Dear friends in Christ,
On Sunday, February 9th, our SPRC chair, Dirk Helmick, announced that I have been appointed to serve at the United Methodist Church in Wilton, Iowa. This new appointment will begin July 1s. This news has been a shock to many, and it is quite natural to be sad or upset. It will indeed be hard to say goodbye to all of you when that time comes in the summer. In this letter, I would like to briefly explain why this has happened and how you as a church can move forward.
In the United Methodist Church, all clergy enter a covenant with one another. Part of that covenant is that we will go where the bishop and cabinet sends us. The cabinet consists of the district superintendents of our conference. From January through May, the cabinet has many meetings to make church appointments for the appointment year, which starts in July. The cabinet spends time in prayer and discernment as they seek to match churches in need of a pastor with someone who's gifts will match what that church needs. The pastor of the United Methodist Church of Wilton is retiring in July, and the cabinet has decided that I am the best fit for that church. This means that they will now be looking to find a pastor for our church. During this process, our district superintendent will be in conversation with the SPRC committee to hear what attributes they feel our church needs in a new pastor. The input of the SPRC will be taken into account as the cabinet makes their decision. This process could take a number of months. When a pastor is chosen, he or she will meet with the district superintendent and our SPRC committee to make the appointment official. On a Sunday shortly following that meeting, an announcement will be made in church as to who your next pastor will be.
Some have asked if this decision to move me can somehow be reversed or reconsidered, but the decision is already final. As soon as I was notified of this appointment, the district superintendent from the Southeast district scheduled a meeting for Jennifer and I to meet with the SPRC committee in Wilton. The decision was made final at that point, and when Dirk announced the appointment at our church, Wilton's SPRC chair did the same at his church. Some of you have asked if I am alright with this move. Although it will be hard to say goodbye, and there is still much that can be done here in Eagle Grove, I have accepted this appointment and believe it will be a good one. As a United Methodist pastor, I believe that God works through the appointment process and the work of the cabinet.
How can you move forward as a church? First, you must accept this change as reality, as hard as it may be. I remember when I was a kid, shortly after I was confirmed in the faith, my pastor was being moved to another church. At that point, I realized that all throughout my life, I would meet many wonderful people who would be in my life for a season and then leave for various reasons. This is true for us. We have had a wonderful five years together, and we still have four and a half months left! So we must accept this new reality and prepare for the next chapter in your life as a church. We have done some awesome things. I have seen so many of you grow in your faith and step out of your comfort zones to lead in ministries for the first time. We have partnered together in the work of the Gospel through faith in the power of Jesus Christ.
This same faith in Jesus must propel you onward into the future. As I stated in church, I plan to empower you to do some of the things I am in charge of but do not need to be, and I will help you to transition into the leadership of a new pastor. One practical way prepare for this transition is to pray for the future of this church. Pray for the bishop and the cabinet as they choose a new pastor and for God's blessing upon your new pastor as he or she prepares to begin a new ministry with you. In addition, the United Methodist Church of Wilton has informed me that they have added the Eagle Grove United Methodist Church to their prayer list. They remember what it was like when a pastor they liked had to move.
Finally, I want to state that things are not over for the Eagle Grove United Methodist Church just because I am leaving. I have met many good, effective pastors in our conference. One of my prayers will be that your next pastor will work with you to lead you into a future of blessing and growth as you reach out to those in your community who do not know Christ. I also pray that you will work with your next pastor to make this happen. Becoming disillusioned and choosing to disengage from active participation in worship, small groups, and ministry will make it difficult for your next pastor to be successful in leading you, no matter how effective he or she may be. If you disengage because you are convinced that things will go downhill, your prediction will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have seen you act in faith many times, and so I pray and hope that you will continue to serve, lead, and worship in this church during this time of transition. Always remember that you are ultimately called to be followers of Jesus Christ; not any particular pastor.
I would like to close with a prayer, and you may make this your prayer as well. “Dear Lord, we thank you for your faithfulness, your grace, and your love from the beginning of time until now. We especially thank you for the time that we have had these past five years to work in partnership together to make a difference in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask now that during this time of transition, you would help us to trust in you for a hopeful future. We thank you for this chapter in our lives together, and we anticipate with hope the next chapter that will unfold in July. Lord, guide and direct Bishop Trimble and the cabinet as they seek and discern a new person to lead and pastor our congregation. Since you already know, Lord, who this person will be, bless him or her as he or she prepares to join us in the ministry of the Gospel. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Pastor Mike
