If you were in worship today, you heard the announcement that I have decided to take some time off from ministry, which means I will be leaving Davis UMC at the end of this appointment year (the end of June).
The first thing I want you to know about this decision is that it is not about any shortcoming on your part. DUMC is a wonderful congregation - vibrant and active, rooted in a deep faith, passionate about justice and service, both open hearted and open minded. You all have been so very willing to work with me, and so generous in your appreciation of me; for these things I am very grateful. You have been for me a delightful community of like-minded Christians. My decision does not reflect any dissatisfaction with Davis UMC.
My decision is about my own relationship to my vocational life. The nature of pastoral ministry is that there is never really a stopping point; there is always more to do. Over roughly a decade and a half of ministry, I have made an uneasy peace with the struggle to not be able to get everything done - and the reality of falling short of my own intentions. But for whatever reason, I am in a season of life when I find it too difficult to be at peace with that reality. The gap between my hopes/intentions and what I am able to accomplish is too uncomfortable for me.
But the bigger issue feels both more important and more difficult to articulate. The bigger issue is that in the midst of the struggle to manage my workload, I have not adequately tended my own spiritual life. Amid the demands of the job, I have not spent enough time with God and time in reflection to maintain a clear sense of what I am most called to, and how to live out that call in the context of being pastor at this church at this time.
I will not be seeking reappointment as of July 1st, but will instead be taking some time off - at least a year. I am so grateful to have the option of doing this, thanks in large part to the support (and gainful employment) of my wife Katie. I expect that the most likely outcome of this time off will be an eventual new appointment as pastor of another United Methodist church, but I am open to wherever God might lead me next.
The United Methodist Church has a strong and well-practiced system for pastoral appointments. This church has been through many pastoral transitions over the course of its history; you know how to do this. In terms of the formal process, our District Superintendent, Schuyler Rhodes, will be meeting with DUMC's Staff-Parish Relations Committee. SPRC will communicate this church's character and priorities to the D.S., to help him have a clear picture of the kind of pastor who will be a good fit for the ministries of DUMC. When the Bishop and Cabinet have identified DUMC's next pastor, that person will be introduced first to SPRC, and an announcement to the congregation will follow. This could happen any time between February and June (though some time in the middle of that range is most likely).
I very much feel God at work in our midst, and I am confident that the vibrant ministries of DUMC will continue. For the next five months, I will be particularly focused on working with you to lay the groundwork for a smooth transition - working to support DUMC in carrying out ministries that are spirit filled, welcoming & affirming, and service & justice oriented, well into the future.
Even with a goodbye on the horizon, I look forward to these next five months in anticipation of a rich and fruitful time together.
In faith, and with much love,
