maple Hill beyond the end of my tenure.
Some of these stipulations may seem a little harsh, but there are practical reasons for each one of them. I’ve known of situations where previous pastors have created hardships for churches and new pastors – and that’s what I want to avoid. I think God has good things in store for the Maple Hill Church. The right person to lead this congregation is out there somewhere – and in His time the Lord will raise forth that person and good things will happen. In the meantime, it’s important to have patience and keep the church in your prayers. God makes all things beautiful in His time.
God bless you all,
Maple Hill Community Congregational Church |