May 2023

The other night we voted for a second time (again unanimously) to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. I was very pleased with this vote. We have done a tremendous job of staying informed as a church and making informed decisions. This decision ends a major chapter in our church’s history. Something is coming to an end. Our relationship with others who call themselves United Methodist is ending. At the same time, we will be beginning something new, a new relationship with other churches that we hope will be a long, happy and healthy relationship.

I’m not sure how it feels for all of you, but for me it has been a long time in coming. It feels like we have been waiting toward this for as long as I can remember. For several years, we have been working to discern what to do. We have had meetings. We have had discussions. We have done our due diligence many times over. Now, we appear to be headed down the home stretch. We have a few more I’s to dot and T’s to cross, but sometime in the next two months, all of the years of work are going to culminate in our church raising a new banner, under a new organization. If you can’t tell, I am excited.

At the same time, our calling remains the same. That is something that will never change. Our calling is to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ, to tell people and to show people what it means to know Him and be known by Him, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus was King when we were 6 churches. Jesus was King when 4 churches became one church. Jesus will be King when we take this next step.

The thing that makes me proudest of our church is that through this process, we have continued to do ministry. We have continued to do the things we do to serve and bless our community. We have even done some new things. God has blessed us with so much. We have so much to be thankful. We have so much to give Him glory for. That is what we will do until His Kingdom comes in all of its fullness. I’m excited Plum. I’m excited about what God is doing here and what He is going to do here.

Blessings,

Pastor Raymond