The big news

So, remember the secret?  Today is the day and the news is that we now have a permanent pastor!



This whole thing has been so amazing.  Our new pastor was our seminarian either three or four years ago before any of the conflict ever began at the church.  We all loved him and were sorry when his time with us was over.  The feeling was entirely mutual as he hated leaving us, and any Sunday he was free, he would come and pay us a visit.  One of these visits occurred amidst all the turmoil and he sat in on one of the Sunday school classes where they were teaching the "Evils" of homosexuals and women pastors.  He was very upfront about what he thought of how and what they were teaching (just as a reminder, I am not "for" homosexuality.  I am for not judging and loving everyone as Jesus taught us to do). 



Despite all the conflict, when our former pastor retired in 2004, he told him that he didn't know how he could leave this congregation.  After the split in the church, this man continued to show up on our doorstep from time to time.  He was still in the seminary and his presence was still very comforting to us.  He was there for the yard sale and for our healing service.  I was told by our interim pastor, that the one thing this pastor said he needed forgiveness for during our healing service was that he had been unable to do more (to maybe stop the split from ever occurring).  There was really no more that he could have done given the fact that he was still a seminary student.



When we began the Call process, knowing that our interim pastor would be going back into retirement after Christmas, we very much wanted this man, who would be graduating January 2007.  We spoke with the Synod who told us it all depended on where he was assigned (he could have been assigned anywhere in Maryland or Delaware).  Several weeks ago, we got news from the Synod that he had been assigned to our area and our Call committee jumped at the chance to interview him.



After the interview, the Call Committe unanimously voted to recommend him to become our new pastor, to the Church Council.  The council also interviewed Mike and then the council unanimously voted to refer their recommendation to the congregation.  Letters went out informing everyone of a special meeting...today.  The congregation UNANIMOUSLY voted this pastor to become our new pastor!  I literally had tears when the verdict came back only moments later.



God has brought us full circle and I can't help but to look back on all the amazing things he has done.  Four years ago, when we first met pastor, no one knew the terrible things that would occur within our particular body of Christ...except for God.  He already knew what would happen and he planted a seed in all of us with our new pastor.  Three years later, the vote to leave the ELCA fell short...by twelve votes (you know what just now strikes me about that?  Please don't think I've gone off the deep end....twelve disciples).  The old council resigned and people left the church.  Some wonderful people who had felt persecuted before the vote, returned to the church after the split and a new, strong council was formed.  The former secretary chose to leave as well, giving me, without a job, an opportunity for a wonderful job.  Pastor Phil stepped forward out of retirement, asking to come and be our interim pastor and what an incredible blessing he has been.  The church united and we have truly become a family.  We had a successful annual yard sale, an abundant VBS and have started up a prayer shawl ministry that has been so well received.  Our choir and praise band grew once more, replacing those that have left. Now, our church....Christ's church...has unanimously voted in a new pastor, which to me, truly shows how united we are.  We all are on the same page and want the same things and we are allowing God and not people and opinions to guide us.



God is good...all the time.