“For
everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1
Everything
Has Its Time – this is one of the subheadings for this above
noted chapter from the Bible, and as we’ve talked about for the past several
days my “season” as pastor for Prineville Presbyterian Church ends with my
retirement on September 10th.
Understandably, this leads to
questions about “what comes with the next season?”
Our denomination’s Committee
on Ministry (COM) has a process in place for this. From that manual:
• A meeting of the congregation is called…to dissolve the
pastoral relationship. It is appropriate that the COM liaison assigned to the
congregation be present at the meeting of both the session which calls the
meeting of the congregation and at the meeting of the congregation itself.
• When congregational action on the pastor’s request to
dissolve the pastoral relationship on a specific date has been taken, that
recommendation is forwarded to the regional COM for approval.
• The regional COM will work with the departing pastor and
the officers of the particular congregation to suggest appropriate transitional
celebrations, to arrange for an “exit interview” with the pastor, to explain
the requirements of “separation ethics,” to explain to congregation and session
the processes for interim pastoral services, to appoint a moderator of session
when the church is without a pastor, and to answer questions which might arise
regarding the process of selection of a new pastor.
Kathleen and I will remain in
Prineville, we’ve come to call this place home. And we will continue to serve groups
we’re involved in - and maybe add a few? We’re going to wait a while before
those decisions are made.
Regarding the “separation
ethics,” at some point I will be able to come lend a hand, but in the immediate
future I will need to distance myself from PPC to give the new pastor the space
needed as they find their footing. So while Kathleen and I enjoy treasured friendships,
we’ll all need to be careful that while our friendships include me as a pastor –
but not as your pastor.
And take heart friends, God’s
Spirit is already on the move with this “next season.” The day after I
announced my retirement, a friend stopped by “out of the blue.” Currently a
chaplain, she’s also an ordained PCUSA pastor and has previously served a
church – and is a certified interim pastor. She’s very interested in talking
about what might be…
May we all stand by…ready to be amazed by what
God has in store,
Pastor Mike