“To everything there is a season,

                A time for every purpose under heaven.”
               A time to retire….

         
Greetings beloved St. Andrew. This is Pastor Chris.
 
After nearly 30 years of ministry together under the UMC appointment system, serving four churches throughout northern Indiana, Carolyn and I will be entering retirement status as of July 1, 2022.

Carolyn will be retiring from her staff position at the end of December 2021. I will continue to serve as the pastor of this wonderful flock through the end of June 2022.

We will have many occasions to speak of the diverse reasons behind our decision, but a constellation of reasons centers around our family.

We have family members outside of easy driving distance whose care needs encourage us to choose a season to become more available to share the hands-on work that many of you know so well.

We have grandsons, aged 10 and 12, who live in Fort Wayne, who are a swiftly passing few years away from growing up and out of the house. A season to connect with them more frequently has always been a dream, which we will joyfully look forward to fulfilling in the years ahead. (Purdue in their futures?)

We also are feeling led to embark on a new season as a couple seeking the Spirit’s leading in our “third 30 years of life”… approximately (lol).  We’ve danced and swayed to, and at times simply been brought to our knees by the storyline and soundtrack of what it is to serve a local church with all of our love, care, and compassion.

In the season of retirement before us, we know we will discover new rhythms and music to inspire us, comfort us, and challenge us. By God’s grace, we know the Spirit will also draw us into new and diverse melodies of community in Fort Wayne and beyond.

The Bishop, Cabinet, and Superintendent of the Northwest District are ardent and wise champions of the ministry and people of St. Andrew. They will be trustworthy in prayerfully discerning my successor in the early months of 2022. Pray for them in this task.

Finally, we’re still here! We’ve got seven months together to continue to share the blessings of being an open community, growing in the ways of Jesus, and encouraging each other to embody the healing love of God every day. Together we will make it great!

Blessings and peace,

Pastor Chris

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