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Hello Mike,
In case you weren’t in worship this morning, I want you to know that I shared in my message this morning the news of my upcoming retirement in May. Here is a portion of what I shared in that message:
“For the last 39 years, I’ve been living out God’s call and purpose for me as a pastor of a local church. It has been the joy, privilege, and challenge of my life. And while I’ve had my share of challenges, I’ve been clear, since I said yes to God’s call when I was sixteen, that this has been God’s purpose for me, and I’ve been immeasurably blessed in living out that call.
Now, after a great deal of prayer and discernment, I feel led to live out that call and identity in a new season – the season of retirement. Let me be clear: I’m not unwell, other than having a weak leg, lol! I’m not burnt out or worn out. This decision was made long before this injury.
Not only am I well, but I feel energized and, in some ways, feel at the top of my game pastorally. But what I sense is God calling me to serve the Kingdom in new ways – in ways I can’t serve while carrying the mantle of leadership in a local church. Part of that service, I sense, will be out in the community. Another part of that service will be in and with my family, who have made many sacrifices for me to do what I’ve done all these years. Now I will have the opportunity to serve them in new ways that I’m so looking forward to.
I truly believe this transition is God’s call on my life. It is hard. I love this church. I love you all. And starting over in a new place, even one I look forward to living in will have its own challenges. But I’ve seldom found these kinds of transitions easy. They are often challenging at some level. But I also know, when I’ve sought to be faithful to God’s call, I’ve always known incredible grace and blessing. I trust that will be the case now.
I also trust that there will be incredible blessings and grace for Suntree and its ministry in the wake of this transition. God would not be calling me away from this incredible church if God did not have a great plan for this church and its future senior pastor. Those who have been around for a while know that God has blessed Suntree UMC in every pastoral transition, and I have no doubt that it will be the same again.
If you are new to our United Methodist system, you will no doubt have a million questions about how this will work. I can’t answer all those questions now. But we will be laying all that out for you over the next weeks and months. Our next message series will be about “Transitions” and how God speaks to us and works in us in transitions.
My last official Sunday will be May 4. So, we have lots of time to talk about all of this. But in the meantime, we have work to do – God’s Kingdom work of loving God, loving each other, and loving our neighbors in extraordinary ways. God’s work of doing justice and extending mercy and grace. God’s work of being the church at its best – and helping folks to discover healing from church hurt and by calling all God’s children to discover and live into their identity and purpose as God’s beloved, and inviting people to walk in the light of God’s love and grace.”
Next Sunday, we will welcome the Bethune Cookman Concert Chorale in worship, and then on January 26, we will begin our “Transitions” message series, which will answer many of your questions. There will also be plenty of time for us to give thanks and celebrate our ministry together. In the meantime, I ask for your trust and ongoing commitment to God’s work here at Suntree UMC. We worship a God who is always calling us to a new thing. I trust it will be a new and bright season for me, and for Suntree UMC.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Annette Stiles Pendergrass
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