A Time to Harvest and Move On

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted... —Ecclesiastes 3:1,2b

Across the farmland around Boone, and indeed, across most of Iowa, the soybean and corn crops have been harvested.

As the 19th Century hymn writer Henry Alford affirms: “All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.”

Here in Boone, this is my sixth harvest season, and in the varied seasons of ministry, I have seen the “harvest of souls:” children brought for dedication, young people entering the waters of baptism, couples getting married, friends and family gathering to commemorate the passing of a loved one. And most especially, I have witnessed individuals coming into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, Bible study and activities of service, mission and ministry. But unlike the annual crop harvests, the harvest of souls is ongoing, so discerning when to “move on” is made more difficult.

Such a time has come for me to retire from the ministry here in Boone. My decision to announce this retirement has been made for personal reasons: as I reach the age of sixty in mid-December, I will be able to annuitize my denominational pension, gathered over thirty-five years, in order to accomplish some important financial changes for myself and my family. Among the possible changes will be the opportunity to develop my ministry coaching practice, and expand the joint ministries of music and prayer partnerships with my wife Karen, while pastoring a congregation that is poised for transformation and rediscovered vitality. In order to prepare professionally for these changes, Karen and I attended a week-long training event last week, “The Art of Transitional Ministry.” This program trains both “settled” and “intentional interim” pastors to be sensitive to the issues congregations face in times of transition.

The final details of my departure from Central Christian and the directions of the new courses of my ministry are still being revealed even as I post this entry. I leave Central Christian with a deep spirit of thanksgiving in my heart for all the gifts of love, support and care which this amazing congregation has shared in the past sixty-five months, and for the many ways our lives have intersected: in times of joy and grief, physical endeavors and times of play, great celebrations, small group classes and retreats, and hour upon hour of spiritual conversations. I am even grateful for the lessons learned in the times of congregational conflict. I will be the preacher there for two more Sunday worship services. Appropriately, my final day of ministry service in Boone will be Sunday, November 21, which we call “Thanksgiving Sunday!” In the liturgy that morning, the congregation and I will release one another from this ministry covenant and I will move into a three-week period of vacation, personal renewal and much packing!

But for the next eleven days, I will continue to look forward to greeting the good people of Central Christian at the church door or in places where we have shared ministry together. And after that time, I will hold them all in a special place in my heart.

Pastor Paul

P. S. Stay tuned to this space for important developments in the coming weeks!