What Is Not Suppose to Happen

There are just some challenges that one expects to face in their first year of ministry . . .

For example:

You don't know how to preach a funeral for someone you've never met.

You've never planned a youth mission trip before out of the country.

You've don't know how to properly ask the budget committee for more program funds.

You've never stood at the hospital bed of a dying church member.

But, loosing your boss and not expecting to get a new one for many months and probably over a year, it's just something one would expect. I certainly didn't.

(In the Baptist tradition of a call system, it takes us a while to find a new pastor. The deacons appoint a search committee. We look for potential candidates. We pray and re-vision or mission a long the way. When a candidate is found, then everyone gets to meet him or her and a vote is taken. If all of this takes a year, it is a miracle.)

But, after announcement was made to the congregation late in June, this Sunday, August 19th was Rev. Charlie Updike's last Sunday with us. He has been serving this parish for 27 years (as long as I've been alive, I might add). He is moving on to a new congregation in California to be closer to his son. Even though it was a sad decision for him to make, we all knew it was a good one. Family is very important even if you are a minister. He's looking forward to being closer to his peeps and the challenge of revitalizing a old downtown church.

However, in the meantime, I'm one of the two full-time pastors remaining on staff. Over the past several weeks, my co-worker and I have begun the process of dividing up responsibilities, making sure that everything is going to covered in the meantime. The office staff is working hard too. The message we most want the congregation to know is that the church will go on. Our mission is the same. Nothing has really changed. And, because of this, there is a lot of work to do.

Luckily, there will be some interim pastors with us, helping to provide assistance with pastoral concerns that arise. We will be blessed to have them. But, at the same time, the current staff realizes that much of what goes on in the days ahead will fall on our shoulders. The number of committees I'm working with has now doubled. I'll probably preach more than I have been. And, I'll probably be making more pastoral calls to the hospital. And probably a lot more . . .

Even though I'll be working harder than I've ever experienced, I have to admit, I'm actually excited about the transition. I thrive on challenges. I enjoy working with the staff remaining. I'm thrilled about being a part of what this church might look like in the upcoming years. The experience I will be getting in the next several months really is a huge gift which peers of mine aren't all receiving.

So, no matter if this new plate of responsibilities was suppose to happen or not, it is here and the time is now to live into the newness of this all. If you think of it, pray for us. It is going to be quite the ride . . . and I promise I'll continue to write about it.