As most - or all - of you know by now, I have accepted the call to the Farmville Presbyterian Church in Farmville, Virginia. We will have a congregational meeting this Sunday (June 21st) to formally dissolve the pastoral relationship between myself and ALPC so that I may accept this call. Someone has kindly asked me "What happens if we vote 'no'?" This is all part of our Presbyterian penchant for "doing all things decently and in order," so that the ministry of all our churches may flourish.
It's tough to say good bye to folks who have become such an important part of your life for almost ten years. A lot of you have asked about my new church, so here's brief snapshot:
It is an old church, on the smae spot since 1828. It is a block from the center of Farmville, the county seat of Prince Edward County, 60 miles west of Richmond and 40 miles east of Lynchburg. The church is within walking distance of Longwood University, a state college that used to be an all-women's college for teachers. It is now a campus of about 6,000 students. Down the road about five miles is Hampden-Sydney College, an all-male Presbyterian college; so I will have a lot of work to do to make connections with colleges in the area.
It will be a major adjustment getting used to life in a small town for us major city suburbanites. But we are looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity.
I will have some more things to say in the weeks ahead before I go - maybe part of my penance for not keeping up this site like I wanted to. For now let me just say thank you to all of those who have accepted us into your lives, who have remembered us in your prayers, who have challenged me to grow and try new things. I am deeply appreciative of the ministry of Avon Lake Presbyterian Church, which will certainly go on long after I leave, and, I hope and pray, will flourish.
Grace and peace
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On Leaving
Posted - 06/15/2009 : 15:47:57
