Our Next Lead Pastor – Found!

What an amazing journey the last 15 months has been! How well I remember standing before our church Sunday, November 3, 2013, and announcing that my season of serving as senior pastor was coming to an end. While Ronda and I and the elders had been working on transition for a couple of years, the church was naturally taken by surprise. I had given subtle messages along the way about not always being here, but even I have a difficult time imagining not leading the church after being at the helm for 35 years.

The transition began five years ago when Dave Wells, our church overseer, challenged me to start thinking about transition. I wasn’t very receptive at first – after all, I still had energy, vision, and goals for our church. I sensed God’s grace on my life to lead. But Dave patiently and persistently reasoned with me that my season would surely end and I better prepare for it now. Reluctantly I asked God for guidance and gradually became convinced that Dave was right. How thankful I am for his sage wisdom.

In preparation for the transition, I and the elders read books and articles, interviewed pastors who had gone through such a transition, listened to teachings, and talked and prayed a lot. Ronda and I have the deepest appreciation and respect for our elders and wives. They demonstrated compassion and support for us, wisdom and leadership, and the kind of devotion to Jesus and personal sacrifice necessary to be godly overseers. We will be forever grateful for them.

And then the search began. We hoped to have identified my successor within one year, but after eight months, we came to the end of our list of candidates. That was the low point for me. While I chose to trust God to provide a shepherd for his flock, I saw nothing promising on the horizon. So we enlarged the circle by sending an email to various pastors, apostles, and overseers I knew, asking if they knew anyone who qualified. You can’t imagine my relief and surprise to hear from my old friend Kendrick Vinar in Chapel Hill, NC. He informed me that he had a man on staff who could very well be the one we are looking for, though he feared he would upset his staff for making the recommendation. As Kendrick described him, I felt a growing excitement, though I seriously wondered how anyone might be willing to move from North Carolina to Northern Indiana.

Jeremy and Tiffanee Gwaltney

Jeremy Gwaltney proved to be God’s awesome choice for us. He and his wife Tiffanee paid us a “sneaker visit” (we didn’t tell our church he was coming) last October. Just ten minutes after sitting down to brunch with our elders and wives, he began to feel like one of us. Our discussions only confirmed our common beliefs, vision, values, and goals for God’s Kingdom and the church. We fell in love with them as we tried to manage our hopes and expectations.  An ensuing visit by Jim and Joyce Dreier, our associate pastor, along with Phil and Diann Bontrager, one of our elders, knit their hearts and moved the process along. Finally, Jeremy visited our church in January to preach and connect. What an exciting and confirming weekend!

Last Sunday morning we had the joy of bringing Jeremy in via Skype to announce to our church his acceptance of this important leadership position. He received a standing ovation as our church warmly affirmed God’s choice. I couldn’t hold back the tears as my heart swelled with the joy of knowing I was handing over the church I love to a man so called, capable, and trustworthy. I look forward to becoming best friends and doing all I can to make him successful.

So what will I do at the end of this year when my commitment ends? I plan to stay in the church, behave myself(!), and serve in specific areas such as teaching classes and heading up foreign missions. I will also be more available to help other churches. And I plan to finish my Master’s degree this year at IUSB to become certified to serve in new ways in our community. I love to speak and train, so I hope to develop something in that area.

I am often asked how I am doing. Actually, quite well, thank you. I am thrilled to have Jeremy on board, I am energized to lead until he comes, and I look forward to what the future holds. But ask me again in January when I no longer participate in things like elders meetings, staff meetings, and weekly office activities. I am not so naïve as to think that it won’t be difficult at times. But I am confident in God’s will and grace.

When I announced my coming resignation (note that is not retirement!), I called the sermon, “Seasons in the Life of a Church.” I am finishing a long season in my life and beginning a new one. It’s time to Dream Big, which is the theme we chose for this year at Harvest. I am dreaming big for our church as well as for Ronda and me. The next season is about to begin, and it promises to be a great one. Let’s follow Jesus into it with faith and expectation.