HOW TO BID A HEALTHY FAREWELL
Leaving a church honorably means knowing what will help in the long run.
Donald L. Bubna
July 1, 1988
Bob had all the marks of a hurting pastor. I sat across the coffee shop table and hurt with him. He had recently finished his first year in Judson Church and celebrated the congregation's fiftieth anniversary. It had not gone well. He needed to talk, and I provided the listening ear. Bob's predecessor, Wayne, had had a long and fruitful ministry at Judson. When he left for a larger congregation, the people were convinced they would be a long time finding a successor to match Wayne's gifts. The search committee, however, knew Bob had great abilities. When he came to Judson, the church zoomed forward. Bob's sensitivity to singles, the divorced, and widows and widowers soon had Judson bursting with new people. The congregation had grown nearly 50 percent in the first year with its new pastor. Some folks, however, didn't like this. All these "different" people from the community took away the feeling of the "old Judson." In planning the fiftieth anniversary, the leadership pressed Bob into inviting Wayne, the former pastor, to be the guest preacher for the Sunday celebration. Bob was reluctant. He knew the divided elements in the congregation could be further polarized by Wayne's return so soon. He hoped Wayne would be sensitive to the tensions. Wayne, however, readily accepted without asking for Bob's opinion. Arriving in town on Friday, Wayne never contacted Bob. He busied himself with parties the old leadership arranged. No one realized what that was doing to the new pastor. When the fiftieth-anniversary Sunday dawned, Wayne arrived only five minutes before the service and asked Bob for a bulletin. This was their first face-to-face meeting. When Wayne was introduced, the congregation responded with applause. Wayne recalled pleasant ...
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 18,013 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
