ImperfectChurches.org

A little over two weeks ago I wrote a letter to Salem Covenant Church announcing that I had accepted a call to be the new senior pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Attleboro, MA. The decision to accept this call was the most heart wrenching decision I have ever made. I was the pastor of Salem Covenant Church for fifteen years. I have many friends and many significant relationships in this church. It is hard to leave all of this. It has also been hard to face the people I have needed to face after making this announcement. These are people I have loved and been loved by. I have walked through the deepest valleys with them and we have climbed many mountains as well. It has been fifteen years of great relationships, deep connections, and wonderful ministry. No, it has not been perfect. There have been challenges along with the blessings, but I think we were able to enjoy the blessings more because of our awareness and acknowledgment of our imperfectness as a church and my imperfectness as a pastor.

I am now moving from one imperfect church to another. I do not expect my new church to be any more perfect than my current one. My hope, however, is that we too will be able to experience these blessings, and that the people in Attleboro, MA and Washington, CT will be able to thrive in their relationships with God. This is the most important relationship in our lives, and God needs to be the center of our worship and ministries. Pastors are important, but nowhere near as important as prayer, ministry, and worship. I feel like I am a good fit for the church I am going to and I feel a clear sense of God’s call to this new ministry. I am grateful that these two things are in place. I do not think I could have made this decision otherwise. It is a transition filled with all kinds of emotions ranging from deep levels of grief to bold levels of excitement.