My retirement announcement – Rev. Dr. Rob MacDougall,
Associate Conference Minister,
Wisconsin Conference UCC
For more than 45 years the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes has been a trusted companion of mine, particularly in times of transition. It is known as a wisdom book and I think it lives up to that designation. Wisdom seeks to engage life as we experience it, not just how we hope it will be. Change is certainly an ongoing experience in life, some of it welcome, some of it not so much. I have always tried to listen to the winds of change, some gentle, some stormy, some that are just part of life’s rhythms. The author of Ecclesiastes seems to have listened well to such winds when he wrote about everything having a season and a purpose under heaven.
After graduating from college I worked for a few years as a social worker in south Minneapolis, a few blocks from what is now known as George Floyd Square. While working there I began to hear God’s call to ministry, and in 1982, I entered seminary at the Pacific School of Religion. Three years later I was called to serve St. Paul’s UCC in St. Paul, Minnesota. Like so many first calls, my time there was short, just three years. I was then called to serve First Congregational UCC in Menomonie, where for 27 years the lively winds of the Spirit wove my family and me deeply into the life of the congregation and the wider community. What a blessing. Then the Spirit beckoned me to the serve the Wisconsin Conference.
For seven years, I have had the privilege of serving as one of your associate conference ministers. It has been a gift to be in ministry with such remarkable Conference staff colleagues and such faithful churches and pastors, and to live amid the beauty of Wisconsin.
My wife and I talked about my retirement for a couple years, but I have not been in a hurry because I am still young and vibrant and continue to feel called to this ministry. But now our kids are grown, we have four grandchildren, and other winds are stirring. My wife’s illness over the past year and her death in March have led me to listen to the winds of a new season, and I have decided that I will retire at the end of this calendar year. I do not plan to move, though I know I will take time away from ministry.
I am deeply grateful for all the people I have served with. You have been the face of God to me. I cannot begin to tell you how miraculous each of our churches are, inhabited as they are by so many faithful, committed, courageous and loving people.
I will continue to serve full time as your ACM until the end of December and then confidently pass this ministry on. My mentor in ministry, the Rev. Dick Kozelka, frequently offered a benediction that I offered for many years in Menomonie and now wish to offer to you: Go in peace, keep the faith, love one another and serve the Lord. Thank you.
