Changes !!!

About a month ago I posted a pretty cryptic tweet about some big changes being made.  Within 24 hours I had alot of response, and people wanting some details.  I wasn't able to fully provide them until now, but the revealing is starting.

Around a month ago, my Pastor quit.  It was a stressful night, but within 16 hours he asked to be re-instated.  This was very stressful and the sheer emotional burden that it took out on me was enough to start making some serious decisions. 

This summer I began conversations with key people regarding me leaving the Southern Baptist Convention and moving into the United Methodist Church.  This was an internal process that took Meredith and I almost a year to come too.  This summer through prayer and wise council we decided to officially start the move.  We ultimately made this decision theologically.  I had expressed sincere interest in several other denominations, but we felt this was the right place for us due to both of our attachments to a sacramental and liturgical theological disposition.  We also liked the idea of having an "idea" of where we would be moving to when our time at Asbury is done.  But we knew that some big decisions would have to made concerning my staff position at Nicholasville Baptist Church. 

The afternoon my pastor called me to tell me that he had taken his job back, I told him that I was leaving.  It was time for us to leave, and due to my superman complex, I knew that I would try to shoulder to much of a burden at Church.  It had never been my "primary" job, and I hated to leave my youth (who I had grown to love dearly), but it was the right time. 

I turned in my resignation today, and felt bad because it really disappointed alot of people, but they understood.  It is my time to finish seminary up, and investigate other vocation opportunities that I couldn't pursue because my schedule was so tight (I have been working 7 days a week for the last year at least).  I have one week left at Nicholasville Baptist, and some other interesting things happened today, but it will be an exciting and sad weekend.

In the next month more changes will be fleshed out (including some things that I am really excited about), but this is the starting place.

Comments

[twitter.com/t4stywh34t]

Congrats on taking the first step. I'm sad you wouldn't go full-on Anglican, but I understand the job security of the UMC. Looking forward to hearing more.

[Kelly Lawson]

Wow. Big changes, big decisions. It'll be exciting to see what happens next.

[Shonnie]

man...sounds like you have some really interesting things going on... can't wait to see where you wind up.

:)

[~peter]

Prayers for you, dude. Might I welcome you to the wildly, whimsical world of the UM.

[Dan]

I hope this last week of youth ministry at the church is a good one and that the relationships you've built will carry on even after you're gone!