Been looking back and looking forward as this transition arrives. And so these next two newsletters, I have some reflections and thoughts for you. Twenty-two years ago, I did not come to Baton Rouge to change the direction of the church. Before I arrived, the elders had gone through a process of reaffirming the church’s mission, naming essential beliefs and creating a long-range strategic plan. The new pastor would have to fit the clear identity and mission of the church. In other words, I was told, “This is us. Will you come lead us to be more us?” The church’s clarity was a key reason I knew in my bones God was calling us here. No new direction. No new values. Just press into who God has made us to be.
That core sense of church identity has not changed. Today, we’re not looking for a pastor to lead us in a “new direction.” Our mission remains “Deeper in Christ, further into the world.” Our essential beliefs remain our foundation. Our core worship values inform every service we plan. The session has clearly laid out the path before us in our strategic plan. All the leaders of the church—elders, deacons, and staff pull in the same direction. The next pastor will be energized and motivated by that clarity.
Will there be some change in style? Of course. Change in leadership strengths? Favorite authors and passages? New ideas for how to enact our continuing mission? Certainly. But not a new direction. We flow out of two thousand years of central Christian belief, and two hundred years of its particular expression here on the banks of the Mississippi.
I’ve loved that continuity. It’s like playing tennis with the actual rules, a firm net and clear boundaries. There’s way more engagement, skill, energy and joy required than if you just hit around in a parking lot making up rules. This church, by its very depth and faithfulness, demanded more of me than I knew I had to give. That’s exactly what has made these years so wonderful.
More, much more, is ahead as the Spirit leads us to the next pastor. So stay with First through the change. Pray for your church and her leaders. Be the church God called you to join. Changes will come, but not in our essential direction. More than ever, I have loved being your pastor.
