Dear Friends in Christ,
There are seasons in the life of the Church that feel much like standing at the edge of a sunrise. The light has not fully broken over the horizon, yet already the sky begins to shimmer with promise. This is one of those holy seasons for us.
Like Paul writing to the church in Philippi, I find myself filled with gratitude each time I think of this congregation and the faithful people God has gathered here. There is a spirit of hopefulness among us and a sense that the Holy Spirit is quietly, steadily at work preparing hearts, opening doors, and guiding footsteps we cannot yet fully see.
On April 29, the Pastor Nominating Committee completed its series of training and orientation sessions with Verna Rydlund and me. We give thanks for the care, wisdom, and preparation that shaped this important beginning for the PNC. The committee is now actively working on its Ministry Discernment Profile (MDP), prayerfully discerning who we are as a church and who God is calling us to become in the years ahead.
I am especially grateful for the leadership of Rich Crim, who serves as chair of the PNC with thoughtfulness, humility, and steady faith. More than that, I am deeply encouraged by the spirit of unity among this team. They are listening well to one another, praying faithfully, and approaching this sacred work with both diligence and joy. They believe and understand this is not simply a process to complete, but a discernment to live.
As we move forward, we are well-positioned to begin receiving candidates’ resumes in the near future. If all goes well, sometime near the end of June, the PNC will post the MDP on the denomination’s “pastor search site” and begin processing the resumes of different pastors.
That reality should fill us not with anxiety, but with wonder. Somewhere, even now, God is already stirring the heart of the pastor who will one day walk among us, preach the gospel in this place, sit beside hospital beds, bless children at the font, break bread at the Lord’s Table, and join this congregation in the beautiful work of ministry. What a mystery. What a grace.
So, with full and hopeful hearts, dear friends, let us pray. Pray for the members of the PNC that they may have wisdom, patience, clarity, and peace. Pray for the pastor whom God is preparing, wherever s/he may be today. Pray also for all churches in transition, for congregations searching, pastors discerning, and communities waiting with hopeful expectation for what God will do next.
And above all, do not lose heart. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. Long before we began this journey, Christ was already walking ahead of us. The same God who began a good work among us will continue to bring it to completion. In every conversation, every prayer, every draft written, and every step taken, God is faithful.
So let us stand firm in hope. Let us continue in love. Let us rejoice in the Lord always. And may “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Grace and peace,
Eddie Bellis, Interim Pastor
Click on the links below to view the various documents.
Church Assessment Tool (CAT)- Executive Summary
2025 Annual Statistical Report