Which one should I send? (Okay, somewhat obviously, these are rough drafts and details will be filled in as the decision is made. But I really feel that I need to have a pretty good idea before Monday as we are going to some serious planning for this school year and if I might be leaving, it makes a big difference.) Enough commentary...
Letter #1
Dear beloved people of Current Congregation,
It is with thankfulness that I write this letter to you. I want to thank you for the past four years. It was with your support and love that I was transformed from a scared seminarian to a confident pastor. I have learned so much in this time with you. We've shared joyful times and difficult ones. We've worshiped God together. We've learned and we've laughed.
I believe with my whole heart that being called to this place was God's intention for me. I was called by you as a congregation to lead you for this time, but the time as come for me to lead another part of the body of Christ.
I have accepted a call to another congregation. My last day here with you will be....
Letter #2
Dear Call Committee of Potential Place,
I want to thank you for the time you have spent with me and for your confidence in me. I am honored and pleased that you believe I have the gifts to be your next pastor. I was pleased to meet all of you and believe that your congregation is a lovely place. However, after significant time spent in prayer and in conversation with many people who I trust, I feel that I must withdraw my name from your process.
I pray that God will lead the right person to you. You will be in my prayers.
Wow--both of these sounded different in my head and now I can't write either of them. I can't write a good-bye letter to my current congregation even though I want so badly to be gone. I can't write a letter withdrawing my name from a place that wants me, but that's in a place my husband does not want to go and would require us to live in two households for at least many months. All I want to know is what the right thing to do is...and I don't know.
3 comments:
Prayers for you in these difficult decisions.
Lots of prayers!
This is just my experience, take from it whatever you wish. For my first call, we went somewhere that my husband was not at all enthusiastic about going. We both thought that, hopefully, he would grow to like it. Nope. Didn't happen and it was a horrible strain on our marriage that still has ripples in our lives over four years later since moving away. You see, I ended up leaving that call pretty quick because he was so unhappy. We also lived apart for quite some time because he got a job in our new city (in another state) and I felt that I needed to stay put for awhile. Very tough.
God bless your family as you discern all of this. I pray for clear and honest communication between you.
Wow.
What a tough decision.
Prayers and love.
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